Capone the man

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CAPONE THE MAN

I feel it important to be stated that Al Capone was made to be as big as he is by many things. Could it be he was as ruthless as they say ? Did pop culture have something to build up his image? Al Capone was a bootlegger, supplying liquor to people who wanted it. These included judges, police and highly placed people who demanded the best. He was said to be a murderer, as many people accuse me of collecting a murderers belongings,but I must remind them not to place me or Capone alongside people like Jeffrey Dahmer or people who collect anything related to Dahmer. While I admit Capone was no saint, he was involved in a business that dealt with death as a strategy for survival.The other players he had killed or was hunted by, were also in the same game and abided by those same rules.They were gangsters of the Roaring Twenties. Well dressed men who lived fast and dangerously.There was a romantic side to it, like it or not (cars women,booze and money).

From barkeep and bouncer at Coney Island's Harvard Inn, to bouncer and roper at Torrio's Four Deuces, Al slowly rose the gang ladder. As did his peers Colosimo and Torrio, Al also had managed a boxer by the name of Mike Dundee. In 1925, he rose to supreme gangster boss in Chicago and made the newspapers all over the world.

People would hear the word Chicago and immediately think Al Capone and machine guns. Reporters from France, England and Canada all wanted to interview this mob personality. Pretty impressive for a man who left school at 13.

By 1930, Al made the cover of Time magazine.

Al Capone made it big and when the great depression rolled around, I guess someone had to pay for all those years of high living. The high profile man of choice for the downfall was to be Al. I think the government went a little overboard. Think about it, He was given 11 years in Alcatraz for failure to pay taxes. Criminals today get less time in a less confining prison as compared to Alcatraz. Al left Alcatraz a broken soul, his mind ravaged by syphillis. He lived out his remaining years on his Palm Isle residence in Florida. He lived his remaining years with the warmth and protection of his family. Before his health became worse, Al and Mae would go to the restaurants in Florida. He used to have his weekly haircut in town at a Hotel and was affectionately called Grandpa by the barber. His last few years he became very child like, acting like a thirteen year old and became highly excited when visitors dropped by to see him. He would sometimes speak fast and whistle at the same time. He would get extremely upset when the vistors would leave. He also enjoyed chewing his favorite gum called Sen Sen. Seeing Al hit a tennis ball aimlessly into a net was occuring frequently.

Cane Wyn, an African American caretaker across the street from the Capone mansion once saw Capone display displeasure over seeing some tourists trying to peek over the Palm Isle mansion. One tourist even went as far as to climb a palm tree. Capone pointed to the gawkers and told Wyn "What do you think of people like that?" Wyn replied" They must think some kind of varmint lives in there." Capone retorted "They're just ignorant and crazy!" and slammed the gate behind him.

When his health deteriorated, he would be wheeled around in a wheelchair and brought to the dock of his Florida mansion for fresh air. He would be immediately brought in as sightseers approached the dock. He would play cards with old associates and thought he was still in charge. Most of his fellow mobsters would appease the big fellow by obliging his winning the card game. Near the end he was confined to a room * with two seperate beds, one being for Mae, and one for Al . He suffered from pneumonia,but seemed to get better near his birthday. At the end he succumbed to a stroke brought on by the syphillis on January 25th,1947 at 7:30 pm.

* It is important to note that Al did not die in his master bedroom. He was placed in a room near or in the actual guest house to prevent any media from accessing the dying Capone. The masterbedroom is windowed all around in which this room pictured here is not.

The room Al Capone supposedly died in. This is disputed. Al probably died in master bedroom after collapsing in the shower.

(Photo by kind permission of Jeff Maycroft).

(Info from Deirdre Capone)

Capone's Florida Mansion today.

(J.Maycroft)

Pool house by the ocean.

(J.Maycroft).

This is the Capone mansion guest house as was pointed out to me by a person who viewed my site.They mentioned to me that they had actually lived in the house after the Capones had vacated.

(J.Maycroft).

Al in Florida having fun in the sun.

Capone's mansion by the water. (Mr. Michael Esslinger).

January 25,1947 the death of Al Capone.

Newspaper announces Capone's Death.

Article on Al's passing.

New York Times headline. January 26th 1947

Cartoon on Al's passing.

Another cartoon.

(Photo courtesy of Mr. John Cieciel)

First Posted June 2000


	My Al Capone Museum \| home MY AL CAPONE MUSEUM \| F.A.Q.'S \| Al Capone's Personal Telephone \| Al Capone Framed Signature \| Al Capone's Silver Tray \| Interesting items retrieved from Al Capone's Lexington office suite and hallway \| Alton Hotel Relics \| 7244 Prairie Avenue \| The Capone era Cicero, Illinois \| The Four Deuces (2222 South Wabash) \| Al Capone's Bathroom Tile From The Lexington Hotel \| Inside The Lexington Hotel \| Geraldo's Capone Vault Grand Opening \| Lexington's Destruction \| X Marks the Spot magazine \| Capone Magazines and Booklets \| Capone Videos \| Capone Books \| Knick Knacks \| Capone's Chicago \| Chicago photos \| Capone Documents \| Capone Photographs \| Capone Photographs 2 \| Capone Photographs 3 \| My History channel Shoot \| Gravesites \| Gravesites 2 \| Capone the man \| Capone at the Ballpark \| Al Capone's Funeral \| The St. Valentine's Day Massacre \| The Massacre Pt.2 \| Massacre Victim's Stats. \| Massacre News blurbs \| Some Theories on the Valentine Massacre \| Discounted Valentine Massacre theories \| Valentine Killers? \| The St. Valentine's Day Massacre Wall bricks \| The St. Valentine Massacre guns today \| The Adonis Social Club Incident \| When, Where and How did they die? \| Mugshots \| Gangster facts and side stories \| The Obituaries \| Gangster talk \| Gangster Molls \| William Hale Thompson \| Peter Von Frantzius \| The Chicago Typewriter \| Gangster Hitspots \| Mae Capone \| Louise Rolfe \| Alberto Anselmi and Giovanni Scalise \| Frank Parker \| William Niemoth \| Jack Guzik \| Samuel "Golf bag"Hunt \| Jake Lingle \| Frankie Yale \| Samoots Ammatuna \| Jack Zuta \| Edward David Vogel \| Johnny Torrio \| Joe E. Lewis \| Rocco DeGrazia \| Machine Gun Jack McGurn \| Willie Heeney \| James "Fur" Sammons \| Jack "Three fingered" White \| George "Red" Barker \| Anthony "Tough Tony" Capezio \| Frank Nitti \| Dean Charles O'Banion \| Samuel Morton \| George Clarence Moran \| Hymie Weiss \| Vincent "The Schemer" Drucci \| Fred "Killer" Burke \| Fred Goetz \| Joe Aiello \| Edward "Spike" O'Donnell \| The Genna brothers \| Angelo La Mantia \| Frank Rio \| Ragtime Joe Howard \| Hinky Dink and Bathouse John \| Sol Van Praag \| Theodore "The Greek" Anton \| Joseph P. Bergl \| Edward Tancl \| Al Capone's tax trial and downfall \| Al in Jail \| Mario Gomes \| Bill Helmer \| Rose Keefe \| John J. Binder \| Robert Gallo as Al Capone \| Rick Mattix \| Mr. Joe Walters \| Gangster articles \| Newspapers of the day \| Newspapers part Two \| Newspapers Part Three \| Newspapers Part Four \| The Green Mill \| Colosimo's \| Alcatraz \| Alcatraz Part 2 \| Gangster sites today \| Gangster Sites part 2 \| Dead Gangsters \| Origins of the Scars \| Collecting Al Capone? \| The truth about Al Capone's signature \| Al Capone and other Gangster related books \| Links \| Neat Stuff on Capone \| About me \| Contact Me CAPONE THE MAN I feel it important to be stated that Al Capone was made to be as big as he is by many things. Could it be he was as ruthless as they say ? Did pop culture have something to build up his image? Al Capone was a bootlegger, supplying liquor to people who wanted it. These included judges, police and highly placed people who demanded the best. He was said to be a murderer, as many people accuse me of collecting a murderers belongings,but I must remind them not to place me or Capone alongside people like Jeffrey Dahmer or people who collect anything related to Dahmer. While I admit Capone was no saint, he was involved in a business that dealt with death as a strategy for survival.The other players he had killed or was hunted by, were also in the same game and abided by those same rules.They were gangsters of the Roaring Twenties. Well dressed men who lived fast and dangerously.There was a romantic side to it, like it or not (cars women,booze and money). From barkeep and bouncer at Coney Island's Harvard Inn, to bouncer and roper at Torrio's Four Deuces, Al slowly rose the gang ladder. As did his peers Colosimo and Torrio, Al also had managed a boxer by the name of Mike Dundee. In 1925, he rose to supreme gangster boss in Chicago and made the newspapers all over the world. People would hear the word Chicago and immediately think Al Capone and machine guns. Reporters from France, England and Canada all wanted to interview this mob personality. Pretty impressive for a man who left school at 13. By 1930, Al made the cover of Time magazine. Al Capone made it big and when the great depression rolled around, I guess someone had to pay for all those years of high living. The high profile man of choice for the downfall was to be Al. I think the government went a little overboard. Think about it, He was given 11 years in Alcatraz for failure to pay taxes. Criminals today get less time in a less confining prison as compared to Alcatraz. Al left Alcatraz a broken soul, his mind ravaged by syphillis. He lived out his remaining years on his Palm Isle residence in Florida. He lived his remaining years with the warmth and protection of his family. Before his health became worse, Al and Mae would go to the restaurants in Florida. He used to have his weekly haircut in town at a Hotel and was affectionately called Grandpa by the barber. His last few years he became very child like, acting like a thirteen year old and became highly excited when visitors dropped by to see him. He would sometimes speak fast and whistle at the same time. He would get extremely upset when the vistors would leave. He also enjoyed chewing his favorite gum called Sen Sen. Seeing Al hit a tennis ball aimlessly into a net was occuring frequently. Cane Wyn, an African American caretaker across the street from the Capone mansion once saw Capone display displeasure over seeing some tourists trying to peek over the Palm Isle mansion. One tourist even went as far as to climb a palm tree. Capone pointed to the gawkers and told Wyn "What do you think of people like that?" Wyn replied" They must think some kind of varmint lives in there." Capone retorted "They're just ignorant and crazy!" and slammed the gate behind him. When his health deteriorated, he would be wheeled around in a wheelchair and brought to the dock of his Florida mansion for fresh air. He would be immediately brought in as sightseers approached the dock. He would play cards with old associates and thought he was still in charge. Most of his fellow mobsters would appease the big fellow by obliging his winning the card game. Near the end he was confined to a room * with two seperate beds, one being for Mae, and one for Al . He suffered from pneumonia,but seemed to get better near his birthday. At the end he succumbed to a stroke brought on by the syphillis on January 25th,1947 at 7:30 pm. * It is important to note that Al did not die in his master bedroom. He was placed in a room near or in the actual guest house to prevent any media from accessing the dying Capone. The masterbedroom is windowed all around in which this room pictured here is not. The room Al Capone supposedly died in. This is disputed. Al probably died in master bedroom after collapsing in the shower. (Photo by kind permission of Jeff Maycroft). (Info from Deirdre Capone) Capone's Florida Mansion today. (J.Maycroft) Pool house by the ocean. (J.Maycroft). This is the Capone mansion guest house as was pointed out to me by a person who viewed my site.They mentioned to me that they had actually lived in the house after the Capones had vacated. (J.Maycroft). Al in Florida having fun in the sun. Capone's mansion by the water. (Mr. Michael Esslinger). January 25,1947 the death of Al Capone. Newspaper announces Capone's Death. Article on Al's passing. New York Times headline. January 26th 1947 Cartoon on Al's passing. Another cartoon. (Photo courtesy of Mr. John Cieciel) First Posted June 2000