Al Capone

Shania Alda
Mrs. Baker
April 9, 2014

Shania Alda

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Mrs. Baker
Literature Analysis
April 9, 2014
Al Capone
Al Capone was known as one of Americas most infamous gangsters. Al Capone was
born in Italy and moved to New York in 1894 when he was thirteen. Al met up with the Chicago
mobsters and began his friendship with the leader Johnny Torrio. Al Capone started doing
Johnnys dirty work and getting into lots of trouble soon after he moved to Chicago at age
twenty. Al Capone never thought that he would become such a dangerous man, let alone be
knows as Americas most wanted for over 5 years. Al Capone rose to infamy as the leader of the
Chicago Mafia during the Prohibition Era. Capone rose to fame, and was the single greatest
symbol of the collapse of law and order in the United States in the twenties. Al Capone changed
and influenced other mobs to be like him and his mob.
Al Capone was born in Italy and then came to Brooklyn, New York as an immigrant
where he grew up. Capone was born on January 17, 1899. He was known by many as
Scarface and rose to infamy as the leader of the Chicago Mafia during the Prohibition Era. Al
Capone had accumulated an estimated 100 million dollars before his arrest I 1931 due to tax
evasion conviction. Al Capone was also responsible for countless murders during this time
period. Next, Capone began his bootleg business. Johnny Torrio, the current Mob leader was
assassinated, making Capone the new leader. Capone started bootlegging right after he became
the leader to spark how he could do such a good job leading the Mob.

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Capone began bootlegging whiskey to further benefit himself and his mafia. He began in
New York, where he smuggled large quantities of whiskey to Chicago. His bootlegging business
took off like wildfire! His bootlegging events sometimes went bad, for example an event known
as The Adonis Club Massacre was where Capones mob had Yales enemies brutally attacked
during a Christmas party. Capones bootlegging was making him very rich, very fast, but an
incident involving Billy McSwiggin, a well-known prosecutor, was about to give Al Capone a
major setback. After Billys accidental murder, Capone thought his mob was getting out of
control. Therefore, Capone took the role of a peacemaker, asking other gangs to cut down on
their violence. Capones effect on gangs and American law is unbelievable.
Al Capone was a very skillful, organized, and smart gangster. Capone tricked the law
during the Prohibition Era more than any other gangster known to history in this time period ().
In 1929 a warrant was sent out for Capones arrest. Capone taught all other gangs and future
gangs that if they try to fool the system of law and order they can just like him and his gang did.
Al Capone was very skilled at tricking the law, and he was successful at it until Frank J. Wilson,
a former accountant who armed the prosecution team with the information needed to put Capone
in prison was released. Capone was sentenced to eleven years in prison and a fine of more than
$80,000 dollars. Although, Al Capone was responsible for countless murders, he was released
from prison in six and a half years due to good behavior. He then later died on January 25, 1947
because of cardiac arrest.
Al Capone was a very smart man, and respected by many gangsters. He found a way to
successfully trick the law and order of justice back in the twenties. Al Capone has had a huge
impact on society and the government. Since Al Capone the government has gotten stricter, and

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learned how to avoid criminals like Al Capone. Police forces have changed, and also the FBI has
changed in ways unimaginable because of gangsters like Al Capone.