A submachine gun, sometimes a Thompson, hid inside a seemingly innocuous violin case was a standard trope within the Prohibition period and past. This methodology of concealment supplied discreet transportation of the weapon, permitting people to hold it in public with out arousing suspicion. The case’s exhausting shell additionally offered a level of safety in opposition to injury and unintended discharge.
This follow gained notoriety on account of its affiliation with organized crime in the course of the Nineteen Twenties and Thirties. The concealment tactic offered a tactical benefit, enabling fast entry to the firearm in sudden conditions. This historic significance cemented its place in common tradition, steadily showing in movies, tv reveals, and video video games, usually symbolizing clandestine actions and the gangster period. The mixture of an on a regular basis object with a lethal weapon created a stark and memorable picture.