Al Capone, known to the world as “Scarface”, was a former American gangster who ruled Chicago for seven years. He was also known as the boss of the Chicago Outfit, a gang which was considered the most successful in the United States.
Early life
Al Capone was one of the most notorious American gangsters of all time. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1899, Al was the fourth child in a family of nine. His parents were Italian immigrants. He and his older brother Ralph played baseball.
He started to become involved in organized crime at a young age. As a teenager, he joined the Five Points gang in Manhattan. Later, he became a member of the James Street Boys gang.
Torrio became his mentor and became a close friend of Al’s. When Torrio was severely wounded in an assassination attempt, Al took over his control. It was during this time that Al developed a reputation for brutal violence.
When Prohibition was introduced, the Capone gang expanded their illegal liquor business. They ran a number of gambling clubs and brothels. Most of their money came from bootlegged liquor.
By the late 1920s, the Capone operation had a dominant presence on the Chicago criminal scene. Capone’s gang took over the city’s mob ranks. In addition to acquiring racketeering rights in several areas of the city, they also eliminated their rivals.
Although his crimes are widely believed to have taken place in Chicago, Al Capone lived the last years of his life in Palm Island, Florida. At the time of his death, he was married to Mae Coughlin. Their son, Albert, was born in 1918.
Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion in 1931. After serving six and a half years in prison, he was released early due to poor health. However, his incarceration did not stop his criminal activities. In his last few years, he was often seen in Florida, traveling by car or train.
The FBI investigated Al’s actions. In 1946, Capone was examined by a Baltimore psychiatrist. A doctor diagnosed him with a mentality similar to that of a twelve-year-old boy.
Al’s father Gabriele was a barber. His mother Teresina was a seamstress. From a respectable background, Al Capone began to develop a reputation for being a ruthless, violent criminal.
Despite his numerous crimes, Capone was never indicted for racketeering. Instead, his reputation gained widespread public sympathy.
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre
Among the many mysteries of organized crime, the St Valentine’s Day Massacre remains the most notorious. It’s been nearly a century since the shooting took place. The murders are still a mystery, but the investigation has yielded some new details.
In 1929, the day before Valentine’s Day, a large group of men arrived at the home of George “Bugs” Moran, the leader of the North Side gang in Chicago. A police uniform was worn by two of the masked men. Another was dressed as a civilian.
Al Capone had a known rivalry with Moran, but was not in Chicago at the time of the massacre. Capone’s associate Fred Burke was sentenced to life in prison for the crime.
A huge cache of weapons was found at Fred Burke’s house in Michigan. Two Tommy guns matched the bullets used in the massacre. One gun was also used in the murder of Frankie Yale.
A number of people speculated that Capone may have orchestrated the hit. But the FBI never investigated the case. They feared it would be too risky.
When the police investigated the case, they learned that the shooters had submachine guns. It was the first major crime where ballistics were used. This led to a nationwide investigation into organized crime.
Various theories have been proposed, with some claiming that Capone orchestrated the attack to get rid of his nemesis. But there was no proof of that.
Some historians argue that Al Capone’s personal motive was not enough to justify the killings. However, others point to his rivalry with Moran as a factor.
As for the actual shooters, Capone’s associate, Fred “Killer” Burke, was not questioned about his involvement in the crime. His connection to the mob does not explain why a large cache of weapons was found with him.
A new biographer has uncovered new details about the massacre. He claims that there was more to it than meets the eye.
According to his account, the day of the massacre, Machine Gun McGurn, a member of the “American Boys” gang, was staying at a hotel with a blonde girlfriend. Despite his blonde alibi, he was gunned down.
Conviction of tax evasion
Al Capone, the notorious mobster of the 1920s and 1930s, was convicted of federal income tax evasion. He was reportedly sentenced to 11 years in prison. The jury found Capone guilty of two misdemeanor charges of failing to file a tax return.
Judge James H. Wilkerson was skeptical of Capone’s claim that he was innocent of the tax charge. Fink argued that Capone had not met the burden of proof to prove that he was not liable for the taxes.
Moreover, he questioned the legality of the government’s method of presenting its case. While he was not convinced by the prosecution’s argument, he agreed that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to support a conviction.
The judge refused to offer a lenient sentence in this case. The IRS was not the only party trying to capture Capone. Capone’s bodyguard Phil D’Andrea was arrested by the tax authorities.
During the trial, Capone’s defense team also attempted to present their case. One of the attorneys, Albert Fink, wanted to make a point by presenting a surprisingly large amount of evidence, even though it was a bit inconclusive. In particular, he argued that Capone’s lawyer, Lawrence Mattingly, did not have the authority to tell Capone to do something that could land him in prison.
Fink also challenged the court’s use of a three-year statute of limitations, but he was denied. His main contention was that the prosecution did not show that Capone had actually earned any money during that period.
The jury, however, found the defendant guilty on the more obvious felony. They found that Capone had not filed any income tax returns for the years 1928 to 1929.
Capone was also ordered to pay $215,000 in back taxes, plus interest. The IRS will continue to go after crooks and charlatans who defraud the government by hiding their earnings.
Capone’s trial is set to conclude on Tuesday. The trial may end up being remembered by future generations, thanks to the man’s ability to escape the law. However, his fortune isn’t the only thing that he will receive in the coming years.
Scars
Al Capone was one of the most notorious mobster of the twentieth century. He was born on January 17, 1899 in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Italian immigrants.
He was a member of the Five Points Gang, which is named after a slum in Manhattan. His father was a barber. In later years, he became a gangster.
He was involved in fighting with the North Side gang. He was eventually forced to retire from his job as a bodyguard to Johnny Torrio. At the time, he was also the head of a syndicate of illegal alcohol supply. He was also politically protected by the Unione Siciliana.
On December 8, 1918, Al Capone had a fight with Frank Galluccio. The two fought in a bar. It was during this time that he received his famous facial scars.
Later that night, Al was at a restaurant. He got into a fight with another man, and he was slashed in the face. He was taken to the Coney Island Hospital. While he was there, he asked his girlfriend to take a walk with him. This was because he felt bad for putting his face in the way of a woman’s honor.
He claimed that the scars he had were from his time in the First World War. However, there were many holes in his story.
After the fight, he tried to hide his scars. Using a handkerchief, he covered the wounds. When his family found out, they didn’t believe him.
Some newspaper reporters believed the story, and they called him “Scarface”. They wanted to make him look scary. Others exaggerated his scars to make him look more intimidating.
Ultimately, Al Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was the subject of numerous assassination attempts.
The Miami Daily News exaggerated his scars to make his face look more dangerous. They used the photo as a way to instill fear in the people of Miami.
Many stories have been told about Al Capone’s scars. One popular story has Galluccio giving him the scars. Another has him getting the scars in 1923.