Prohibition lasted from 1920-1933, even though it was only in those few years, there was a push discouraging the use of alcoholic beverages since the 1830s and even before. Herbert Hoover said that prohibition was a "noble experiment," but after a while people began to act up, there became no way to actually force prohibition upon people because there were bootleggers who were becoming more and more powerful since they were supplying all of the people with alcohol. There were some very authoritative bootleggers, like Arnold Rothstein. Arnold Rothstein was the leader of the Jewish underworld in New York, and was the man who rigged the 1919 world series. Other big names in the bootlegging business are men like Al Capone and Dutch Schultz. By the 1930s there was no point for the 18th amendment to be upheld since the bootleggers were already supplying non taxed alcohol to everyone, so the 18th amendment was repealed.
Before prohibition, the use of alcohol was heavily associated with those of the lower class and the ill. Prohibition has many of the same attributes as progressive reforms. It was supported by the middle class mostly, it was meant to "improve and better" society, and it was meant to control peoples interests with large and powerful politicians. Prohibition was a progressive reform, but eventually was repealed by the same people who were fighting for prohibition in the first place.
This is Arnold Rothstein, one of the biggest bootleggers during prohibition. 
This is what bootlegged alcohol looked like. 
A newspaper when prohibition was finally lifted. 
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