Al Capone
The flashy, brutal kingpin of Chicago's Prohibition-era underworld, whose notoriety came to define the American gangster.
1899–1947 (age 48)·American gangster and businessman·Birthday: January 17·The Lost Generation
Biography
Al Capone didn't invent organized crime, but he perfected its public image. Arriving in Chicago as a young Brooklyn enforcer, he swiftly ascended through violence and shrewd political bribery to control the city's illicit liquor trade during the 1920s. He operated with a brazen openness, holding press conferences and cultivating a Robin Hood persona while his outfit was responsible for brutal acts like the 1929 St. Valentine's Day Massacre. His empire was built on systemic corruption, from police to city hall. Capone's downfall was not for murder or bootlegging, but for tax evasion, a federal charge that finally stuck. His 1931 conviction marked the end of an era where a crime boss could live as a very public, and seemingly untouchable, celebrity.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Al was born in 1899, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Al Was Born
The biggest hits of 1899
Al's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1899Born
President: William McKinley
1904Started school
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Became a teenager
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1915Could drive
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Could vote
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Turned 21
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1929Turned 30
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1939Turned 40
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1947Died at 48
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
Key Achievements
- Built the Chicago Outfit into a sprawling criminal syndicate that dominated the city's illegal liquor trade during Prohibition.
- Amassed an estimated annual income of $100 million through bootlegging, gambling, and prostitution.
- His highly publicized trial and conviction for tax evasion in 1931 became a landmark case for federal law enforcement.
- Though never convicted, he was widely held responsible for orchestrating the St. Valentine's Day Massacre that killed seven rivals.
Did You Know?
His famous nickname 'Scarface' originated from a knife attack that left three scars on his face after he insulted a woman.
He was listed on the federal government's 'Public Enemies' list in 1930.
Capone's older brother, James, was a Prohibition agent in Nebraska who went by the name Richard Hart.
He was a fan of jazz and was known to frequent clubs, sometimes bringing along his own musicians.
The cause of his death was cardiac arrest after suffering from paresis, a late-stage complication of untreated syphilis.
“You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.”
