Prohibition Unit, U.S. Department of the Treasury

On August 26, 1926, Ness swore in as a Temporary Prohibition Agent with the Prohibition Unit in Chicago. From the enactment of the Volstead Act, Prohibition agents hunted down bootleggers who were growing enormously powerful and rich by smuggling liquor into the United States primarily from Canada and Europe. By the time Ness entered the service, three of Treasury’s six law enforcement arms - Prohibition Unit, Coast Guard, and Customs - were working together, sharing information, and conducting joint operations against what would be described today as a transnational organized crime threat.