North Side Gang

The title itself is a reference to Capone’s nickname, one which he thoroughly despised. Scarface, a nickname given to Capone due to the three unmistakable scars on his face, has a story all it’s own. After dropping out of school in the sixth grade, Capone joined a street gang in Manhattan known as The Five points Gang and worked as a bouncer and bartender at a bar called The Harvard Inn. It was there that he was bestowed the scars which adorned his face and the nickname that would haunt him until his death. After insulting a female patron of the bar one evening, her brother retaliated out of anger by slashing Capone’s face with a knife, leaving three distinct scars on young mobster to be’s face. He often made the excuse that the scars were earned while serving in the military calling them “war wounds”, however, he never served in the armed forces. Along with this, he had two other nicknames that were more to his taste. After he had risen to success in the mob, associates in the organization referred to him as “The Big Fellow” and friends…

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,…

and joined the Five Point Juniors gang.” During his time with the Juniors, he learned racketeering. He even kept a real job to have extra money. According to The Encyclopedia of American Crime (2001). “While bartending in a saloon owned by Johnny Torrio, Al insulted a lady and her brother protected her by slashing Al across the face with a knife. There Al obtained the nickname of “Scarface Al.”During his teenage years, Capone met Mae Coughlin, a department store clerk two years older than him.…

The birth of organized crime and gang violence was, arguably, the 1920's. Business were scared into getting "protection" by gangs. While gruesome crimes were committed from avenging mobsters. The most unforgettable crime was the St. Valentine's Da y Massacre. Bugs Morans legacy is defined best through his participation in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. In Minnesota on 1891, Alelard Cunin was born. He didnt get along with his father very well. At the age of 19, Alelard Cunin ran away were…

Purple Gang, the The Purple Gang was a loosely-bound Jewish criminal gang in prohibition-era Detroit, MI. It began as a group of children of Eastern European immigrants from Detroit’s lower east side who were taken under the wing by mobsters. As the children grew up, they progressed from petty crimes to armed robbery and extortion. After The Damon Act of 1916 prohibited the sale of alcohol in Michigan, the burgeoning Purple Gang focused on hijacking shipments of bootlegged Canadian whisky; when…

with family or society, certain individuals will find peace in gang life and all the activities that come with it. Gangs are far from unfamiliar when it comes to the black community and how it shapes the actions and lifestyle of our youth. Many youth become affiliated…

life of crime and into the throes of the Latin Kings, one of Chicago’s most feared Spanish gangs. Reymundo grew up in a tumultuous home; his mother was an immigrant who ended up in Chicago following her third husband Emilio, whom she married for money and security. Emilio disliked Reymundo and eventually turned his mother against him. Regular beatings and psychotic outbursts became a daily occurrence for Reymundo from both his parental figures; this led him to seek escape in any way possible.…

In today’s society, gang warfare and mobs are not as popular as they were in the 1920’s. People like Al Capone roamed the streets and started gangs and were killing people. On February 14, 1929, four men that were dressed up as police officers forced seven of George Moran’s men into a garage, lined them up, and shot them. Al Capone and George Moran were sworn enemies. The two men fought over smuggling and trafficking operations in Chicago, Illinois. Capone and Moran have survived many attempted…

Gangs in Spokane – How bad is it and what can we do about it? In the summer of 1994, I found myself entangled in a lifestyle nobody had seen coming, not even me. I had gone from honor roll student to thug gangster in just a matter of a few months. Life had changed dramatically, from not ever having been in any real trouble, to having multiple run-ins with the law, and an entire police force in the city of Spokane with my picture and vehicle info on their clipboards. I was running with a local…

dealing, gang involvement, prostitution, and many other aspects of crime. However, not everyone within the community accept these living conditions…