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  • Essay / Al Capone: A Biography of a Notorious Gangster

    With his record of bloodshed and death, Al Capone can be considered the most notorious gangster in American history. His crimes – which include murder, illegal gambling and smuggling – will never be ignored and his death will surely leave a lasting legacy (pbs). Arriving in the United States as a child in 1894, he and his family settled in Brooklyn, New York (umich). As a teenager, he ran errands for gangster Johnny Torrio(umich). He eventually got into a bar fight and was stabbed three times in the face (umich). This eventually earned him his nickname “Scarface” (umich). Eventually, when Capone was older, he moved to Chicago and then to Cicero to continue working with Torrio (umich). After Torrio's arrest, Capone became responsible for his territory and began his history of crimes (umich). One of his most infamous crimes was the Valentine's Day Massacre, in which several rival gangsters were brutally murdered by his henchmen disguised as police officers and pretending it was a raid. pbs). However, the murder was never officially blamed on Al because he was not in the city where the murder took place, as was the case in Chicago and he was currently in Miami (pbs). He was imprisoned several times for multiple reasons, but in October 1931 he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion (pbs). Capone only served six of those years, his sentence having been reduced for good behavior (pbs). After being released, Capone went and stayed in Miami (pbs). Until then, his health had been in serious decline due to a case of syphilis he had contracted as a teenager (pbs). On January 25, 1947, Al Capone died of cardiac arrest at the age of 48 (pbs). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Even after his death, it is certain that Al Capone will leave a lasting legacy in American history. His murders and crimes will never be ignored. He could potentially be the deadliest gangster living in the United States, and he could potentially be the most infamous bootlegger. The 18th Amendment which outlawed alcohol only opened up more business opportunities for Capone (American History). This ban caused the closure of many bars and saloons. So any place or person selling alcohol becomes very profitable. Al saw this as a business opportunity and opened several speakeasies, which were essentially secret bars (American History). Additionally, his location in Chicago only gave him more advantages than other smugglers (American History). His organization was one of the largest organizations and one that had a lot of influence on smuggling (American History). However, Al Capone has done things that could be considered unexpected. Capone had opened a soup kitchen in Chicago, which was one of the first soup kitchens there (American History). And according to those who ate there, it did more for them than any other relief effort (American History). Overall, Al Capone is sure to leave a lasting legacy that won't diminish any time soon and his presence in the 1920s will certainly be remembered..