Who Is Responsible For Al Capone's Downfall

The Rise and Fall of Al Capone

During the early 1900’s, organized crime groups known as mafias localized across America in major cities, in particular, Chicago. By definition, “mafia” is a term given to a secret organization that allegedly engages in criminal activities. Other references to mafias include mobs, Cosa Nostra, and gangsters. Mobs typically engage in barbaric behavior such as extortion, prostitution, gambling, drug trafficking, money laundering, and often murder. Al Capone once stated “You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone” which shows his character. Without a doubt, the most infamous Chicago organized crime ring was the mob of Al Capone whose power, ruthlessness, and influence

Al Capone immigrated from Naples, Italy along with his family when he was a child (“Al Capone”). Capone was raised in a rough neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, and his education suffered due to his demographics. He was often drawn to street crime and learned to fight at an early age. In sixth grade, he punched a teacher and never returned to school after that incident (“Al Capone”). From there, Capone became a street hoodlum and joined the James Street Gang. Al Capone grew close to the gang 's leader, Johnny Torrio, and the two became lifelong friends. Over time, Capone rose up through the ranks of his first gang and eventually joined the Five Points Gang, where he worked as a gunman (“Al Capone”). One night while working as a gunman for the gang, it is believed that a brutal fight broke out, leaving Capone with three large scars on his face. Because of this, he got the nickname Scarface, which he despised. In 1919, he moved to Chicago so he wouldn’t be arrested on an alleged murder charge (“Al

In 1928, Eliot Ness was placed in charge of a Prohibition Enforcement Team created to bring down Capone. Ness examined hundreds of files of prohibition agents before he selected the nine men who would make up his team. He selected the agents for their clean records and because of their loyalty to the cause. In time, the agents became known as “The Untouchables” because they could not be touched by bribery or threats of violence. Ness and his agents, all who were in their twenties, were specialists in various activities including the use of weapons and wiretapping (“Al Capone”). The Untouchables tried to ruin Capone and his empire by conducting routine raids on his bootlegging operations. These raids hurt Al Capone financially but didn’t take down his organization. While this was happening other agents were working to try to get evidence on Capone for tax evasion. The agents never could prove that he committed many of the murders that were said to have been planned by him, such as Valentine’s Day Massacre; however, the agents did find evidence that Al Capone never filed income tax returns on his earnings. In June of 1931, Capone was officially charged with income tax evasion. He was put on trial later that year, even though he had offered authorities a $4 million bribe. The original jury had to be replaced because Capone had bribed them. Finally, he was convicted in October of 1931 and was sentenced to 11 years in jail. Al Capone served his jail time in Atlanta as well