Interesting items retrieved from Al Capone's Lexington office suite

My Al Capone Museum | home

Interesting Items retrieved from Al Capone's Lexington office suite

Elephant fountain pen stand, small pocket watch and red die found behind wall safe beside Al's office at the Lexington.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Al Capone was certainly a man of particular tastes and possibly certain superstitions as was found by my friend Bill Helmer and two other friends who went in the Lexington years before the call was made to destroy the famous/ Infamous Capone hangout.

Before reaching Capone's inner sanctum, there stood an old massive wall safe in the hallway next to Capone's office suite. The three Capone archaeologists went to work on prying the massive safe from the wall with a large pipe. Upon doing so, several interesting items were found lodged in between the safe and wall.

Capone was well known to admire the symbol of the elephant especially with it's trunk in the air. He owned several collections. Amazingly an elephant fountain pen holder, with a trunk in the air was found.

From Leslie Hindman's catalog of Capone auction 1992.

Elephant ink fountain pen found behind safe beside Capone's office.

(Mario Gomes collection)

John Kobler's description of Capone's elephants and field glasses.

Are these the field glasses described above? Along with the above items these 1920's Biascopes were found by William J. Helmer behind the safe right beside Capone's office at the Lexington Hotel in 1995, before it's destruction. The heavy massive safe was encased in the wall with a small opening above it. Helmer and friends tried to pry the safe from the wall using a lead pipe as leverage. They managed to move the safe just enough to find these binoculars along with other items behind the safe. These items once sat on top of the safe in Capone's office and may have fallen or been knocked over by the cleaning lady or stashed by someone for later retrieval. These items date from Capone's time there as these bioscope field glasses were in production from 1923 to 1933. Author John Kobler mentions Capone having field glasses on his desk in his book about Capone. Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., who interviewed Capone for Liberty magazine had stated that Capone used field glasses to look out the Lexington office window. In my opinion this smaller pair would have been more than likely used while attending the opera or some sporting event. Al Capone did attend the opera and go to the racetrack, boxing matches etc.... Mae Capone also had a pair of her own opera glasses. See MAE CAPONE.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Bioscope ad.

Al also had several religious medals during the course of his lifetime. These were almost surely supplied to him by his very religious mother Theresa, who always visited St. Columbanus church. I guess it may have been her way of watching over her son and somehow redeem his soul for the obvious life he lead.

St. Christopher's medal found behind wall safe beside Capone's office

(Mario Gomes collection)

She bestowed many while he was in and out of prison. Oddly the other item found behind the safe with the elephant was a St. Christopher's medal. Al had many in Atlanta and Alcatraz as was documented.

Other items found were a gold pocket watch and a red die (dice).

Elephants, St. Christopher, all associated with Al Capone, but could these items have been placed there on orders of Al as some sign of good luck superstition upon him moving into the Lexington in 1928? Or was someone in his entourage, or possibly a cleaning lady wise enough to ferret away for later retrieval or accidently knock over these items behind the safe ? This may have been done at the time when Al was all over the newspapers or during the time of his trial and prison sentence for income taxes. All great possiblilities.

Red translucent die found behind wall safe.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Pink wall stucco fragment showed Al's taste in decor. This may have faded and might been a brighter reddish pink back in the late twenties. Chip from his famous lavender bathtub in his private suite. White chip from his office bathtub.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Inside looking out of Al's old office. Notice the remenants of the wallpaper on the wall.

Broken windows let the rain, snow and wind thus deteriorating it over the years. To the right looking out notice the Miller Golden Draft on a billboard. Kind of Ironic looking out Al's office and seeing that.

(Bill Helmer collection)

Al Capone's wallpaper from his Lexington hotel office.

He liked to be reminded of Florida during the cold winters of Chicago with this leafy motif. The 220 door number plaque is that from a door taken from the Lexington's second floor. A few Capone gangsters had occupied the second floor of the Lexington hotel. They were used as Al's first measure of protection.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Rocco Fischetti had occupied room 230.

Lexington door tag from room 240.

(Mario Gomes collection)

A lighting fixture taken from Al's chandelier in his office.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Fragment of Lavender trim tile from Al's bathroom

(Mario Gomes collection)

Other items found in the Lexington Hotel

Chauffeur badge 1925, Hat maker badge and St. Christopher badge.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Mechanical pencil and refill lead tube found in Lexington Hotel Lobby.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Another Waterbury mechanical pencil found in Lexington Lobby

(Mario Gomes collection)

First Posted June 2009


	My Al Capone Museum \| home MY AL CAPONE MUSEUM \| Myalcaponemuseum Reviews \| The Capone News \| FAQ's \| Mario Gomes \| Al Capone's Gold Service \| Al Capone's Tableware \| Al Capone Shot Glass \| Al Capone's Personal Silver Locket \| Al Capone's Personal Dress Shirt \| Al Capone's Personal Telephone \| Al Capone's Elephant \| Al Capone's Flatware \| Al Capone's Etched Glasses \| Al Capone's Personal Cuckoo Clock \| Al Capone Framed Signature \| Al Capone's Silver Tray \| Al Capone's light fixtures \| Al Capone's Personal Straw Boater? \| Ralph Capone's Personal Items \| Hymie Weiss Personal Prayer Book \| John D. Torrio's Personal items \| Louis "Two Gun" Alterie signed photo \| SVD Massacre bullet fragments \| Interesting items retrieved from Al Capone's Lexington office suite \| Alton Hotel Relics \| Al Capone Wax Figure \| 7244 Prairie Avenue \| 93 Palm Avenue \| 93 Palm Avenue Part 2 \| 93 Palm Avenue Part 3 \| 93 Palm Avenue Part 4 \| Renovated 93 Palm Avenue home \| Renovated Palm Avenue home Part 2 \| The Sad Demise Of Al Capone's Estate \| Artifacts from 93 Palm Avenue \| The Capone era Cicero, Illinois \| The Harvard Inn \| The Four Deuces (2222 South Wabash) \| The Hawthorne Hotel \| The Metropole Hotel \| The Lexington Hotel \| Al Capone's Bathroom Tile From 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 \| Al Capone; The Early Years \| Al Capone's Sister Gets Married \| Al Capone Speaks On Film! \| Al Capone's CPD Mugshot \| Al Capone and Friends: \| FDR and Al Capone's Cadillac; Truth or Myth? \| Al Capone in Hot Springs \| Al Capone and Miami \| Al Capone goes to Atlantic City \| Al Capone Goes to Cuba \| The Real Al Capone Quotes \| The Al Capone Interview \| Al Capone and Cigars \| Capone at the Ballpark \| Al Capone in Wisconsin \| Al Capone's Death and 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 Infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre forensic evidence \| The Adonis Social Club Incident \| When, Where and How did they die? \| Gangster facts and side stories \| The Obituaries \| Gangster talk \| Gangster Fashion \| Gangster Molls \| William Hale Thompson \| Gangland Armourers \| The Chicago Typewriter \| Gangster Hitspots \| Mae Capone \| Louise Rolfe \| Charles and Rocco Fischetti \| Alberto Anselmi and Giovanni Scalise \| Frank Parker \| William Niemoth \| Jack Guzik \| Samuel "Golf bag"Hunt \| Jake Lingle \| Frankie Yale \| Samoots Ammatuna \| Jack Zuta \| Leo Vincent Brothers \| Edward David Vogel \| John D. 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 Nitto \| 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 \| Edward O'Hare; Hero or zero? And the myth \| Frank Rio \| Ragtime Joe Howard \| Hinky Dink and Bathouse John \| Sol Van Praag \| Theodore "The Greek" Anton \| Joseph P. Bergl \| Daniel "Danny" Stanton \| Edward Tancl \| Louis & Elliott Wisbrod \| Eliot Ness \| Al Capone's tax trial and downfall \| Al in Jail \| 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 \| Al Capone goes to Baltimore \| Gangster sites today \| Gangster Sites part 2 \| Dead Gangsters \| The Famous Capone Soup Kitchen \| Origins of the Scars \| Al Capone Myths \| Collecting Al Capone? \| The truth about Al Capone's signature \| Al Capone Books \| Fred Pasley's Al Capone book \| Other Al Capone related Books \| In Memoriam \| Contact Me \| Capone/ Gangster Collectibles for Sale \| The best Al Capone Bobblehead! \| UNDER CONSTRUCTION Interesting Items retrieved from Al Capone's Lexington office suite Elephant fountain pen stand, small pocket watch and red die found behind wall safe beside Al's office at the Lexington. (Mario Gomes collection) Al Capone was certainly a man of particular tastes and possibly certain superstitions as was found by my friend Bill Helmer and two other friends who went in the Lexington years before the call was made to destroy the famous/ Infamous Capone hangout. Before reaching Capone's inner sanctum, there stood an old massive wall safe in the hallway next to Capone's office suite. The three Capone archaeologists went to work on prying the massive safe from the wall with a large pipe. Upon doing so, several interesting items were found lodged in between the safe and wall. Capone was well known to admire the symbol of the elephant especially with it's trunk in the air. He owned several collections. Amazingly an elephant fountain pen holder, with a trunk in the air was found. From Leslie Hindman's catalog of Capone auction 1992. Elephant ink fountain pen found behind safe beside Capone's office. (Mario Gomes collection) John Kobler's description of Capone's elephants and field glasses. Are these the field glasses described above? Along with the above items these 1920's Biascopes were found by William J. Helmer behind the safe right beside Capone's office at the Lexington Hotel in 1995, before it's destruction. The heavy massive safe was encased in the wall with a small opening above it. Helmer and friends tried to pry the safe from the wall using a lead pipe as leverage. They managed to move the safe just enough to find these binoculars along with other items behind the safe. These items once sat on top of the safe in Capone's office and may have fallen or been knocked over by the cleaning lady or stashed by someone for later retrieval. These items date from Capone's time there as these bioscope field glasses were in production from 1923 to 1933. Author John Kobler mentions Capone having field glasses on his desk in his book about Capone. Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., who interviewed Capone for Liberty magazine had stated that Capone used field glasses to look out the Lexington office window. In my opinion this smaller pair would have been more than likely used while attending the opera or some sporting event. Al Capone did attend the opera and go to the racetrack, boxing matches etc.... Mae Capone also had a pair of her own opera glasses. See MAE CAPONE. (Mario Gomes collection) Bioscope ad. Al also had several religious medals during the course of his lifetime. These were almost surely supplied to him by his very religious mother Theresa, who always visited St. Columbanus church. I guess it may have been her way of watching over her son and somehow redeem his soul for the obvious life he lead. St. Christopher's medal found behind wall safe beside Capone's office (Mario Gomes collection) She bestowed many while he was in and out of prison. Oddly the other item found behind the safe with the elephant was a St. Christopher's medal. Al had many in Atlanta and Alcatraz as was documented. Other items found were a gold pocket watch and a red die (dice). Elephants, St. Christopher, all associated with Al Capone, but could these items have been placed there on orders of Al as some sign of good luck superstition upon him moving into the Lexington in 1928? Or was someone in his entourage, or possibly a cleaning lady wise enough to ferret away for later retrieval or accidently knock over these items behind the safe ? This may have been done at the time when Al was all over the newspapers or during the time of his trial and prison sentence for income taxes. All great possiblilities. Red translucent die found behind wall safe. (Mario Gomes collection) Pink wall stucco fragment showed Al's taste in decor. This may have faded and might been a brighter reddish pink back in the late twenties. Chip from his famous lavender bathtub in his private suite. White chip from his office bathtub. (Mario Gomes collection) Inside looking out of Al's old office. Notice the remenants of the wallpaper on the wall. Broken windows let the rain, snow and wind thus deteriorating it over the years. To the right looking out notice the Miller Golden Draft on a billboard. Kind of Ironic looking out Al's office and seeing that. (Bill Helmer collection) Al Capone's wallpaper from his Lexington hotel office. He liked to be reminded of Florida during the cold winters of Chicago with this leafy motif. The 220 door number plaque is that from a door taken from the Lexington's second floor. A few Capone gangsters had occupied the second floor of the Lexington hotel. They were used as Al's first measure of protection. (Mario Gomes collection) Rocco Fischetti had occupied room 230. Lexington door tag from room 240. (Mario Gomes collection) A lighting fixture taken from Al's chandelier in his office. (Mario Gomes collection) Fragment of Lavender trim tile from Al's bathroom (Mario Gomes collection) Other items found in the Lexington Hotel Chauffeur badge 1925, Hat maker badge and St. Christopher badge. (Mario Gomes collection) Mechanical pencil and refill lead tube found in Lexington Hotel Lobby. (Mario Gomes collection) Another Waterbury mechanical pencil found in Lexington Lobby (Mario Gomes collection) First Posted June 2009