Al Capone, American Mobster

Al Capone, American Mobster

Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17, 1899 - January 25, 1947) was an American gangster. In his early 20s, he moved to Chicago and became bodyguard for Johnny Torrio, head of a criminal syndicate. Torrio retired and gave control to Capone who expanded the bootlegging business through increasingly violent means. Capone reveled in attention. He made donations to various charities and was viewed by many to be a "modern-day Robin Hood". The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre damaged Chicago's image, as well as Capone's, leading influential citizens to demand governmental action and newspapers to dub him; Public Enemy No. 1. The federal authorities prosecuted him for tax evasion in 1931, a federal crime and a novel strategy during the era. He was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in federal prison. He was already showing signs of syphilitic dementia early in his sentence, and he became increasingly debilitated before being released after eight years. He died in 1947, of cardiac arrest, at the age of 48. Photographer uncredited, undated.

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