August 1929 – March 1933

The Origin – Where does ‘Living on the Breadline’ Come From? The ‘breadline’ was literally a queue for free food handed out by the US government in the 1820s. Living ‘in’ the breadline evolved to ‘on’ or ‘below’ as it became a term to describe living in borderline poverty, especially in the UK.

Breadlines and soup kitchens were established as charitable organizations giving free bread and soup to the impoverished. A breadline refers to the line of people waiting outside a charity. These charities gave out free food such as bread and soup.

Breadlines, in which poverty-stricken and hungry Americans queued for free food, were representative of the increasing unemployment and consequent hunger caused by the Depression. With the onset of the Great Depression, companies were forced to cut production and to lay off many of their employees.

The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations; however, in most countries it started in 1929 and lasted until the late 1930’s.

During the Great Depression thousands of unemployed residents who could not pay their rent or mortgages were evicted into the world of public assistance and bread lines.

Filters. A line (queue) which disadvantaged people can join to receive free soup. noun.

While the purpose of the Soup Kitchens is to provide a nutritious meal, they are also an important entry point to services for individuals who are homeless or living in poverty.

Summary and definition: The Soup Kitchens in the Great Depression served free meals to hungry men, women and children. The soup kitchens were run by volunteers from charitable organizations and local communities with food supplies provided by benefactors and people in the neighborhood from their ‘Soup Gardens’.

The history of soup kitchens in America can be traced back to the year 1929 with the effects of a growing depression. When soup kitchens first appeared, they were run by churches or private charities and served mostly soup and bread. Soup was economical because water could be added to serve more people.

Sir Benjamin Thompson

Westminster vs soup kitchens: Round One This is not the first time Westminster Council has attempted to sanction soup kitchens. In 2007, the council proposed a new London Local Authorities Bill that would close soup kitchens and make it illegal to give free food to the homeless in Central London.

As government grants become scarcer, most non-profits work on attracting philanthropy from individuals or foundations. Most soup kitchens, like other non-profits that maintain a continuous program of service, use corporate or private foundation funding to provide basic operating costs like salaries or food.

Al Capone

Capone’s charity had no name, just a sign over the door that advertised “Free Soup, Coffee & Doughnuts for the Unemployed.” Inside, women in white aprons served an average of 2200 people a day with a smile and no questions asked.

Starting Your Kitchen Soup

1. Get a location.
2. Incorporate Yourself as a Non-profit Organization.
3. Fill the Paperwork.
4. Raise Funds.
5. Get food and Groceries.
6. Get Volunteers.
7. Reach out to the Press.
8. Get in Touch With Other Non-profit Making Organizations.

So Capone was a notorious gangster by night and empathetic philanthropist by day? Not exactly. Sure, according to Christopher Klein from history.com, he did feed an excess of 2,000 Chicagoans per day in his charitable soup kitchens, though there’s a reason why many referred to him as a “Robin Hood” of sorts.

Mobster Al Capone Ran a Soup Kitchen During the Great Depression. America’s most notorious gangster sponsored the charity that served up three hot meals a day to thousands of the unemployed—no questions asked. Chicago shivered through a particularly bleak November in 1930.

After arriving in Chicago, Capone worked for Torrio, who was part of a criminal network headed by a man named Big Jim Colosimo. When Colosimo was killed (possibly as a hit ordered by Torrio and carried out by Capone’s former boss Frankie Yale), Torrio took over as boss and made Capone one of his key aides.

Three weeks before their wedding, Mae reportedly gave birth to a son, Albert Francis “Sonny” Capone. The couple had no more children. Other sources claim that she contracted syphilis from Al, which caused each subsequent try for another child to end in miscarriage or stillbirth.

Carlo Gambino – Led the #1 mafia family in the country for close to 30 years and died in his bed. Lucky gets bounced off the list because he got convicted and deported. The smartest criminal, by definition, is the one who never gets caught.

Who Is The Most Feared Gangster In US History?

• Al Capone was known to be extremely violent, and worked as a bouncer and bodyguard at first.
• After moving to Chicago he became a part of the war of rival gangs during the prohibition era.
• He is responsible for the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, a brutal killing of seven men in broad daylight.

Al Capone is perhaps the most notorious gangster of all time, and also one of the richest. During prohibition, Capone controlled the illegal alcohol, prostitution and gambling rackets in Chicago which brought in $100 million a year at its prime.

Genovese family

The Mafia is currently most active in the Northeastern United States, with the heaviest activity in New York City, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Buffalo and New England, in areas such as Boston, Providence and Hartford.

The countries with the ten highest crime rates in the world are:

• Venezuela (84.36)
• Papua New Guinea (80.04)
• South Africa (77.29)
• Afghanistan (76.97)
• Honduras (76.65)
• Trinidad and Tobago (72.43)
• Brazil (68.31)
• Guyana (68.15)