Al Capone Thesis

Al Capone Few individuals have had as much influence on laws in America as Al Capone. Capone has been known as one of the most famous criminals in America since the Roaring Twenties. Al Capone is remembered by others as one of the most notorious mobsters in America because of his crimes during the prohibition era, and he directly affected how law enforcement investigates mob activity.

Capone's innocence left him at an early age. Al Capone's legal first name is Alphonse. He was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 17, 1889. His parents, Gabriel and Teresing Capone, immigrated from Naples, Italy to Brooklyn, New York. The rampant crime in this setting had a profound effect on Capone, “...who left school at the age of twelve and joined a street

Capone and a man named Torrio were invited to be members of a gang, The James Street Boys, run by Colosimo. Not too long after the invitation, Colosimo was murdered. This led to Al Capone being able to capitalize on the potential of the gang. Capone and Torrio led the gang together for a year, this was until Torrio was killed.After Torrio’s death, and under Capone's reign, the success of the gang began. Torrios death was very beneficial to Capones power because, “Capone was now one of the most powerful mob leaders in Chicago” (McGill). In 1920 Capone was making up to sixty million dollars a year, where the salary of an average citizen was around three thousand dollars. Capone’s success drove him to strive for a good public image; he would attend charity events and helped keep peace against other mobsters, “In the public's eye, he was a quiet man and always well dressed,” which led the public to see Capones generosity (McGill). However, this did not stop his consistent criminal activity, which continued even after he announced his retirement in

On the infamous Valentine's Day Massacre, a gang related incident where seven men who belonged to a gang run by a man named Moran, were shot. After the Valentine's Day Massacre, Capone was one of the main suspects for the gruesome murders. This motivated the government and police to endeavor towards catching Capone. A team was constructed to search everything that could lead to Capone being arrested. One member of the team found evidence of tax evasion in one of Capone's business dealings; this ultimately led to Capones slow downfall. He was charged with tax evasion on October 18, 1931. Capone was sentenced to prison for eleven years and was fined $250,000. He was then sent to Alcatraz, one of the most notorious prisons in California. However his sentence was cut short due to his chronic disease, syphilis. Capone was released from Alcatraz on November 16, 1939 so he could see his family before his passing on January 25, 1947. The crimes Capone committed influenced the creation of many laws concerning organized crime. Along with his outstanding crime record, “He is remembered as one of the most notorious underworld crime figures in U.S history” (McGill). Most people characterize Capone as an “evil” monster but tend to forget the contributions he made to society while he was in his prime. The criminal side of Capone usually outshines the family side of Capone. He was part of a