Essay About Alphonsus Capone And John Torrio

Al Capone Biography
Al Capone Biography
Al Capone was possibly the largest and most feared mofia boss
America has ever seen. This 1920’s gangster made his mark on the world
through organized crime during the Prohibition era. He is solely attributed
with Chicago’s reputation as a lawless city.
Alphonsus Capone was born on January 17, 1899 in Brooklyn, New
York. As a child he was a member of the Brooklyn Rippers and the Forty
Thieves Juniors “kid gangs.” Capone quit school at age fourteen in the sixth
grade. He worked a few odd jobs in Manhattan in a bowling alley and a
candy store. Then Capone took a position as a bouncer in Frankie Yale’s
Brooklyn dive and the Harvard Inn. While working at the Inn he was
attacked by a man and received the facial scars that would give him the
byname “Scarface.”
Capone met Anne “Mae” Coughlin at a dance in 1918. Later that year
on December 4, 1918 she gave birth to their son, Albert “Sonny” Francis.
Less than a month later they were married.
Capone became a member of the Five Points gang in Manhattan.
During this time he hospitalized a rival gang member in a fight. Feeling the
heat from the conflicting group, he moved his family to Chicago. He began to
work for John Torrio, an old partner and mentor of Yale. Capone was soon
helping to manage Torrio’s bootlegging business. He quickly gained the
respect of Torrio and became his number two man. After being shot by an
opposing gang member, Torrio left Chicago. Capone became boss of the
“outfit.” Torrio’s men respected Capone and trusted his business decisions.
They referred to Capone as “the big man.” In the next five years he
expanded his industry of crime. Capone controlled speakeasies, nightclubs,
brothels, gambling houses, and much more. His bootlegging provided the city
of Chicago with alcohol during prohibition. Capone had a reported income of
$100,000,000 a year.
Capone had an intricate spy network throughout Chicago. Crooked
police men let him prepare for liquor raids and some of his other men made
him aware of assassination plots. He would use hotels as his headquarters
and front businesses for a hideout. Capone was always good at successfully
knocking off his enemies when they became too powerful. Although he killed
men himself, it was much safer for his henchmen to do his dirty work.
Capone’s men would rent an apartment across the street from their target and
gun him down when he stepped outside. These operations were quick and
precise, and Capone always had an alibi.
On St. Valentines Day, 1929, four of Capone’s cohorts entered the
liquor headquarters of George “Bugs” Moran. Two of these men were
dressed as police. Moran’s men, thinking this was a police raid, dropped
their guns and put their hands against a wall. Using two Thompson machine
guns and two shotguns, Capone’s men killed six gang members and an
unlucky friend. More than 150 rounds were fired into the gangsters. Moran,
who was most likely the real target, was across the street. Capone, as
always, had an alibi; he was in Florida.
Eliot Ness was assigned to shut down Capone’s illegal industry. Ness
and his men found ways to beat Capone’s spy network. They received the
sobriquet