Al Capone
American gangster and co-founder of the Chicago Outfit
Al Capone ran the Chicago Outfit from 1925 until 1931, when he went to prison at age 33. Born Alphonse Gabriel Capone in Brooklyn on January 17, 1899, he was the son of Italian immigrants—his father a barber, his mother a seamstress. He was one of nine children. Capone showed early promise in school but was expelled at 14 for hitting a female teacher. After that, he worked odd jobs and played semi-professional baseball from 1916 to 1918. He married Mae Coughlin, an Irish Catholic, on December 30, 1918; their son Albert Francis had been born earlier that month. The marriage was reportedly happy.
As a teenager, Capone joined the Five Points Gang and worked as a bouncer in brothels. He was slashed on the left side of his face by a woman’s brother after insulting her, earning the hated nickname “Scarface.” He hid the scars in photos and told people they were war wounds. Close friends called him “Snorky,” slang for a sharp dresser.
In 1919, Capone moved to Chicago at the invitation of Johnny Torrio, who had been brought in as an enforcer by crime boss James Colosimo. Capone started as a bouncer in a brothel, where he likely contracted syphilis. He probably could have been cured with early treatment, but never got it. Torrio took over a syndicate that illegally supplied alcohol, protected politically through the Unione Siciliana. After North Side Gang gunmen nearly killed Torrio, he retired and handed control to Capone.
Capone expanded the bootlegging business with increasing violence, but felt safe because of profitable ties to Mayor William Hale Thompson and the Chicago Police Department. He loved public attention, cheering crowds at baseball games, and donated to charities, earning a Robin Hood reputation. The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre—seven rival gang members murdered in broad daylight—turned public opinion against him. Newspapers called him “Public Enemy No. 1,” and influential citizens demanded federal action.
Authorities charged Capone with 22 counts of tax evasion. In 1931, he was convicted on five counts. The judge allowed evidence from failed negotiations where Capone admitted his income and unpaid taxes. He got 11 years in federal prison. After conviction, he hired tax-law experts, and a Supreme Court ruling strengthened his appeal, but it failed. Early in his sentence, he showed signs of neurosyphilis and grew increasingly debilitated. After nearly eight years, he was released. He died of cardiac arrest after a stroke on January 25, 1947.
- born
- January 17, 1899, Brooklyn, New York City
- died
- January 25, 1947, cardiac arrest after a stroke
- field
- Organized crime, bootlegging
- nationality
- American (Italian immigrant parents)
- known_for
- Co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit during Prohibition; convicted of tax evasion
Lore & Background
Capone was born in New York City in 1899 to Italian immigrants. He joined the Five Points Gang as a teenager and became a bouncer in organized crime premises. He moved to Chicago in his early twenties and became a bodyguard of Johnny Torrio. After Torrio was nearly killed by North Side gunmen, he retired and handed control to Capone. Capone expanded bootlegging through violent means but had mutually profitable relationships with Mayor William Hale Thompson and the Chicago Police Department. The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre damaged his public image, leading to him being dubbed "Public Enemy No. 1". Federal authorities charged him with twenty-two counts of tax evasion; he was convicted of five counts in 1931 and sentenced to eleven years in federal prison. He showed signs of neurosyphilis early in his sentence and was released after almost eight years. He died of cardiac arrest after a stroke in 1947.
Reader's Guide
Capone's early life: born in Brooklyn on January 17, 1899, to Italian immigrant parents. He had eight siblings. He showed promise as a student but had trouble with rules at his parochial school; his schooling ended at age 14 after he was expelled for hitting a female teacher in the face. He worked odd jobs and played semi-professional baseball from 1916 to 1918. He married Mae Josephine Coughlin on December 30, 1918; they had a son, Albert Francis "Sonny" Capone. In New York, he joined the Five Points Gang and was mentored by Frankie Yale. He was slashed on the left side of his face by Frank Galluccio, leading to the nickname "Scarface". He moved to Chicago in 1919 at Torrio's invitation. He purchased a home at 7244 South Prairie Avenue in Chicago. After Torrio's retirement, Capone became boss. His criminal organization took in illegal breweries and a transportation network reaching Canada, with political and law-enforcement protection. He was convicted of five counts of tax evasion in 1931. His appeal failed. He was released after almost eight years and died in 1947.
Did You Know?
- Capone was indicted on 22 counts of tax evasion but convicted of only five.
- Capone's schooling ended at age 14 after he was expelled for hitting a female teacher in the face.
- Capone was known as "Snorky" to his closest friends, meaning a sharp dresser.
- Capone's son Albert lost most of his hearing in his left ear as a child.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Alphonse Gabriel Capone (17 January 1899 – 25 January 1947), popularly known as Al "Scarface" Capone, was an American gangster active in the 1920s and 1930s." — Al Capone "I have spent the best years of my life giving people the lighter pleasures, helping them have a good time, and all I get is abuse, the existence of a hunted man." — Al Capone "Do I do business with Canadian racketeers? I don't even know what street Canada is on." — Al Capone "Don't get the idea that I'm one of these goddamn radicals. Don't get the idea that I'm knocking the American system." — Al Capone
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