James Vincenzo Capone

on a silver salver it’s hospitality.” -Al Capone (associated). Capone was never afraid to interpret laws to his best interest. In order to be successful, he was willing to be ruthless in his pursuit of power. His ruthlessness led to political, social, and violent conflict. With violence being his favorite form of conflict! He used violence prolifically to get other people to compromise their beliefs and power so he could gain control of Chicago. Al Capone created conflict through violence…

Behind the Gun Guns are very prevalent in the film, Miller’s Crossing, and the novel, Legs, by William Kennedy. Both of these works revolve around the prohibition era and the formulation of gangs and gangsters. It is obvious that these weapons symbolize the underworld, but there is more behind the gun itself. Guns can symbolize multiple ideas like power, dominance over someone, tough decisions, etc. They are also seen to be phallic symbols. Guns can be quite deadly when in the wrong hands, but…

Background/ Early Years Louis “Louie” Zamperini, “the son of Italian immigrants, who had come into the world of Olean, New York on January 26, 1917” was “eleven and a half pounds of baby under black hair as coarse as barbed wire” (5 Hillenbrand). The Zamperinis soon decided to move to Torrance, California when Louie was three for his father’s job as a railroad electrician. Louie grew up in Torrance with his parents, older brother, and two younger sisters. Louie was the second of four…

of the city during this Gangster Tour of Chicago. You and your friends will dive deep into the infamous history of gangsters in America 's heartland. Chicago has a long history of organized crime and is famously home to the American mafia figure Al Capone. During this walking tour, your guide will take you through a chronological account of Chicago 's stories gangster past and sites. You 'll hear and learn all about the stories and secrets of Chicago dating back to 1850.…

Pictured above: Two guns used in the 1929 Massacre/Courtesy The Mob Museum CULTUREIFY On February 14, 1929, a day that was anything but sweet hearts amidst a bed of roses, the St. Valentines Day Massacre unfolded as five rivals of gangster Al Capone and two wannabes were gunned down in a garage on the North Side of Chicago, IL. The day’s events are, arguably, the most publicized and talked about mob event in history. The sole purpose of the killings was the elimination of George “Bugs” Moran,…

poisoning. Also mobsters often fight each other over sales territories, and the fights do not end peacefully. Prohibition profusely causes even more crime and violence than ever before. Mr. Alphonse (Scarface) Capone is now one of, if not the most famous American gangster. In 1925, Capone rose to full leadership of the Colosimo gang after the previous leader Johnny Torrio had retired after being seriously wounded. He built his mob into a deadly group and secured racketing rights, distilling and…

were only 60 officers(“Wikipedia”). People could do whatever they wanted, whenever they felt like it. Even before Al Capone, a famous American gangster who ran the streets of Chicago, started his illegal activities the city already had a reputation for crime(“Mental Floss”). Chicago’s rival territories, the North and the East, started being rivals right about the time Al Capone started to dominate the streets of Chicago. The two rivals, even today, are only split by Madison Street(“Sam T…

Al Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1899. He was an American mobster, crime boss, and businessman during the Prohibition Era. He is known as the most famous criminal of his time. (1899-1947) Capone was the child of Italian immigrants. Capone’s mother and father met in Italy before he was born. After they were married, they decided they could find a better life in America; as many immigrants did during this time period. When they arrived in America with four of Capone’s older siblings,…

Gang was an infamous Irish-American gang that ran Boston. It was at its worse when James “Whitey” Bulger was in charge in the 1970’s. James got away with almost everything he did because he had a deal with the FBI. We’ll get into that later though, let’s start with how the gang was formed. The Winter Hill Gang was developed in the 1960’s and the founders were James J. “Buddie” McLean and Howard “Howie” Winter. James McLean was born in 1930 and Howie was born in 1929. They met at a trucking…

making money with the process of bootlegging. And this allowed Al Capone to gain revenue, flowing in cash like a waterfall. Shipping in Canadian alcohol on boats to Chicago, and selling it off to whoever was buying. He spread his operation, taking over labor unions, plumbers, city workers, films, and so much more. A man that dips his toes into more than just one pool. The money kept coming in, and it was all for his taking. In 1931 Capone was at the top, he had almost no true rivals, and his…