AL CAPONE “SCARFACE” By: Frank Cinicola “I have built my organization upon fear”-Al Capone

Background Came to America from Naples, Italy in 1894 Moved to Brooklyn Looked down upon due to ethnicity Attended school thru 6 th grade, where he beat up a teacher and was kicked out Thought it was difficult to succeed in school and life due to his ethnicity and working class parents Began to engage in criminal activities as a way to achieve success in an unjust world As a teen, was recruited by gangster Johnny Torrio Gained a position of power He moved to Chicago and became the “Crime-King” of the city Got scars on his face during a bar fight Got syphilis as a teen, which lead to his dementia Parents were working-class, poor

Crimes Commited CrimeDateVictimPunishment Valentine’s Day Massacre February 14, 1929“Bugs Moran” Gang Was not caught Carrying Concealed Deadly Weapons March 17,1929N/A1 year in jail Contempt of CourtFebruary 29, 1931The Courtroom/Judge 6 months in jail Tax Evasion/Prohibitio n Violation October 18, 1931The government11 years at Alcatraz, paid back money owed *The investigative jurisdiction of the Bureau of Investigation during the 1920s and early 1930s was more limited than it is now, and the gang warfare and depredations of the period were not within the Bureau’s investigative authority.

Most Recent Crime Capone was convicted in 1938 of tax evasion and was sentenced to 11 years at Alcatraz. He was released after 7.5 years

Evidence Against Capone Capone was worth $30 million, but no taxes had ever been paid in his name Examined store records to see Capone’s biggest purchases They uncovered purchases of high-end furniture, custom- made shirts, diamond studded belt buckles, and a limousine Seized ledgers which proved Capone’s income Handwriting was compared to bank deposit slips and seen as identical to Capone’s handwriting

Theory on Deviant Behavior Capone is an excellent example of the Anomie theory. This is when there is a strain between culturally defined goals and legitimate ways to reach these goals. Capone’s goals were the same as many Americans, money and luxury. Capone didn’t see legitimate ways to reach these goals. Capone didn’t think he could reach these goals due to his ethnicity and his parents working-class background. He saw himself as disadvantaged because he wasn’t educated. Due to this, he turned to organized crime to acquire wealth.

Cultural References Books: Many biographies, Fiction: “Al Capone Does My Shirts” Dozens of movies/documentaries about Capone, Most famous being “Scarface”