America’s gangsters in the 1920s. This is the time of some very well, known gangsters. Al Capone is one of the most famous gangsters of all time. He is the single greatest symbol of the collapse of law and order in the United States during the 1920’s Prohibition era. Capone had a leading role in the illegal activities that lent Chicago its reputation as a lawless city.
Capone was born on January 17, 1899 in Brooklyn, New York. Baptized as Alphonsus Capone, he grew up in a rough neighborhood. He was a member of two “kid gangs”. The Brooklyn Rippers and the Forty Thieves Juniors. Although he was bright, he quit school in sixth grade at the age of 14. Between scams he worked many jobs. He became part of the notorious Five Points Gang in Manhattan and worked in gangster Frankie Yale’s Brooklyn dive, the Harvard Inn, as a bouncer and a bartender. Capone received his infamous facial scars and the resulting nickname “Scarface”, when he insulted a patron and was attacked by her brother whie he was working at the Inn.
Capone’s first arrest was because of disorderly conduct charge while he worked for Yale. He also murdered two men. This was early testimony to his willingness to kill. No one admitted to hearing or seeing a thing so Capone was never tried. After Capone Hospitalized a rival gang member, Yale sent him to Chicago to wait until things cooled off. Capone arrived in 1919 and went to work for Yale’s old mentor, John Torrio. Torrio saw Capone’s potential. Soon Capone was helping Torrio manage his bootlegging business. By mid-1922 Capone ranked as Torrio’s number two man and he eventually became a full partner.
When Torrio was shot by a rival gang and decided to leave Chicago, Capone inherited the “outfit” and became boss. He quickly proved that he was even better at organization than Torrio. He expanded the city’s vice industry between 1925 and 1930. With everything that he owned, it had a reported income $100,000,000 a year.
A typical Capone murder consisted of men renting an apartment across the street from the victims residence and gunning him down when he stepped outside. The operation was quick and complete and Capone always had an alibi. Capone’s most notorious killing was the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. On February 14, 1929 our Capone men entered a garage at 2122 N. Clark Street. The building was the main liquor headquarters of bootlegger George “Bugs” Moran’s North Side gang. Capone’s men were dressed as police, the seven men dropped their guns and put their hands against the wall. Using two shotguns and two machine guns, they fired more than 150 bullets into the victims. Six of the seven men were members of Moran’s gang and the seventh was an unlucky friend. As usual Capone had an alibi.
Capone often treated people fairly and generously. He was equally known for his violent temper and his snese of loyalty and honor. He was the first to open soup kitchens after the 1929 stock market crash and he ordered merchants to give clothes and food to the needy.
The belief in the 20s and the 30s was that illegal gambling earning was not taxable income. However, the 1927 Sullivan ruling claimed that the gambling profits were indeed taxable. Frank Wilson from the IRS’s special intelligence unit was assigned to focus on Capone. Wilson accidentally found cash receipts ledger that showed the operation’s net profits for a gambling house and Capone’s record of income. Capone’s tax lawyer Lawrence P. Mattingly told the government that Capone had an income. All these things plus the coercion of witnesses were the main evidence used to convict Capone. Capine was indicted for income tax evasion, the misdemeanor of failing to file tax returns. A third indictment was added charging Capone with conspiracy to violating Prohibition laws. The jury found Capone not guilty on eighteen counts of twenty three counts. The judge sentenced Capone to a total of ten years in federal prison
Comments
Good summary but nor personal thoughts!