Essay About Gangster Johnny Torrio And Alphonse Capone

Al Capone
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Al Capone
Thesis: From racketeering, bootlegging, and brotheling, Alphonse Capone is one of the
most well known and influential gangsters in history.
Al Capone, born to Gabriele and Teresina Capone, was born in Brooklyn, New
York. At age 5 he starrted school at Public School no.7 on Adams street. Als school
had outbreaks of violence. Male Students engaged in fist fights with female teachers. At
age 14 he engaged in a fight between himself and a teacher. He was expelled and he
never returned to school again.
One of the biggest impacts on his life was when he and his family moved across
town. This is where he would meet his wife, Mae and gangster Johnny Torrio. Al was
exposed to Johnny Torrio because Johnnys headquarters was only a few blocks away. Al
earned pocket money by running errands for Johnny Torrio. “Torrio taught Capone the
importance of leading an outwardly respectiable life to segregate his career
from his home
life, as if maintaining a peacefull, conventional domestic setting somehow excused or
legitimized the venality of workingin the rackets. I was a form of hypocrisg that was
second nature to Johnny Torrio and that taught Capone to honor” (A&E Biography. Al
Capone, Scareface). Like youths of his time he ran in territorial gangs at first he was with
the South Brooklyn Rippers, then the Forty Thieves, and lastly the Five Point Juniors.
Capone worked hard at boreing jobs he cut paper and other odd jobs. One of his jobshe
worked at the Harward Inn as a barr tender and a bouncer. He became popular to his
customersand his boss.
One day he waited tables on a young man and his female companion. She was
Beautiful to the young Capone. He leaned over and told her, “Honey, you have a nice ass
and I mean that as a compliment.” The young man hit Al. Als temper began to rise. The
man pulled a knife and cut him three times in the face. The young man told Lucky
Luciano what happened. Then Luciano went to Frankie Yale. Then Frankie, Luciano and
the young man came together to dispense
some justice on Capone. Capone ended up just
appoligising to the man and the young woman. Frankie Yale liked Capone and decided to
take him under his wing. He showed Capone strong arm tactics, bookkeepping, loan
sharking, extortion, exacting tribute from pimps and bookmakers and also how to offer
protection to local busisnesses. Al met Mae Loughlin and didnt marry her until their child
was born. Afterwards focused on a ligetiment career
. So he moved to Baltimore and
was a bookkeeper for Peter Aiellos construction firm.
After the death of his father in 1920, he rusumed his relationship with Johnny
Torrio and moved to Chicago where Torrio had expanded his rackteering game. The
flesh trade was big at this time and the biggest pimp of them all was Big Jim. Big Jim
brought in Torrio to run his opperation. Big Jim was asssassinated by Yale, so Yale could
take over his outfit but Torrio was able to maintain the multi-million dollar a year
business. When Prohibition came about Johnny had to over see thousands of
whorehouses, gambling joints, and speakeasies. In 1921 Torrio became partners with the
young Al Capone. He made Al the fulltime manager of the Four Deuces in the Levee
area.
Torrio took his mother, who was ill, back to Italy so Al was encharged of all
business. When Johnny left, Capone made it clear that he wanted an all out conquest of
the town. While Johnny was gone Al had to get a loan, he went to Jack Guzik and Guzik
called him a dago pimp. So capone came back and shot him dead. William McSwinggin,
a prosecutor, decided to try to convict Capone but in despite of his diligence he was not
able to convict because eye witnesses developed a false memory. Dion OBanion was a
force to be reckoned with, he set Torrio up with a raid and Torrio vowed revenge to Dion.
So three of Torrios men went to OBanions flowershop and killed him dead. Dions
funeral was a celebration of sorts to Capone and Torrio because they would take over
Dions bootlegging territory. Torrio went down to Hot Springs, Arkansas to chill out
until things blew over. Twelve years later he returned to Chicago and he and his wife
were entering their apartment building and he was shot and wounded 3 times. Four weeks
later he shocked everyone by appearing in court to face charges about the raid and went
to jail for nine months. While he was in prison he decided to retire and leave everything to
Al. Als power increased imeansly because he retired.
Capone and one of his associates planned the murder of Bugs Moran.