1920s Representative
American Alphonse Capone
Al Capone, better known
as Al "Scarface" Capone, was possibly the most famous
bootlegger of all time. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1899, he dropped
out of public school at the age of fourteen and supported himself
doing odd jobs. Finally, in early 1920, Capone moved to Chicago
and got involved with John Torrio and his gang. In time, he became
the leader of the gang. As the chief, he got deeply involved with
the businesses of liquor, gambling, prostitution, possibly murder,
and other illegal crimes while trying to eliminate other gangs.
During the 1920s, the
United States was trying to become a better place. Despite the
government's attempt to enforce prohibition, Capone made this
extremely difficult because he kept importing and supplying liquor
for important nightclubs, certain clients, etc. His gang would
also have beer wars with other mobs, leaving dead people lying
on the streets. They used huge submachine guns and other weapons
in order to bribe people such as politicians and policemen. While
a member of the gang, he created a "mafia/gang" type
look with his clothes, car, and cigar that became extremely stereotypical.
Although his work was fraudulent, it earned him a lot of money
and power.
Of his criminal actions, Capone is especially notorious for the
Valentine's Day Massacre. By this time, the only surviving
North Side leader was George "Bugs" Moran. In order
to get rid of him, Capone created a plan where a mobster from
Detroit contacted Moran on February 14th, 1929 about a load of
illegal liquor waiting for him in a garage at 2122 North Clark
Street. When Moran arrived, five of Capone's men, dressed up as
police shot seven of the North Side members to death.
Alphonse Capone was one of the most influential gangsters of the
1920s. With his slick ways of committing crimes, he quickly rose
to the top. As the leader, he committed a number of crimes that
mostly involved liquor, prostitution, or simply competition with
other gangs. Due to his distribution of his illegal products,
he was a large cause of the corruption of the 1920s. After spending
11 years in jail for income tax fraud and violation of prohibition
laws, he died in 1947 at the age of 48. Despite Capone's malicious
reputation, people still treated and thought of him as a "celebrity".
Al Capone's troublesome behavior and mafia image will stick with
America forever. He was a true icon.
http://www.archives.gov/exhibit_hall/american_originals/capone.html
http://www.chicagohs.org/history/capone.html
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Work Cited
Haller, Mark H. "Capone,
Alphonse." A Dictionary of American Biography. 1974 ed.
Helmer, William J. "Capone,
Al." World Book Encyclopedia. 200 ed.
Ryan, Patrick J. "Capone,
Al." Violence in America: An Encyclopedia. 1999 ed.
Trueman, C. "Prohibition
and the Gangsters." Online. Available http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/prohibition_and_the_gangsters.htm.
21 March 2003.
Unknown. "Al Capone."
Online. Available http://www.chicagohs.org/history/capone.html.
21 March 2003.
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