Mr.
Schiff: Hi, welcome to "FBI 100, A Closer
Look." I'm Neal Schiff of the Bureau's Office
of Public Affairs along with FBI Historian Dr.
John Fox. The TV show and movie The Untouchables
put the spotlight on Elliot Ness, a federal Agent.
But John, he wasn't a FBI Agent?
Dr.
Fox: "No Neal Elliot Ness was actually a
Bureau of Prohibition agent. He entered the Department
of Treasury working for the Bureau of Prohibition
in 1927. A couple of years later when the Bureau
got shifted to the Department of Justice he stayed
with it but he was never part of the FBI or any
of its predecessor agencies."
Mr.
Schiff: What was the main focus of Elliot
Ness as a Treasury Agent?
Dr.
Fox: "Well the focus of Ness and of course
all those that worked with him was the enforcement
of the prohibition laws of the United States.
Following World War I, the Constitution was amended
so that the sale and manufacture of alcohol could
be outlawed and Congress immediately after the
passage of that amendment did just that, forbade
the sale and manufacture of most alcohol. It was
a very unpopular law and the government had a
lot of trouble enforcing it. There was often a
lot of corruption associated with the enforcement
of it. But Elliot Ness came out making his name
because he was the one leading up a group of Treasury
Department agents who were considered incorruptible
or untouchable. It was a very small group but
they were the ones who were supposed to go after
the bootleggers in Chicago."
Mr.
Schiff: And Elliot Ness has a bit of a connection
with the FBI?
Dr.
Fox: "Yes Neal in 1933 when prohibition was
repealed, the Bureau of Prohibition needed to
be taken care of. Its agents were offered the
opportunity to apply for jobs as FBI agents and
some of them took it up. Elliot Ness was one of
them."
Mr.
Schiff: And I understand Ness wasn't accepted.
Why?
Dr.
Fox: "No. His application was rejected because
while he was trying to become an agent with the
Bureau, he tried to get some political strings
pulled to help his candidacy and the Bureau didn't
stand for that. Positions as FBI agents were to
be non-political.
Mr.
Schiff: By the way if you're interested in
joining the FBI, check out FBIJobs.gov on the
Internet. From the FBI's Public Affairs office,
along with Bureau Historian Dr. John Fox, I'm
Neal Schiff with "FBI 100, A Closer Look."
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