Al Capone, The Big Fella

Al Capone, the Big Fella, was named one of the most notorious gangsters of all time. Capone was a bootlegger during the Prohibition Era in the Roaring Twenties. Capone prospered off the prohibition of alcohol. Throughout his life as a gangster he moved up in ranks and led himself to the top of the bootlegging industry. If there never was a prohibition, he would have never been as known as he is today. Capone was born into a family of Italian Immigrants on January 17, 1899 in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Gabriel and Teresina Capone. He grew up in a rough neighborhood and he was a member of two “kid” gangs, the Brooklyn Rippers and the Forty Thieves Juniors (History Files). He grew up with eight brothers and sisters. His brothers, Frank and Ralph both worked with him as gangsters. Capone was a bright student, but later dropped out of school in the sixth grade at age fourteen. He dropped out of school because he slapped a female teacher in the face. Later in 1918 at the age of nineteen, Capone met his wife, Mary “Mae” Coughlin, at a dance. In December of 1918, right after they had their only child, Albert “Sonny” Capone, they got married. Soon after dropping out of school, Capone joined the Five Points Gang in Manhattan. Capone worked in the Harvard Inn as a bouncer and bartender, this is where he got his famous nickname, “Scarface.” Capone hated
his famous nickname. He accumulated the nickname when he insulted a female customer and her brother retaliated. This left three scars on the side of Capone’s face. Capone hated the scars so much that he would try to hide them in photos and tried to say they were “war wounds,” even though he was never enlisted into the military (Nix). Other criminals in Chicago referred to him as, “The Big Fella” (Nix). His friends also gave him the nickname, “Snorky,” which is slang for spiffy (Nix). The beginning of Capone’s career as big one of the most notorious gangsters of all time was when he moved to Chicago to join Torrio. Torrio was an Italian American Mobster. While in Chicago, Capone became an influential lieutenant in the Colosimo mob. The gang made their money by the enactment of the Prohibition Amendment, illegal brewing, distilling, and distribution of beer and liquor. These activities were seen as “growth industries” (FBI). After the attempted assassination of Johnny Torrio, he left his legacy of nightclubs, whorehouses, gambling dens, breweries and speakeasies to Capone (Biography). After this Capone started to become more well known. He was known by people when he went to the opera and baseball games. He was different then other gangsters because he enjoyed the publicity instead of avoiding it. He made the appearance to the people of being a respectable businessman and a charitable man of the community. Capone was known for treating people fairly and generously even though he was a cold blooded killer. He was the first to open soup kitchens after the 1929 stock market crash and he ordered merchants to give clothes and food to the needy at his expense (History Files). He was also known for his violent temper and for his strong sense of loyalty and honor. (History Files). Capone was later noted as Chicago’s “Public Enemy Number One,” at the peak of his power in 1930. Capone was believed to be the man responsible behind the notorious “Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre” even though nobody was ever convicted of the crime (Editors).
The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre took place on February 14, 1929, hence the name. The massacre happened when several police officers approached seven members of the Bugs Moran’s North Side Gang. The officers lined the gang members up on a wall and gunned them down with Thompson submachine guns and shotguns. Despite the crimes in the 1920s, Capone was still seen as a Robin Hood to the people because he made charitable donations
(Editors). The end of Capone’s 7 year notorious reign of terror started to come to a halt when he started getting convicted of crimes. On June 16, 1931, Al Capone pled guilty to tax evasion and prohibition charges (FBI). He was charged with a two and a half year sentence for tax evasion (FBI). Soon after his plea of being guilty, he pled not guilty, which lead to a trial. On October 18, 1931, Capone was convicted. He was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 plus interest due on back taxes (FBI). Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz (FBI). Capone was later released in 1939, for good behavior while spending his final year in prison is a hospital suffering from Syphilis (Nix). Capone died on January 25, 1947 in Palm Island, Florida. During this time he stayed in the shadows and out of the media's way. His wife stayed with him until the end of his short life living only to age 48. By the end of Capone’s life he was a very accomplished man. He pretty much controlled the bootlegging business and the police in Chicago. He profited off the prohibition of alcohol and bought the Chicago government that protected his interests. He got William Hale Thompson, one of the most corrupt mayors ever, into office through money and threatening people. His bootlegging empire rolled in one hundred million dollars a year, which is worth $1.3 Billion in today's market based on inflation. Capone’s control over Chicago opened a hole in the government showing how corrupt the government could be. His whole bootlegging empire changed the face of organized crime in America. Without a doubt Capone was one of the world's best known gangsters and best known people (Schoenburg). I think Capone is a very conniving and bright man. He knew how to make a lot of money even if it was against the law what he was doing. He took prohibition as an opportunity and he turned it into a multimillion dollar business. I also think he has a good sense of humour as well. When he was in court and was asked if he is a bootlegger, he said, “Sure, and some of our best judges use my stuff” (Capone). He also said, “You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone” (Capone). I also believe he is a generous man because he would give money to the needy out of his own pocket. Overall, I think Capone is a very interesting and sly man when it comes to business and personal affairs.