Bio of Al Capone
Alphonse Capone was born January 17, 1899 and he became a legend in Chicago. Al Capone was a violent young kid in the city of Brooklyn, and he ended up becoming a member of the 5 points gang. Al Capone became a bouncer in organized crime premises such as brothels. In his early twenties, he moved to Chicago becoming bodyguard and trusted factotum for Johnny Torrio who was head of a criminal syndicate illegally supplying alcohol. Lots of conflict with the North Side gang played a big part in Capone's rise and fall. Torrio was forced into retirement after a North Side gunmen almost killed him, which brought about Capone's succession. When Al Capone left Brooklyn he moved to Chicago. He expanded the bootlegging business through increasingly violent means, but his mutually profitable relationships with the Mayor and the police made it to where he was almost unstoppable. Al Capone could show up at any ball game and he would be cheered and loved. He gave lots of money to charities, so he was looked at as a hero throughout Chicago. The St. Valentines day Massacre changed all of that for Al Capone, he came hated throughout the city. The federal authorities became intent on jailing Capone and prosecuted him for tax evasion in 1931. The case was highly politicized and both prosecutors and judge later received preferment. Already showing signs of syphilitic dementia by early in his sentence, he became increasingly debilitated before being released after 8 years. On January 25, 1947, he died from cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke.