asury agent Elliot Ness. The reason both exist is the era of Prohibition during which gangsters like Capone began bootlegging alcohol and selling it to a public eager to break this particular law. The amount of money involved encourage corruption as the mob bought many police officials and judges, and because of this, the special unit was formed to investigate. Members of this group were to be unbribable, and hence the name "Untouchables."
Ness gathers the men carefully who will serve under him so he knows they are honest and cannot be bribed. One in particular is an old hand, and after he is killed, Ness attacks with greater vigor. He is frustrated many times because he cannot find the witnesses he needs. In the end, the accountant on the team finds a way to analyze Capone's empire and show that Capone makes a great deal of money and does not pay taxes. While he is also untouchable as far as murder and similar crimes are concerned, he is not untouchable as far as being a tax evader. Ness has to find and protect those who can prove this issue, and in the end, Capone is sent away to federal prison. His mob goes on, transferred to other hands, but he is stopped. The story of organized crime thus continues without this one charismatic leader.
Cohen and Felson offered a theory called Routine Activities in 1979, a theory closely related to the Rational Choice perspective. Both focus on the characteristics of the crime rather than the characteristics of the offender. These theorists argue that there will always be sufficient motivation for crime and that the supply of offenders also remains constant. They find that there are three crucial components necessary for a predatory criminal act--motivated offenders, suitiable targets, and the absence of capable guardians. Removing one of these elements makes it less likely that crime will occur. with all three elements present, crime is more likely to rise.
Routine Activi...