Al Capone, born in 1899 in New York City, dropped out of school at 14 and joined the Brooklyn Rippers. He moved to Chicago and became second-in-command to Johnny Torrio. During Prohibition, he made over $100 million a year in illegal trades. He was convicted of tax evasion and sent to prison in 1932, where he lost power and was diagnosed with dementia. He died in 1947, leaving behind a crumbling empire. Despite his criminal conduct, he was known for his generosity towards the poor.
Alphonse Gabriel Capone, better known as Al Capone, was born on January 17, 1899 in New York City. One of nine siblings born to Neapolitan immigrants, Al Capone was forced to drop out of school at the age of 14, following a series of arguments with a teacher. After that, it didn’t take him long to join the Brooklyn Rippers, a gang well known for its petty crimes and local unrest.
Before he was even 20, Capone was married with one child and working for Frankie Yale, the leader of the infamous Five Points Gang. It was during this time that Capone had the knife fight that earned him the infamous scar on his cheek and the nickname Scarface. Al Capone moved to Chicago on the orders of Yale, who were concerned that his protégé was heating up the local gang scene by assaulting and killing two rival gang members. It didn’t take him long to find his place in the new city – In just a couple of months, he became second-in-command to Johnny Torrio, a known offender.
During the Prohibition era, Al Capone earned over 100 million US dollars (USD) a year in the illegal trade of alcohol and prostitution. Despite several assassination attempts and his apparent criminal conduct, Capone remained invulnerable until he was convicted of tax evasion and sent to prison in 1932. This conviction was the result of the extensive work of the Untouchables, a vicious group of US Treasury agents. United States under the leadership of Eliot Ness.
Once in Alcatraz, Capone began to lose much of his confidence and power. Betrayed by insider friends and unable to bribe the guards to get what he wanted, he slowly became erratic and was eventually diagnosed with dementia. He spent several years at the Baltimore State Mental Institution before being freed in 1945. Capone died of pneumonia in 1947, leaving behind a crumbling empire and much speculation about a secret vault containing much of his gold.
Al Capone was well known among Chicago residents for his generosity. He opened soup kitchens in poor suburbs, provided milk rations for children to help fight an epidemic of rickets, and often helped impoverished Italian-Americans. He also owned the Cotton Club, a notable venue for celebrities and local entertainment.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
