The Infamous Reign of Al Capone

Early Life: The Making of "Scarface"

On a frigid January day in 1899, Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born into the bustling borough of Brooklyn, New York City. His parents, Teresa and Gabriele Capone, were Italian immigrants hailing from Angri, a small municipality near Naples. Gabriele, a barber, and Teresa, a seamstress, had embarked on a journey to America in 1893, landing first in the Austro-Hungarian port city of Fiume, now Rijeka, Croatia, before settling in the vibrant streets of Brooklyn.

The Capone family, which eventually grew to include eight other children, led a modest life. Among his siblings were Ralph, who would later manage Al's beverage ventures, and Frank, who would join Al in his criminal pursuits until his untimely death in 1924. Al's brother, James Vincenzo Capone, took a different path, ironically becoming a Prohibition agent under the name Richard Hart.

Al showed academic promise but struggled to conform to the strict rules of his parochial Catholic school. His formal education ended abruptly at 14 when he was expelled for assaulting a teacher. Capone then took on various jobs in Brooklyn, from a candy store clerk to a bowling alley attendant, and even played semi-professional baseball from 1916 to 1918. During this period, Johnny Torrio, a prominent gangster, became his mentor, steering him toward a life of crime.

Capone's personal life took a significant turn when he married Mae Josephine Coughlin on December 30, 1918. Mae, an Irish Catholic, had recently given birth to their son, Albert Francis "Sonny" Capone. Despite Al's underage status, his parents consented to the marriage, and by all accounts, the couple enjoyed a happy union.

Rise to Power: From New York to Chicago

Al Capone's foray into crime began with minor gangs like the Junior Forty Thieves and the Bowery Boys. He soon graduated to the Five Points Gang, a powerful outfit in Lower Manhattan. Under the mentorship of Frankie Yale, a bartender at the Harvard Inn, Capone's criminal career took off. It was here that he earned the infamous nickname "Scarface" after a brawl left him with three slashes on his face. Capone was said to loathe this moniker and preferred "Snorky," a term used by close friends to describe his sharp dressing.

In 1919, Capone moved to Chicago at the invitation of Torrio, who had been brought in by crime boss James "Big Jim" Colosimo as an enforcer. Capone started as a bouncer in a brothel, where he likely contracted syphilis—a disease that would later debilitate him. In Chicago, Capone quickly became Torrio's right-hand man, and by 1923, he had purchased a modest home in the South Side neighborhood.

The murder of hijacker Joe Howard in 1924, after he tried to meddle in the Capone-Torrio bootlegging business, marked the beginning of Capone's ascent in the criminal underworld. His name started appearing in newspaper sports pages as a boxing promoter, and he was suspected of involvement in Colosimo's murder, which paved the way for Torrio to take over the crime empire.

The Reign of "Public Enemy No. 1"

After a near-death experience in 1925, Torrio handed the reins of his criminal empire to Capone, who was just 26 at the time. Capone's organization now controlled illegal breweries and a vast transportation network reaching into Canada, protected by political and law enforcement alliances. His aggressive tactics, including bombing establishments that refused to buy his liquor, resulted in the deaths of up to 100 people. Capone's involvement in the proliferation of brothels further tarnished his public image.

Despite his criminal activities, Capone was a local celebrity, mingling with jazz musicians and indulging in lavish lifestyles. He was known for his expensive tastes in custom suits, cigars, and jewelry, often quipping, "I am just a businessman, giving the people what they want."

The infamous Saint Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, where seven men from a rival gang were gunned down in broad daylight, shocked the nation and cemented Capone's reputation as "Public Enemy No. 1." The massacre led to increased pressure from influential citizens demanding government action, and federal authorities set their sights on Capone.

The Fall: Tax Evasion and Imprisonment

Federal agents finally cornered Capone by charging him with 22 counts of tax evasion. In 1931, during a highly publicized trial, the judge admitted Capone's own admissions of income and unpaid taxes as evidence. Convicted on five counts, Capone was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison. He replaced his defense team with tax law experts, hoping for an appeal, but his efforts were in vain.

Capone's health deteriorated rapidly in prison due to neurosyphilis, and after serving nearly eight years, he was released debilitated. On January 25, 1947, Capone died of cardiac arrest following a stroke in his Palm Island, Florida, mansion.

Legacy and Conclusion

Al Capone's life remains a testament to the complex interplay of crime, power, and public perception during the Prohibition era. His influence on organized crime, combined with his flamboyant lifestyle and the media frenzy surrounding his exploits, left an indelible mark on American history.

Sources

For more detailed information, visit the original Wikipedia article: Al Capone