Who was Al Capone and what did he do?
AL Capone remains a gangland legend 70 years after his death - and for a very good reason.
A new biopic on the crime boss called Capone with Tom Hardy chronicled his incredible tale.
Who was Al Capone?
Alphonse Capone - also known as "Scarface" - was the infamous leader of the Chicago mafia during the Prohibition era.
He was born on January 17, 1899, in Brooklyn, New York, in an area ridden by vices, mainly serving the hell-raising needs of US Navy sailors in the nearby dockyard.
By 14 he was finished with school after being expelled for assaulting a female teacher.
But the tearaway teen’s life was to change forever when he met his mentor, small-time mobster Johnny Torrio who ran the James Street Boys gang.
Torrio taught him the importance of maintaining a respectable front while being a racketeer to avoid heat from the law.
Why was Al Capone nicknamed Scarface?
During a fight as a teenager in a brothel-bar, a thug slashed him across the face with a blade.
The deep facial wound left him scarred.
This earned him the nickname “Scarface” which of course helped cement his fearsome reputation.
What crimes did the American mobster commit?
Al Capone’s mentor Johnny Torrio decided to leave behind their petty crime activities in Brooklyn and head for Chicago where he believed there was a better chance of establishing himself as a big-time crook.
Capone soon joined him and they went to work for mafia boss Big Jim Colosimo, specifically running a giant brothel.
But then an event was to happen that would propel Al Capone from a run-of-the-mill gangster to the most notorious crime kingpin of his generation, if not ever.
The Government banned alcohol from 1920 from 1933.
And Capone made it his mission to supply the booze-loving American public with drink.
He is linked directly to at least 33 deaths during the period. It is believed many more were murdered.
During his reign, he was known as America’s Public Enemy No one.
But investigators found it difficult to bring him to justice and finally had to nail him with tax-dodging charges.
Used to living the luxurious high life in penthouse suites, Capone's life was reduced to four walls of Alcatraz
When was he in Alcatraz prison?
In 1931 Capone and 69 members of his gang were charged with tax evasion.
He was found guilty and sentenced to 11 years in prison, spent most of his stretch in Alcatraz prison which was located on an island of San Francisco.
It was here he began suffering psychiatric problems related to his syphilis.
In 1939 he was released, but his mental capacity was on the slide.
The year before his death aged 49, a test showed he had the mind of a 12-year-old.
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When is Capone out in cinemas?
A biopic of Al Capone starring Tom Hardy as the notorious gangster could see an entirely digital release.
The film, previously titled Fonzo, now retitled Capone, was confirmed in 2018 with Hardy sharing photos from the makeup chair getting into character.
The film is being released via Vertical Entertainment, a distributor specialising in on-demand and home entertainment releases, which suggests it might skip cinemas.
The film was released in May 2020.
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