The Life of Al Capone

1. The Life of Al Capone Born January 17,1899 Died January 25, 1947

2. From humble beginnings • Al Capone was born in Brooklyn one of seven children to his parents Gabriel and Teresa Caponi (there real last name before it was changed). • They came to America 1893. • Al was a rough guy since he was young when he was in the 6th grade he beat up his teacher. • Like almost every other child in America at that time he was taught that wealth was the most important thing. • Al Capone encountered much prejudice because his family where immigrants. Feeling this injustice he began to steal as a way of achieving success.

3. Finding Success • In 1919 Al Capone fled from Brooklyn to Chicago to dodge a murder charge this is also the year that prohibition is enacted. • He joined a gang known as the 5 points gang and quickly moved through the ranks. • Shortly after Al’s friend Torrio fled the country Al found himself partly in control of the bootlegging in Chicago. • So many people in Chicago where unhappy with the prohibition law that a lot of them where more then willing to break it. • Because of this it allowed Al Capone to operate almost completely out in the open. • As his bootlegging business grew so did his other interests like his gambling houses and his political ties that allowed him to get away with so much. They say between the years 1927- 1931 Al Capone was the true owner of Chicago.

4. The Downward Slope • Finally in the late 1920’s the government started to crack down on bootleggers and al Capone altogether. • After getting him on a tax evasion charge for failing to pay his income tax al Capone spent 10 years hard labor in Atlanta state prison and later in Alcatraz. • He was released on parole in 1939 and lived on his private estate for 8 years until he died in 1947.