Who Was Al Capone?

This famous mob boss, of all others, ( or at least his legend) has become almost an anti-icon in our American culture and his very name is synonomous with crime. He came to power during a colorful and violent time in America when bathtub gin flowed as freely as gangster bullets and ill-gotten gains. Many a mobster found himself on the "other side of the sod" because he had dared to cross "The Great Capone," which no one ever lived to do twice. Over the years there have been several films made about his murderous life and he has been portrayed by some fine actors including Rod Steiger, Robert DiNiro and Neville Brand.

Representing all that is negative and unredeeming in our multi-faceted society, Capone is the true antithesis of the American dream that was sought so honestly by his hard-working parents. His gangster façade and legend endures perhaps because it has been romanticized by the American cinema. His life has never been idealized, however, for even for him with all his millions, in the end, crime did not pay.

What do YOU think about Al Capone and his reign of terror in Chicago in the 1930s? Please share.

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