Al Capone Research Paper

This threatened Torrio and Capone’s business so they moved their business to Cicero. However, in 1924 an election for Cicero’s mayor endangered their business once again so the two came up with a plan to intimidate the citizens into voting for their candidate, even killing the competition’s voters if necessary. Although their plan worked, one of Capone’s brothers, Frank was shot in the process.

During the period of prohibition, from 1920 to 1933, the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol was made illegal, through the Volstead act of 1919, leading to the first and only time an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was repealed. Throughout this time in American history gangsters were common and were constantly increasing in every city but one in particular stood out from all the others making a significant impact on American history. Scarface, Alphonse Capone or more commonly known as Al Capone; who was the most infamous gangster, taking advantage of the era of Prohibition, ran an organized crime association in Chicago during the 1920s. He was responsible for over 500 murders; he had 700 men under his control and earned $60 million a year for bootlegging. Capone, who was glamorised in media and shown as charitable to the helpless was also controlling and violent and became an iconic figure of the successful American gangster who insisted he was just ‘supplying the public demand’.

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. He dominated organized crime in the Chicago area from 1925 until 1931. Capone grew up during the roaring 20s in Chicago. 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 had liked that idea. Later that year the Prohibition act came into affect and Capone became interested in selling illegal whiskey and other alcoholic beverages. Al Capone was America's best known gangster and greatest

Al Capone, who was born in New York in 1899, was one of the most prominent gangsters in America in the 1920s. He was the son of Italian immigrants, and after leaving school at a young age, became a small-time criminal. Known as ‘Scarface,’ he had links to the leader of the Five Points Gang, Johnny Torrio, and moved to Chicago in 1920, where he gradually rose through the ranks as a partner in saloons, gambling and brothels. They moved their operations to Illinois after an offer to work with Jim Colosimo, a central figure in Chicago’s brothel business. Gang rivalry heated up after a dispute between Torrio and Colosimo over whether to begin in the bootlegging business, and in 1920, Colosimo was murdered allegedly by Al Capone. After this, Torrio’s criminal empire expanded massively throughout Chicago, before leaving in 1925 and handing over operations to Capone. After taking over, Capone expanded operations even further, and was able to control Chicago’s Mayor, ‘Big Bill’ Thompson and fix his elections. A local newspaper from the time reported

Capone quickly went into hiding, fearing he would be tried for McSwiggin's murder. He remained out of sight for nearly three months, and then after realizing he couldn't live the remainder of his life underground, he negotiated his surrender to the Chicago Police. The authorities eventually recognized that they lacked sufficient evidence to bring Capone to trial, and though very unpopular with public opinion, he was set free. The public was outraged and law officials were left embarrassed. "Big Al" had become one of the most powerful crime czars in Chicago. It was said that Capone was now big as life, and more powerful than the mayor himself.

Crime is a timeless component of society. For as long as humans have existed among each other, crime has coincided. Throughout time, crime has taken many different forms, some much more subtle than others. Alphonse Capone, a first generation American-Italian born in Brooklyn, would dramatically redefine the nature of criminality. Al Capone was a notorious Chicago mob boss who played a crucial role in the Chicago Outfit as well as the bootlegging industry. Throughout his rise to power in the Chicago, Capone took part in many nefarious dealings that culminated in the creation of a undisputed “King of Crime” until his death in 1947. However, Capone is a timeless figure, his impact on Chicago and influence he’s had on the world of crime, continues to live on.

With Chicago’s government being weak and easily to extort, Capone and Torrio began a business together through bootlegging, gang violence, and gambling in houses called deuces. At the beginning of the 1920s, James Colosimo was in charge and making the most money. Colosimo effectively developed profound political associations, by becoming a precinct captain in the First Ward Aldermen Coughlin and Kenna, and later turning into the bagman (authority of illicit benefits and container of fixes) in the vice laden Levee District, which gave him political insurance from any prosecution. He and Torrio also ran a very successful group of racketeers. This gang would become a crime organization called the Outfit through Al Capone syndicate. According to the PowerPoint, Colosimo did not want to be a part of the bootlegging business. Torrio disagreed stating that it was his opportunity and wealth. When Colosimo returned from his honeymoon, he was shot and killed in his own café. Many were led to think Torrio paid Frankie Yale to get rid of Colosimo. Torrio became the head leader and created a huge criminal empire through bootlegging. He shaped a new gang cartel that allocated the bootlegging industry ensuring product stability and higher profits.

Despised by many, admired by few, but known by all, history had never seen an outlaw quite like Al Capone. Capone rose to his notorious fame during Chicago’s 1920’s Prohibition era through organized crime and extreme celebrity status. Though his legacy today remains one of violence and murder, Capone’s heyday was full of glamour and good deeds. Due to his staunch pursuit of the American Dream, charitable nature, and effective business tactics, Al Capone’s legacy should not only be a violent gangster but additionally as an ambitious businessman on his own unique path to success.

When Torrio was released from jail he was to worried that Moran would try another assassination attempt and decided to give his whole operations to Al Capone. Al Capone was now the most infamous crime boss in Chicago, George Moran, who was jealous of Al Capone, wanted to control the south side of Chicago before Al Capone could.

on their nightly take. Torrio finally got Capone a job as a bouncer at the

influence was so amazingly strong that Frank Loesch, the president of the Chicago Crime Commission literally had to ask Capone’s help in securing an honest election in Cook County. Considering the level of corruption spread from mere patrolmen all the way up to the Illinois Governor, Loesch was forced to turn to the most powerful man in the city. In the spring Republican primary earlier that year candidates and party members were openly murdered and voters scared away. Hence Loesch needed Capone to prevent violence. Loesch later admitted “It turned out to be the squarest and most successful election day in forty years. There was not one complaint, not one election fraud and no threat of trouble all day.';

Once in Chicago Capone became close friends with Torrio, and became his right hand man. One day while Torrio was out with his wife he was ambushed, and shot many times, barley living. Torrio recovered and he gave full control of the Chicago Outfit to Capone (24). Capone decided to get a better grip on the bootlegging business, and once he did he branched out into Prostitution, gambling, labor racketeering, and even into milk distribution as a cover up (28). In1923 William Hale Thompson, or “Big Bill”, a very lenient mayor when it came to gang matters, was replaced with a mayor who promised to clean up the city of crime. During the reform of business Capone moved to Cicero (28). Capone saw the move as an opportunity to remake his reputation, so while he was in Cicero Capone sponsored free soup kitchens, tipped waiters with $100 bills, and even for surgery for a bystander who was injured in a gang shot out. “In Cicero Capone ended up as a hero to many.”(29) Four years later “Big Bill” was reelected into office and Capone quickly shifted his headquarters back into Chicago (29). Once back in Chicago, Capone new reputation

“ The evil genius of all gangsterdom was Al Capone, first haled to Chicago at 23 by Johnny Torrio, who was at the time boss of the Windy City’s underworld” (Edey 175). By the time Capone took control in 1925 he controlled all the speakeasies in Chicago, which were estimated to be at 10,000, and had a gang 700 strong to enforce his reign (Edey 175). During Capone’s reign “Chicago suffered upwards of 400 gang murders a year” (Edey 175).

He made an honest living for a while but things changed after the death of his father. During this time, Johnnie Torrio invited Al to Chicago. Johnnie was making a living off gambling and prostitution. At this time business was skyrocketing for him until the 18th amendment was passed which prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol in 1920. This played a big role in how Al Capone became the most notorious gangster of all time. He started off by helping Torrio become a bootlegger. They illegally sold alcohol together until 1925 when Torrio left the business to Al Capone and left back to Italy. Although for many years they lived a low profile life style, Al Capone felt as though this was his moment to shine. By 1929 he was the biggest known seller of illegal alcohol in Chicago and he made sure to take down anyone who was in his way. He not only just bottled and sold alcohol but he also ran underground bars where people were able to come and drink. Because this was a time where alcohol was ban, yet still very much favorable to citizens, it was hard to prosecute people like Al Capon for bootlegging. Many individuals who were juryman didn’t want to vote guilty again bootleggers because of the simple fact that these where their only reliable sources for receiving any type of

Chicago is home to two major things: big pizza and big traffic. When Alphonse Capone was active in it though, it was known for a third thing, big amounts of gang crime! Alphonse Capone is one of the recognized figures of gangland history. Throughout the early 1900s, he managed to run an entire crime syndicate and never got caught doing it. This was because Alphonse Capone knew how to operate without getting his hands dirty, which can be found in how he operated himself, how he operated using the legal system, how he operated using his cronies, and his last attempts at operating in prison.