Al Capone was a notorious gangster in Chicago during the years of Prohibition. He came to power when his partner and mentor, Johnny Torrio, fled Chicago for Italy fearing death threats. Torrio left Capone in charge to run a massive bootlegging, prostitution, gambling, and extortion business that made about $100,000,000 annually. Since these activities that Capone conducted were extremely illegal, Capone managed to bribe or blackmail officials to keep himself and his men out of jail. The government
equipped Capone with the means to run a criminal empire. Capone attended a Catholic school and suffered from a poor education and violence. At around this time he met his friend Johnny Torrio. Torrio was a gangster who taught Capone the importance of maintaining a respectable front and on how to run a racketeering business. Torrio introduced Capone to the gang life where he joined Torrio’s gang, the James Street Boys gang, which later came to be known as the 5 Points gang. Capone, like most gangsters
Chicago has always been known for its not so good reputation, but have you ever wondered where that reputation started. How guns, drugs, and prostitution came to be so closely associated with Chicago. Even the state Chicago resides in, Illinois, has been regarded as one of the most corrupt states in the country. All the things we have associate with Chicago were brought out be the famous gangster, Al Capone. Al Capone, whose life as a criminal began at a young age, made Chicago known for violence
From his childhood up until his death Al Capone lived a life full of gangs and violence. Being part of a gang started early when he was in New York and spread into his life in Chicago, when he joined part of Torrios operation committing and conducting crimes. Capone was arrested a lot but lack of evidence almost always kept him out of jail; Capone was a sneaky, intelligent business man that ruled the streets of Chicago. January 17, 1899 Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born to Gabriele and Teresina Capone
forever. Johnny Torrio was at the time the most successful and respected gangster in New York and his headquarters was located across the street from the Capone's new house (Bergreen pg. 26). Torrio instantly became Capone's new role model; Capone even got a job running small errands for Torrio and his crew. Capone spent every waking moment with the Torrio organization, which in way served as his new educational system, seeing as he no longer attended regular school. After a few years Torrio moved to
George “Bugs” Moran was one of the most famous gangsters of all time due to his fame during the prohibition era, and constant fighting with Al Capone (“Bugs Moran” National Crimes…par. 3). He was also one of the very few gangsters who was actually street smart because of his crime starting at such a young age (“Bugs Moran” par. 2). He got the nickname of “Bugs; because he was a rather violent criminal, so everyone thought he was “buggy” (Bardsley par. 1). His “buggy” attitude showed by him driving
amongst those who were getting wealthy by bootlegging alcohol. He was the leader of the North Side Gang, a group of mostly Irish gangsters, the gang Bugs Moran would be in control of later in his life. However, O’Banion wasn’t alone in Chicago. Johnny Torrio, and his right side man Al ‘Scarface’ Capone, had moved to the South Side of Chicago. They would be Bugs Moran’s bi... ... middle of paper ... ... saw the men walk into his shop, he was not suspicious of anything. He figured that the men were
bodyguard to the real masterminds (Sifakais, “Capone, Al,” The Encyclopedia, 157). Beginning with his expulsion from school and him meeting Johnny Torrio, Capone’s succession to Torrio’s throne culminated in their takeover of Big Jim Colosimo’s empire and the aftermath of an ambush during a gang war. Al Capone’s road
powerful gang or mob leader in his era. Capone was the roots of organized crime in Chicago area from the mid 20’s to the early 30’s. Al grew up in the 20’s in Chicago. In his younger days, he joined the James Street Gang whose leader was Johnny Torrio. In the year 1920, Johnny asked Al Capone to join his uncle in Chicago who had control of the city’s largest prostitute and gambling circuit. Capone ended up being a big fan of that idea. In the later months of 1920 the Prohibition act was passed into effect
was still involved in this gang, he was the gun-man that tried to knock off Johnny Torrio. Moran was also in the lead car in the famous car cavalcade that drove past Al Capone's Cicero headquarters, The Hawthorn Inn, firing over 1000 shots into the building. The gangs’ war ended with the St. Valentines Day massacre. The St. Valentines Day massacre was an event that ended the whole war between the two gangs of Johnny Torrio and Moran’s North Siders. This event is probably the most well known mobster
Who was Al Capone? Al Capone was America’s best known gangster and the biggest downfall of law and order in the United States during the 1920s Prohibition era. He lived the American Dream becoming a millionaire before he was 30 years old. In this paper, it will be explained from when he was just a boy all the way up until he was an adult. In his adult years, he was a guy who had many women other than just his wife. He was very public and open to what he did and how much money he actually made annually
attended school till 14 years old and grew successful to earn $105,000,000 yearly or $1.3 billion (in todays money). Capone met a gangster named Johnny Torrio after he dropped out of high school. Torrio taught Capone about the importance of maintaining a business. They started their “business” in Chicago after the 18th amendment went into effect. Torrio would later retire because he was almost assassinated. Capone would then become the boss of the business (Biography.com Editors). Al Capone changed
while after the fight, he met a blonde Irish girl named Mary. They dated, got married, and had a son. Al Capone kept his business away from his family. In 1920, he moved to Chicago to start over. He started to work for another crime boss Johnny Torrio. “Capone started out in Chicago as a manager for the Four Deuces,... ... middle of paper ... ...nd was sent to Alcatraz when he was thirty-two years old. He arrived in August 1934. His prison number was eighty five while he was in prison, his
growing up, he was always around the local street gang led my Johnny Torrio. After beating one of his sixth grade teachers, he quit school, and quickly learned the way of the streets, joining the Torrio gang, call the James Street Gang. James Street also included Lucky Luciano, one of Capone’s best friends, who would later also become a notorious gangster (Internet 1, 1). As he grew older, Capone was hired by the gang leader, Torrio, to be a bouncer at a bar in Brooklyn, taking his first step up
across his face and a new nickname. Capone joined his first gang when he became part of the James Street Gang, headed by the well-known Johnny Torrio. In 1920, upon the request of Torrio, Capone went to work for Johnny’s Uncle, Big Jim Colosimo. Colosimo was the head of the largest prostitution and gambling ring in Chicago. After the murder of Colosimo, Torrio took over his uncle’s empire, but he was forced to retire after an attempt on his life. So Capone took over and by the time he was
worked under Johnny Torrio in New York. Torrio eventually moved to Chicago and Capone followed. Torrio eventually left from the violence of the gangster lifestyle and moved back to Italy. Capone who began running the multi-millionaire dollar empire. Newspapers of the 1920s “estimated Capone’s operations generated $100 million in revenue annually”( History.com Staff). Through his empire, Capone generated $60 million solely on bootlegging- the sale illegal alcohol (History.com Staff). Torrio advised Capone
gang activities started out when he was young. He was in the Five Points Gang, who were known for their violence. The gang’s tradition was to scar their victims with a knife cut from the outside corners of their eyes to their ears. At the time, Johnny Torrio was a major mob boss and his uncle, Jim Colosimo (AKA "Big Jim"), hired Capone as a bouncer. Al Capone was a large man, did his job well, and soon he came to recognition in Torrio’s gang. During his stint as a bouncer, Capone one time made a disrespectful
harassing a woman, prompting the later nickname ‘’Scarface.’’Then Capone met a gangster named Johnny Torrio, who taught Capone how to build a corporate empire. Torrio moved from New York to Chicago in 1909 to help run a giant brothel business. In 1919 Capone joined Torrio’s James Street Boys gang in Chicago, Where he had become an Influential Lieutenant in the Colosimo mob. In 1925, Al Capone became boss when Torrio was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt, surrendered control and retired to Brooklyn
Gangsters of the 1920’s and 30’s are looked upon as “bad people”. The general assumption of people today, looking back at their criminal acts, is that these guys are cold blooded killers and cold blooded killers only. While that may be true, there was a side to some of them that we tend not to illuminate. A decent side. A helpful side. A side that would surprise many of those whose minds are set on the fact that all gangsters were absolutely terrible people. There is one infamous gangster however
Al Capone: Italian gang member who quickly rose in rank after leaving New York for Chicago Right hand man for Johnny Torrio during prohibition. After a failed assassination attempt on Torrio, he gave Capone his position. Capone was only 26 when he became the boss of the biggest crime organization in the city. One of the few mobsters to have complete authority over a city The spark that set the fire: Valentine's Day, 1929: Capone seeks to eliminate rival Bugs Moran by gutting his warehouse and