Infamous Gangsters: Al Capone

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He may not be the president of the United States, the CEO of a company, or even the governor of Illinois, but Al Capone was without a doubt the leader of the Chicago area. A man of loyalty, brutality, and business, he wasn’t someone to recon with. In the 1920’s and still today, Al Capone is one of the most well known gangsters in history. He is known for his evasive way from the law, Alcatraz, and his brute honesty.
Baptized as Alphonsus, which is Latin for the Italian Alfonso and English equivalent to Alphonse, was born to Gabriel and Theresa (Alphonse Capone). Also known as Scarface, he was the fourth of nine children, and quit school in the sixth grade (Britannica School) at the age of fourteen (Chicago History Museum). Capone’s parents immigrated to the United States six years before Al was born (January 17th 1899) from Castellammare di Stabia, which is sixteen miles from Naples, Italy (Alphonse Capone).
In 1918 Capone met an Irish girl named Mary or “Mae” Coughlin at a dance, and on December 4th 1918. At the age of 19, Mae and Capone had a son. They named him Albert “Sonny” Francis. Soon after that they married, December 30th of that year (Chicago History Museum).
As a child in Brooklyn he worked many jobs and later on, gave back to the people. He worked as a pin-boy in a bowling ally. Picking up the pins after people have knocked them down. He was a candy store clerk in a local candy store. Capone also worked as a cutter in a bookbindery. As he progressed in life and the stock market crashed he was the first to open soup kitchens. Al ordered food and clothing to the needy people in his town, at his own expense, when poverty grew greater (Chicago History Museum). In Baltimore, he worked as a real businessman and as a boo...

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...51 in fines when it was all said and done.
Alphonse Capone, an extraordinary man, with an extraordinary life. His time in Alcatraz made him famous along with the Massacre of Saint Valentines Day. His personal qualities and charming characteristics make him and his story so much more exquisite. May Al Capone live in history forever as a man who could handle himself, the law, and anyone who would come after him

Works Cited

"Al Capone Bio." Al Capone Bio. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.
“Al Capone.” Chicago History Museum. Chicago Historical Society.1999. Web. 28 February 2014.
“Capone, Al.” Comptons by Britannica, v 6.0. 2009. eLibrary. Web.25 February 2014.
McQuigg, Jackson. “Capone: Rides The Rails To Alcatraz.” Trains 72.4 (2012): Master FILE Premier. Web. 10 March 2014.
“Capone, Al” Britannica School. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web: 27 February 2014.

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