Capone

Capone is a surname most closely associated with Alphonse Gabriel “Al” Capone (1899–1947), an American gangster who led the Chicago Outfit during the Prohibition era. Under his direction, the organization built a large criminal enterprise based on bootlegging, gambling, and other illegal activities, using corruption and violence to maintain power. Capone’s Chicago syndicate became a symbol of organized crime in the 1920s and helped shape public perception of gang activity in the United States.

Capone was born in New York City to immigrant parents and rose through the ranks of street gangs before moving to Chicago. His control of illicit operations, coupled with aggressive tactics and bribery, facilitated widespread influence over the city’s underworld. The period featured brutal conflicts with rival gangs and high-profile incidents that drew national attention, including the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, which intensified law enforcement efforts against him and his outfit.

Although linked to violent crime, Capone was ultimately imprisoned for tax evasion rather than his more notorious racketeering activities. He was convicted in 1931 and sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, serving time at several facilities before being moved to Alcatraz. He was released in 1939 for health reasons and spent his remaining years in Florida, where he died in 1947.

Capone’s legacy endures in discussions of Prohibition, organized crime, and American criminology. He has been the subject of numerous books, films, and television portrayals, contributing to ongoing public fascination with early 20th-century criminal networks and the enforcement responses they provoked.