Alphonse ‘Al’ Capone put a whole town, a country, and some could argue that even the world at its feet. He was the ultimate, true mobster, the lord of the mafia, the guy who controlled every single thing around him.
During the 1920s, Al Capone became a popular figure in organized crime, becoming one of the FBI’s most wanted. He is still famous today; you have probably heard of him at some point. However, some details are important to know.
- He Joined A Gang At A Young Age
He dropped out of school in sixth grade while hanging out with a street gang. He later joined the Five Points gang while working as a bartender in Manhattan, walking his first steps in a life of endless organized crime. It was just the beginning.
- He Didn’t Like His Nickname
While working in Manhattan, he insulted a woman with his brother, who cut his face several times. In the photos, he tried to cover the scars and even lied, saying they were war wounds – he was never in the military. When he became famous, everyone started calling him Scarface – against his will – His friends, on the other hand, called him Snorky, a term that had to do with his sophisticated appearance.
- His Organization Collected 100 Million A Year
The money came from different businesses, such as alcohol transportation, gambling, prostitution, and other illicit activities. He was not ashamed of his way of life, as he said on several occasions. All he cared about was making more money.
- He Was Not Sentenced For The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre
On February 14, 1929, seven people associated with the George “Bugs” Moran gang were shot to death. Five were associated criminals, one was a mechanic, and one was an optometrist. The killers were at least four, two dressed as policemen. The crime has since become known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and there was always the suspicion that it was perpetrated by Al Capone, Moran’s rival.
- He Was Sentenced For Tax Evasion
Considered a public enemy, Al Capone got off the charges by bribing the police and threatening witnesses. In 1931 he was finally indicted, but for tax evasion, a minor crime compared to the several murders he was linked to. Oh, the irony.
- He Was Sent To Alcatraz
Even though he actually began his sentence in Atlanta, he was transferred to Alcatraz two years later. It was a new maximum-security prison. Al Capone was not a violent prisoner, so he was probably sent as propaganda for the government.
- He Suffered From Syphilis
During his first years in prison, he was diagnosed with syphilis, and soon after, he began to feel the signs of the disease. He was treated with malaria injections thinking the fever would cure him, but it was worse. In 1939, he was taken to a Los Angeles correctional facility and then released, living out his last years in his Florida mansion.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt Used Al Capone’s Car
Upon his arrest, some of Al Capone’s most prized possessions passed into the hands of the state, including a car with bulletproof glass and iron armor. During World War II, Roosevelt used it for security after several assassination attempts. The government was not allowed to spend that much on a car, but they found that one in a warehouse and fixed it up so it could be used again.
- His Brother Was A Prohibition Agent
Al Capone had eight brothers, and one of them was James Capone, seven years older than him. He changed his name to Richard Hart and became an agent defending Prohibition in the United States. That’s literally the last thing you’d expect out of a Capone.
- He Established America’s First Soup Kitchens
These types of actions earned him the image of being charitable and kind, despite his criminal activities. However, he always made his way of thinking clear: “Don’t confuse my kindness with weakness. I am kind to everyone, but when someone is not kind to me, weakness is not what they will remember about me.”
via dailyamazingthings