Free Essays on Al Capone

Prohibition led to the bootlegging of liquor and the gang wars of the 1920’s. The most notorious gangster of all time, known as Al Capone, was the most powerful mob leader of his era and era's to come. He controlled organized crime in the Chicago area from 1925 until 1931. Capone grew up during the time of the roaring 20s in Chicago il. He joined the James Street gang, lead by Johnny Torrio. In 1920, Torrio asked Capone to move to Chicago and work with his uncle who controlled the city’s largest prostitution and gambling ring at the time. Capone loved that idea. Later that year the Prohibition act came into affect and Capone became interested in selling illegal whiskey and other alcohol beverages. Al Capone was America's best known gangster and greatest symbol of destruction of law and order in the United States during the Prohibition era because of his leading role in the illegal activities which gave Chicago its reputation as a lawless city.... Free Essays on Al Capone Free Essays on Al Capone Al Capone is America's best known gangster and the single greatest symbol of the collapse of law and order in the United States during the 1920s 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 "Alphonsus Capone," he grew up in a rough neighborhood and was a member of two "kid gangs," the Brooklyn Rippers and the Forty Thieves Juniors. Although he was bright, Capone quit school in the sixth grade at age fourteen. Between scams he was a clerk in a candy store, a pinboy in a bowling alley, and a cutter in a book bindery. 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 bartender. While working at the Inn, Capone received his infamous facial scars and the resulting nickname "Scarface" when he insulted a patron and was attacked by her brother. In 1918, Capone met an Irish girl named Mary "Mae" Coughlin at a dance. On December 4, 1918, Mae gave birth to their son, Albert "Sonny" Francis. Capone and Mae married that year on December 30. Capone's first arrest was on a disorderly conduct charge while he was working for Yale. He also murdered two men while in New York, early testimony to his willingness to kill. In accordance with gangland etiquette, no one admitted to hearing or seeing a thing so Capone was never tried for the murders. After Capone hospitalized a rival gang member, Yale sent him to Chicago to wait until things cooled off. Capone arrived in Chicago in 1919 and moved his family into a house at 7244 South Prairie Avenue. Capone went to work for Yale's old mentor, John Torrio. Torrio saw Capone's potential, his combination of physical strength and intelligence, and encouraged his prot g . Soon Capone was helping Torrio manage his bootlegging business. By mid-1922 Capone ra... Free Essays on Al Capone Al Capone Al Capone was possibly the largest and most feared mofia boss America has ever seen. This 1920’s gangster made his mark on the world through organized crime during the Prohibition era. He is solely attributed with Chicago’s reputation as a lawless city. Alphonsus Capone was born on January 17, 1899 in Brooklyn, New York. As a child he was a member of the Brooklyn Rippers and the Forty Thieves Juniors â€Å"kid gangs.† Capone quit school at age fourteen in the sixth grade. He worked a few odd jobs in Manhattan in a bowling alley and a candy store. Then Capone took a position as a bouncer in Frankie Yale’s Brooklyn dive and the Harvard Inn. While working at the Inn he was attacked by a man and received the facial scars that would give him the byname â€Å"Scarface.† Capone met Anne â€Å"Mae† Coughlin at a dance in 1918. Later that year on December 4, 1918 she gave birth to their son, Albert â€Å"Sonny† Francis. Less than a month later they were married. Capone became a member of the Five Points gang in Manhattan. During this time he hospitalized a rival gang member in a fight. Feeling the heat from the conflicting group, he moved his family to Chicago. He began to work for John Torrio, an old partner and mentor of Yale. Capone was soon helping to manage Torrio’s bootlegging business. He quickly gained the respect of Torrio and became his number two man. After being shot by an opposing gang member, Torrio left Chicago. Capone became boss of the â€Å"outfit.† Torrio’s men respected Capone and trusted his business decisions. They referred to Capone as â€Å"the big man.† In the next five years he expanded his industry of crime. Capone controlled speakeasies, nightclubs, brothels, gambling houses, and much more. His bootlegging provided the city of Chicago with alcohol during prohibition. Capone had a reported income of $100,000,000 a year. Capone had an intricate spy network throughout ... Free Essays on Al Capone Organized crime was not so organized up until the 1920s. When the 1920s arrived, the American lifestyle changed dramatically. People started investing money in home appliances and automobiles, women’s skirts became higher and drinking became very popular. Also, organized crime came to a rise in the 1920’s. And in the high ranks of organized crime was Al Capone. Al Capone ran many illegal businesses including bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, and murders. There were many gangs in the world of organized crime and Al Capone’s was at the top. Al Capone was the most infamous gangster in the 1920’s. Being a big time gangster was big business. Money was made fast and very easily. Bootlegging alcohol was by far the most profitable in the 1920’s, this was because of the prohibition. Gambling was another business that paid off. Gambling stations were set up all over cities. Prostitution and Murders were also crimes that made gangsters money. Alphonse Capone was the biggest force in organized crime. He started his career of crime in Boston, as an apprentice to Johnny Torrio. That is where he earned the unforgettable nickname â€Å"Scarface.† It was in a bar when Capone made some rude comments about a woman. Minutes later, the woman’s brother sliced Capone in the face. D. VanGorder 2 This man was a friend of Charles â€Å"Lucky† Luciano. Al Capone was punished and forced to apologize. Al Capone did not become a leader until he went to Chicago. At the time he was still an apprentice to Johnny Torrio. In the midst of the gang violence and bootlegging was Chicago. Chicago was a great place to start a ring of organized crime. The government was very weak which made it easier to do crime. Capone entered the city of Chicago in 1920. At the time, â€Å"Big Jim† Colosimo ran things. He made about 50,000 dollars a month. Torrio and Capone started their business with four gambling joints/whore houses in Chicago. These underground plac... Free Essays on Al Capone The name Capone itself sends mixed emotion through the mind of the average American but is a name unknown to very few. Some might smile at the thought of the man that ran Chicago with the FBI nipping at his heels like poodles and booming like a robber baron on illegal enterprise while others may shudder at the thought of the death and pain caused at the snap of fingers by the tyrant they called â€Å"Scarface†. Much is known and even more is speculated about the lavish life of a consummate professional in the business of bootlegging, brothels, gambling and numbers or the all out turmoil known as Chicago night life but stratospheres of space are left for speculation as proven by Frank Wilson and Elliot Ness. Capone started his life as a promising B student from a caring family but slowly took a grizzly metamorphosis into a hardened villain, hustler, and murderer in a city that honored and celebrated a gangster funeral like a Macy’s Day Parade. The following chronicles t he life of the most notable gangster in modern day history through his attempts at moral and honest living and his lapses into criminal activity that even he preferred to avoid and then writes him off into sweet, syphilis-ridden dreams. Alphonse Capone was the first son born and conceived on American soil of Gabriele and Teresina Capone, also incorrectly thought to have been known by the surname Caponi (Bardsley-1). Gabriele came to America with full understanding of literacy and bookkeeping after having run a barbershop in Italy, which aided him in his attempts at successful and, most of important of all, honest business in the â€Å"New World†. Laurence Bergreen describes the family saying, â€Å"Nothing about the Capone family was inherently disturbed, violent, or dishonest. The children and the parents were close; there was no apparent mental disability, no traumatic event that sent the boys hurtling into a life of crime.†(Bergreen-2). The family began their stru... Free Essays on Al Capone The name Capone sends mixed emotion through the mind of the average American but is a name unknown to very few. Some might smile at the thought of the man ran Chicago with the FBI nipping at his heels and booming like a robber baron in illegal enterprise while others may shudder at the thought of the death and pain caused at the snap of fingers by the tyrant they called â€Å"Scarface†. Much is known and even more is speculated about the lavish life of a consummate professional in the business of bootlegging, brothels, gambling and numbers or the all out turmoil known as Chicago night life. The clandestine activities of Capone leave stratospheres of space left for speculation as proven by Frank Wilson and Elliot Ness. Capone started his life as a promising B student from a caring family but slowly went through a grizzly metamorphosis into a hardened villain, hustler, and murderer in a city that honored and celebrated a gangster funeral like a Macy’s Day Parade. The fol lowing chronicles the life of the most notable gangster in modern day history through his attempts at a moral and honest living and his lapses into criminal activity and then writes him off into sweet, syphilis-ridden dreams. Alphonse Capone was the first son born and conceived on American soil of Gabriele and Teresina Capone, also incorrectly thought to have been known by the surname Caponi (Bardsley,1998). Gabriele came to America literate and as a bookkeeper after having run a barbershop in Italy. This aided him in his attempts at running a successful and, most of important of all, honest business in the â€Å"New World†. Laurence Bergreen describes the family saying, â€Å"Nothing about the Capone family was inherently disturbed, violent, or dishonest. The children and the parents were close; there was no apparent mental disability, no traumatic event that sent the boys hurtling into a life of crime†(cited in Bardsley,1998). The family began their struggle to adv... Free Essays on Al Capone Prohibition led to the bootlegging of liquor and the gang wars of the 1920’s. The most notorious gangster of all time, known as Al Capone, was the most powerful mob leader of his era and era's to come. He controlled organized crime in the Chicago area from 1925 until 1931. Capone grew up during the time of the roaring 20s in Chicago il. He joined the James Street gang, lead by Johnny Torrio. In 1920, Torrio asked Capone to move to Chicago and work with his uncle who controlled the city’s largest prostitution and gambling ring at the time. Capone loved that idea. Later that year the Prohibition act came into affect and Capone became interested in selling illegal whiskey and other alcohol beverages. Al Capone was America's best known gangster and greatest symbol of destruction of law and order in the United States during the Prohibition era because of his leading role in the illegal activities which gave Chicago its reputation as a lawless city....