ALPHONSE CAPONE: A.K.A. "SCARFACE"
By Liam Reardon
Capone's Early Years
Al Capone was born to Gabriele & Teresina Capone. Al Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 17, 1899. Capone was quite the troublemaker as a young child. Capone grew up in a very bad part of Brooklyn. This may have contributed to his life of crime. In middle school, A teacher hit Capone as a punishment for insolence. Little did she know, Capone would strike back. Capone was kicked out of school and started his own gang. Capone wanted to be seen as a "Robin Hood" figure. He wanted to take from the rich and give to the poor. It was as a young man that Capone earned his scar. Capone was in a bar and told a young woman, "You got a nice *** honey, and I mean that as a compliment". Her brother, grabbed a knife and slashed Capone's face 3 times. Capone was rushed to the hospital. This is why he earned the nickname, "Scar-face".
Baby Al with his mother, Teresina Capone
Capone's Crimes
Capone had many notorious crimes including bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling. Capone was the king of bootlegging. His alcohol smuggling business made him a millionaire, averaging about $60 million dollars in one year! That's nearly $90 million in today's money! One of Capone's most horrifying crimes was the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. In this crime, Capone sent some of his goons out dressed as police officers. Capone's plan was to end the rival gang run by Bugs Moran. The "Police Officers" arrested a group of men that were part of Moran's gang. They made the members turn around, and they then proceeded to shoot them.
Prison For Capone
Alphonse Capone was found guilty of tax evasion and was sent to the Alabama State Penitentiary in May, 1932. Even though Capone was locked up, he still ran his business from jail! Capone was caught bribing guards, so he was sent to Alcatraz. Capone's health was very bad while he was at Alcatraz. Capone had contracted syphilis as a young man and was now suffering from neurosyphillis. Capone was also suffering from dementia. Capone served 6.5 years at Alcatraz before he was released to a mental hospital in Baltimore.
Capone's Final Days
Capone was very sick and lived the rest of his life out at his home in Palm Island, Florida. Capone died of cardiac arrest on January 25, 1947. After Capone's death, he was buried at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. Capone's body was placed in a $2,000 bronze casket! Doctors wanted to study Capone's brain, but his family denied their offer.
B.B.King & Jimmy Smith - Three O'Clock Blues by shen23
Mini Bio: Al Capone