Alphonse Capone, also known as ‘Al’ or ‘Scarface’ rose to fame in the early 1920’s as an American Gangster and Co-founder (later boss) of the Chicago Outfit, an organized crime unit based in Chicago, Illinois. Born in 1899, in Brooklyn, New York, Al was the fourth of eight children. His parents Gabrielle and Teresina had immigrated from Naples, Italy just five years before his birth. During this time, many immigrant families would face prejudice, especially in big cities. Al would often claim that he was an ‘American, born and bred’, and he was, though his Italian roots were often blamed as the reason he became such an infamous gangster. As a student, he was very intelligent, but started to fall behind. He had to repeat sixth grade, …show more content…
Due to of his good behavior, and declining health, his sentence was cut in half. Suffering from neurosyphilis, he was moved to a mental hospital in Baltimore in 1939, where he stayed for 3 years. With rapidly declining health, Capone lived out the rest of his days with his wife and son in Miami, where he eventually died of cardiac arrest on January 25, 1947.
Early Life and its Effects on His Later Life There are many theories as to why Al Capone turned to a life of crime. Some say it is because of his Italian ethnicity, and others prejudice towards him and his family during his developmental years. However, the most accepted reason is because of his father’s death. Al was just 19 at the time that Torrio reached out to Capone and invited him to join his operation, but not where his involvement in gangs originated. He first started running errands for Torrio when he was just ten years old. It is hard to say how he really got involved with gangs, other than the fact he was just in the right place at the right time, like many people in history are.
Impact on American
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To this day, Chicago has a huge problem with gang violence, which may have even started because of Capone business. The crime rate today might not be as high if Capone was not as successful as he had been. He also helped the public realize alcohol and criminality were not appropriate solutions to social problems. Because of Capone, the FBI was established as an efficient and low-abiding enforcement agency. While Capone could bribe politicians and Chicago’s police, the FBI held a level of honesty that no one can live up to, even now. The agents during this time were called ‘The Untouchables.’ Besides his impact through crime, he also impacted history through his social contributions. Many who knew Capone personally described him as an extremely kind man. During the Great Depression, he would pay people to rent out their basements, or houses, even though he never really used them. He would give them money and say ‘he might need to use it,’ though he never did. A quote from Capone says ‘I'm a kind person, I'm kind to everyone, but if you are unkind to me, then kindness is not what you'll remember me
“Renowned as America's first Public Enemy No. 1, Capone came to Chicago in 1919 at the age of twenty and within three years became one of the city's most successful gangsters” (Karamanski). In other words, Al Capone had become in a short time frame become the most dangerous man in Chicago during the 1920s and everyone’s attention was turned towards him. His gang had become the most powerful gang to have ever existed in the city and to do that Al Capone had been able to find ways to stay undetected by the police force and even the FBI(Federal Bureau of Investigation). Everytime that they came close to catching him he always had an alibi and proof to back up what it was he claimed he was doing or where ever it was that he had claimed to
There at Alcatraz Capined had no connection to the outside world and would lose his influence. In 1939 Capone would be sent to a mental hospital after serving 6 and a half years of his sentence, Capones health was not good due to the fact he contracted syphilis at a young age . He would move out to his FLorida beach house after serving his time and he would pass away January 25, 1947 due to cardiac arrest .(Brittanica) Al Capone really changed the way we saw gangsters and really set a standard for the mafia , Capone didnt have a loit going for him in the begininng but he eventually changed and went up the social ladder in the gang community, eventually granting him a spot at the top of the chain. even through all the tough events Capone will always be one of the top mobsters of all
Al Capone had many years where he was a king but now he had been reduced to a dangerous prisoner. It got even worse when he got syphilis. Weak, defeated and retired Al Capone finally retired to his Florida estate where he died from a cardiac arrest in 1947. Many considered it a pathetic end
Capone reached the end of his life on January 25, 1947 due to cardiac arrest. His body was taken to Chicago where there was a large funeral for him with many people
Capone was one of both the smartest, and most violent criminal that Chicago, or even the entire country has ever seen. American Decades writes, “During the roaring twenties Capone controlled a multi-million dollar crime organization in Chicago. He gained national recognition for his ruthless business skills and casual use of violence to build his criminal empire.” (“Al Capone” American Decades, 1) Due to his finely tuned skills for running crime, most likely inherited from his mentor Torrio, Capone was able to rise to unbelievable fame.
Al Capone Al Capone was born on January 17, 1899. He didn’t grow up in a poor or troubled household, the majority of most of his days growing up he lived the childhood of a regular kid. He never seemed destined to be a worldwide infamous mobster, but as he started to become a young adult his actions showed otherwise. Throughout Al Capone’s life, he was known for committing and getting away with many dangerous crimes. His name will ring bells for several generations to come due to the notoriety of his infamous crimes (History).
He suffered from paresis which he got from syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease, which he contracted at Alcatraz (“Al Capone”). Paresis is a partial paralysis caused by muscle weakness. After Alcatraz, Capone never publicly returned to Chicago. ‘he had become mentally incapable of returning to gangland politics” and while having the mentality of a 12 year old, after being examined by a Baltimore psychiatrist and his physician (“Al Capone”). Capone finally died on January 25, 1947 “due to a stroke and pneumonia” (“Al Capone”).
Capone was respected by everyone, from friend to foe, and didn’t let other people get in his way of achieving greatness. Capone is one of the main reasons the prohibition era was filled with too much organized crime. Sadly, after Capone got arrested, he wasn’t known as the Czar of crime in Chicago. " Although Capone was still young at the time, his being sentenced to prison marked the end of his reign as head of the Chicago mob."
This gave Capone a break, and some protection. Capone’s break ended early, and after 10 months of solitary confinement he was released. Immediately upon his return Capone was met with immense pressure from the
Organized crime became a big issue in this period due to huge new sources of income, like bootlegging, and this led to the legacy of many famous gangsters and criminal figures we know today. One of these well-known gangsters is Al Capone who was born in 1899, to two Italian immigrants in Brooklyn. Early in his life, he got involved in organized crime, gained the nickname “Scarface” and eventually brought in $60 million a year through his illegal activities. Capone thought of himself as a sort of Robin Hood who provided for the poor and believed that through his illegal actions, he was only giving the people what they wanted. He stated, “They say I violate the Prohibition law, who doesn’t?”
Capone also showed kids not to do what he does. He told kids not to join in the stuff he led and he also wouldn’t accept kids into the mob. He wouldn’t put hits out on kids or girls, he made sure they were safe, most of the time. After he passed away his wife even tried to protect her son from what her husband did ,said in this excerpt "Mae Capone, wife of Al Capone and a devout Catholic, urged their only son "not to do what your father did. He broke my heart.
Al Capone was born on January 17th, 1899 in New York City, New York. He was a Italian Immigrant and which lead to much discrimination and he decided to join a gang. His family lived in a poor Brooklyn tenement. It was a tough place to grow up but it's what made him to the man he was.
Al Capone Alphonse Capone was born on January 17, 1899, he was later known as Al Capone or “scarface”, he was the fourth of nine children. Capone’s parents immigrated from Naples, Italy, and settled in New York. Capone was raised in a rough neighborhood in Brooklyn. He dropped out of school in sixth grade because he got in a fight with a teacher. Capone became a member of the James Street Gang, then he befriended the gangs leader, Johnny Torrio.
Al Capone was a clever man. He could get out of any situation with the police. Although he was arrested many times throughout his lifetime. After spending four-and-a-half years at Alcatraz, Capone was transferred on January 6, 1939, to a hospital at the Federal Correctional Institution in Los Angeles. A few months after that Capone was transferred to a penitentiary in Lewis burg,
Capone like many gangsters was highly seen during this time because of the growth of the 1920’s. Many thing increase and were seen differently during the era of change for America. In which one of many were the increase of violence, power and money by the