original_query: What were the economic benefits for the Italian-American community involved in illegal activities during the Prohibition era?
query: What were the economic benefits for the Italian-American community involved in illegal activities during the Prohibition era?
answer: The Prohibition era (1920-1933) presented an economic windfall for Italian-Americans already involved in illegal activities, and those who had fled Sicily to avoid prosecution.  They profited immensely from smuggling, wholesaling, and selling liquor through a network of speakeasies.