Beltran 1
Jeanette Beltran
Mrs. McClure
9 Honors LA
17 November 2014
Al Capone
“Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. I am kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not something you are going to remember me by.” Al Capone once said. Al truly lived by those words as he was a gangster notorious in Chicago around the 1920s, well known for his ruthless nature. Who was Al Capone really? Many viewed him as a hero while others saw him as a terrorist. Whether or not he was a hero or villain, his life played an important role in Chicago in the 1920s.
He was born on January 17, 1899 a pair of Italian immigrants and given the birth name Alphone Caponi which he later changed. Al was the fourth child out of a total of nine children. He was an auspicious
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He murdered his first victim at twenty and in order to escape charges he fled to Chicago where he quickly found one of the most notorious gangs, 5 Points Gang. He with his charm, clever speaking skills, and obedience to the leader he quickly moved up the ranks until he was Johnny Torrito’s (the gang's leader) right hand man. Johnny however had to flee the country and Al took the opportunity naming himself leader. He quickly became the number one in bootleg operations of Chicago, while wiping out any rival providers. These rival gangs however were not pleased with Capone’s success and did all they could in attempts to wipe him out, among the attempts were poisoning and machine gun ambushes, none of which seemed to work. 1929 was when he commit his most remembered crime now known as the Valentine’s Day Massacre where he and an elite group shot down seven of their rivals. They did not see it coming considering that they were disguised as policemen. This among other stunts was admired by residents and even police of Chicago. His reign in 1927 through 1931 made many view him as the self-crowned ruler of Chicago’s bootleg operations and prostitution