One of the most dangerous and ruthless men to ever walk the streets of Chicago was born on January 17, 1899--Alphonse Gabriel Capone. Living with his mother and father, Teresina and Gabriele, along with his older brothers Vincenzo and Raffaele, his family moved to a poor tenement in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. Growing up, Capone never exhibited any signs of becoming the master criminal known about today (Biography 1). Al Capone became notorious for holding Chicago in the palm of his hand, controlling the police, judges and the politicians while spreading vice throughout the city. Capone was a promising student, but was expelled from his catholic school at the age of 14 for striking a female teacher, while being disciplined. …show more content…
After getting caught trying to bribe guards in the Atlanta federal prison for special privileges and other favors, Capone was sent to Alcatraz. He could not use his influence and manipulate as easily as in Chicago (Biography.com). By most accounts, Capone was a model prisoner and on November 16, 1939, after serving seven and a half years and having paid all his back taxes and fines, Al Capone was released (FBI.gov). However, upon release, Capone was immediately admitted to a mental hospital in Baltimore where he remained for three years. Capone was suffering from untreated syphilis he had contracted as a young man and it had caused brain damage and dementia (History.com). After slowly declining, Al Capone died from a stroke and pneumonia on January 25, 1947, he was 48 years of age (Ioriozzo 73-100). Al Capone believed that fear was the best motivator, he believed that the way to get things done was to impose fear in others. “Between 1927 and 1931 he was viewed by many as the real ruler of Chicago,” (Encyclopedia of World Biography). For some Capone was a menace to society but for others, Capone was a person that looked out for the poor and underfunded side of Chicago. For good or bad, Al Capone will always be a part of Chicago’s