I doubt it. That even had little influence in repealing Prohibition, that just happened because people themselves were pissed off they couldn't drink and all wanted to.
So Americans wouldn't raise holy hell if kindergartens were burned down by thugs because people wouldn't pay them off? Especially in this day and age of information. Back in prohibition days it was easier, much easier, to cover up crime waves. Now if you had the kind of kidnappings, murders, etc going on in a concentrated, but spread out, part of the US, the citizenry would want something done about the problem.
