Full Name: Alphonse Gabriel Capone
Profession: Gangster

Biography: Al Capone, also known by the nickname "Scarface," was an American gangster who came to power during the Prohibition era as a boss of the Chicago Outfit. The organisation was led by Capone and Johnny Torrio, who together controlled the distribution of illegal alcohol.

Capone's criminal career began when he joined the Five Points Gang as a teenager, he then came into contact with Torrio, for whom he served as a bodyguard and would soon become a trusted confidante. This was Capone's first encounter with the illegal alcohol business.

While the group was initially involved only in the bootlegging business, they would later expand into a range of illicit activities. This expansion was went hand-in-hand with greater violence, but Capone was protected by his relationship with the police.

Public opinion was also on Capone's side for a while, which he seemed to revel in. He would make regular donations to charities, for which he was seen as something of a modern-day Robin Hood. This would change, however, with Capone's implication in the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre.

Capone was subsequently branded as "Public Enemy No. 1," and the federal authorities ultimately apprehended him on tax evasion charges. While he appealed against the case, it would mark the end of his criminal career.

Born: January 17, 1899
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA

Generation: Lost Generation
Star Sign: Capricorn

Died: January 25, 1947 (aged 48)
Cause of Death: An apoplectic stroke complicated by pneumonia after suffering from late-stage syphilis

Articles and Photos

• 

  Prohibition is Ratified

  The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which established prohibition
  January 16, 1919
• 

  Prohibition and The Rise of Al Capone

  Prohibition began in America on this day. The 13-year ban on alcohol led to resentment, gangsterism, bribery, murder and widespread flouting of the law.
  January 16, 1920
• 

  Al Capone, Public Enemy Number One

  Al Capone, forever associated with Prohibition and the St Valentine’s Day Massacre, has long been ranked as the most notorious gangster in American history.
  January 25, 1947
• 

  Closure of Alcatraz

  The last prisoners walk down Broadway as Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary closes
  March 21, 1963

Historical Events

• 1926-09-20 Bugs Moran attempts to assassinate Al Capone in a drive-by shooting but fails
• 1929-02-14 Saint Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, seven gangsters are killed, allegedly on Al Capone's orders
• 1930-06-09 Chicago Tribune reporter and closet racketeer Jake Lingle is shot at close range and killed at the Illinois Central train station, allegedly over a $100,000 USD gambling debt owed to Al Capone; mobster Leo Brothers was convicted of the murder
• 1931-06-12 Al Capone is indicted on 5,000 counts of prohibition and perjury
• 1931-10-18 Gangster Al Capone is convicted on five of the 23 counts of tax evasion against him, later fined $50,000 and sentenced to 11 years in jail
• 1931-10-24 Gangster Al Capone is sentenced to 11 years for tax evasion
• 1932-05-04 Al Capone enters Atlanta Penitentiary convicted of income tax evasion
• 1939-11-16 Al Capone freed from Alcatraz jail
• 1986-04-21 Geraldo Rivera opens Al Capone's vault on live TV and finds nothing, except great ratings for his spectacle

Personal Life

• 1918-12-30 Gangster Al Capone (19) marries Mae Josephine Coughlin, mother of his child

References

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