Born on January 17, 1899, Alphonse Gabriel “Al” Capone was an American gangster and co-founder of the Chicago Outfit. Best known as Scarface, he became notoriously famous during the prohibition era and became the boss of the Outfit for seven years. 

Al Capone was involved in numerous criminal activities, but his close relationship with the then Chicago mayor, William Hale Thompson and the city police insulated him from being caught by the law. Before rising to become the Boss of the Outfit,  Al Capone served as the bodyguard of his childhood mentor Johnny Torrio. Torrio was the head of a criminal syndicate involved in illegal alcohol supply and the head of the Outfit. 

His rosy days ended after the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre of gang rivals that resulted in the death of seven men and was subsequently tagged as "Public Enemy No. 1". Several influential people in Chicago demanded that government take action after the incident and with that he was caught by the law. He was sentenced to 11 years after being charged with tax evasion in 1931 but was released after eight years on health grounds.

Early Life

 Al Capone was born on January 17, 1899, in Brooklyn, New York to Italian immigrants, Gabriele Capone, a barber and Teresa Capone, a seamstress.  Al Capone had eight other siblings some of who became involved in his criminal activities. His siblings were Vincenzo Capone who changed his name to Richard Hart and served as a prohibition agent in Homer, Nebraska. The others were, Raffaele Jame Capone, Salvatore Frank Capone, Matthew Capone, Ermina Capone, Ermino John Capone, Albert Capone and Mafalda Capone. Raffaele and Frank were involved in his businesses. While Raffaele took charge of his beverage industry, Frank worked in the criminal empire. 

After arriving in the United States of America, the Capone family settled in 95 Navy Street in the Navy Yard. The family later moved to 38 Garfield Place in Park Slope Brooklyn when A1 was eleven years old.

 Al Capone attended a Catholic school and was a brilliant chap but had problems conforming to rules and regulations of the school. He was expelled from the school at age 14 after he physically assaulted a female teacher by hitting her in the face. This act ended his education, and he started to pick up odd jobs around Brooklyn. As a teenager, he admired the gangster, Johnny Torrio who he regarded as his mentor.

advertisement

advertisement

Career

Growing up,  Al Capone involved himself with several gang groups, which build him into a notorious gangster. He was first involved with the Junior Forty Thieves and later joined the Bowery Boys. Gaining grounds in crime activities, he joined the Brooklyn Rippers and moved to the Five Points Gang, which was a very powerful one based in Lower Manhattan. Capone was then employed and mentored by a fellow gangster, Frankie Yale as a bartender in Harvard Inn, a Coney Island dance hall and saloon. Working at the door at a Brooklyn nightclub, Capone unintentionally insulted a woman, and her angered brother Frank Galluccio, slashed Capone’s face. This gained Capone the nickname Scarface, a name he despised so much.

advertisement

advertisement