Cultural Diversity During The 1920s

Al Capone is arguably one of the most notorious and popular gangsters in American crime history. However, Capone is more than the classical gangster stereotype he is so often associated with. Capone was an intelligent criminal that used the environment of America at the time in order to rise to the peak of leadership and power amongst his community of Chicago. Capone’s criminal activities during his reign made impacts on American culture and the United State’s legal system that have lasted to this day.

When we think of the mafia and gangs, one name comes to mind, Al Capone. Al Capone, also known as Scarface, was an infamous mafia leader who was active in Chicago during the Prohibition era. Having committed numerous criminal deeds and being the man behind countless murders, Capone was finally arrested for tax evasion . Now, you might ask, “How was he able to commit all these violent deeds without being imprisoned?” Well, we first have to go to the beginning of Capone’s life.

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

Al Capone was born on January 17, 1899 in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up with poor immigrant parents and had 7 brothers and sisters. His Father’s name was Gabriele Capone,and his Mother’s name was Teresina Capone. Al was a good student in school until he reached the sixth grade and got into a altercation with his teacher and punched her. After the incident he never went back to school and instead looked to street gangs. Two gangs he joined were the Brooklyn Rippers, and the Forty Thelves. His family then decided it was best for them to move to a safer area and moved to the outskirts of Brooklyn. Al met his wife at this time and two men named Johnny Torrio and Frankie Yale. Torrio was one of the biggest partners Al had ever worked with and also the godfather of his son Albert Francis and Frankie gave Al a job as a bartender and bouncer at the Howard Inn. Meeting these two men was the Start of something new ("Al Capone").

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.

Capone’s early life begins when his Italian immigrant parents Gabrielle and Teresa Capone moved to America. He was born on January 17, 1899. Al was one of eight children in his family; however his family did not make too much money being his father worked as a barber and his mother worked as a seamstress. He grew up in Brooklyn, and went to school at Brooklyn Elementary. During his sixth grade year he started falling behind so he had to repeat sixth grade. Capone started playing hooky and hung around the Brooklyn docks. One day during school the principal hit Capone for being rude and disrespectful, however instead of taking it Capone hit the principal back. They moved from their tenements to the the outskirts of Park Slope. This is the place he met his gangster mentor Johnny Torrio.

Alphonse was destined to a life of lawlessness from a young age. In his adolescence, he lived the life of an Italian Immigrant. Sequestered to predominantly Italian boroughs, education was lackluster and the influence of the Italian mob was ever present. However, Capone's education played a key role in his development. As Kobel states in his novel, it was here at school where Capone met another future mob boss. Another Italian delinquent youth at the time, Salvatore Lucania, also known as Lucky Luciano. (Kobler 23) Capone continued to live a moderately normal life until his expulsion from school at age fourteen. He worked side jobs around Brooklyn

Al Capone was a highly known gangster in the 1920s Alphonse Capone born in Brooklyn, New York to a poor US immigrant couple, Gabriele and Teresina Capone, seeking a better opportunity for their then big family of eight children. He was known for running many lucrative illegal businesses that included alcohol bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, and protection. Al Capone was so notorious that he would murder those who got in his way. With little prosecution of his actions, Al Capone believed his self to being unstoppable. Al Capone, being raised as a kid in poverty learned hands on how to organize crime and became the biggest force in organized crime.

now the story behind him. What made him to be the most feared gangster in the city of Chicago? How did this kid from a rough neighborhood and no money grow up to have $60,000,000? I’ve always been fascinated with organized crime but had never been taught anything in school about it. This report gave me the chance to explore something interesting and also educational. The more I researched Al Capone, the more I wanted to learn about him. He may look like an innocent Italian at a glance, but he

wise when it came to living on the streets of New York. He had a clever

The ultimate symbol of a gangster rule, is a guy by the name of Al Capone, who dominated the Chicago underworld by committing many crimes: such as illegal gambling, extortion, prostitution, and alcohol distribution during prohibition. Capone's life of gang activity started at a very young age. He created a multi-million dollar empire of crime in Chicago. He has been referred to as one of the most ruthless men of all time (Stockdale 45). He was a smart businessman, good family man, and a generous person, that lived a life full of murders and other crimes.

The Roaring Twenties brought many cultural changes to the United States and Europe, which have had many lasting effects. The roles of women changed tremendously and alcohol became banned, but people found many loopholes, also many new inventions and ways of life came about.

Alphonse Capone is one of the most know gangsters in the world. He was a savage to his enemies. He started hustlin the streets of Brooklyn then he became the king Chicago. Scarface is was born in Brooklyn in 1899 he grew up in a family of 9 with his parents Gabriel and Teresa Capone. Growing up in Brooklyn his Dad was respected man in the community he was affiliated with a gang or anything he grew up a poor italian family. It was a hard knock life for Al he grew up in the a tenement with his family and attended a catholic school till 14. Al then moved to one of the most influential places in his life. At 21 Place Garfield this is where he meet the most influential people of his life Johnny Torrio and Mae Coughlin. Torrio would later be Capone's

The Italian mafia became prevalent in America during the early 1900’s. A major aspect behind the steady growth of the Italian Mafia in the early 1900’s was the temperance Act passed in 1918, which made the sale of alcohol illegal. The members of the mafia took advantage of alcohol’s loved and addictive nature by selling it on the black market. Selling alcohol is what created the foundation of the mafia’s income and established it financially to expand on its internal and external empire. Its important to note that the Italian Mafia formed before 1918 in Sicily where the members of the mafia are known as Mafioso, which roughly translates to brave men.

The Mafia way of life may seem like a romantic updated version of the western movie played out on the streets of the big cities where the good guys and the wise guys who share the same instincts and values do battle before an enthralled public but it is actually very different. The Mafia is really just a group of uneducated thugs making money by victimizing the public. Initially, the Mafia was setup as a prominent supplier of bootlegged liquor, but it has spread into many different areas of crime. During this research paper I will discuss three aspects of the Mafia which are crime, structure and decline in leadership.