Why the formidable Mafia Al Capone went to prison and became a janitor

Many films have been made about “Great Al”, hundreds of books have been written, and his personality has become a cult figure. What can I say - everyone has heard about Capone, a legend of the criminal world, a racketeer, a killer, a mafia boss, a reformer, a bootlegger and a pimp. A man who was imprisoned not for dozens of murders committed by him or on his orders, but for simple non-payment of taxes.

Photo: Chicago Bureau (Federal Bureau of Investigation) /Wikipedia, public domain

Of course, the latter should be taken solely as a formality. Everyone knew who he was, what he did and how he lived, but the police could not prove anything, writes Yandex.Zen. Suspiciously, witnesses recanted their testimony, the accusers disappeared without a trace, and Al himself at the time of the crime was at a dinner party with his “aunt” or in a family restaurant, where about 40 people “saw” him. But Al got caught with taxes, and, moreover, large.

Prior to this, Al had already served a 10 month sentence, and apparently spent these days in comfort. In 1931, the Federal Court sentenced Alphonse Gabriel Capone to 11 years of imprisonment. How did this affect the fate of Capone? Sad or fair.

In 1934, Capone ends up in Alcatraz, an island prison. Actually, this prison became federal (before that it housed only war criminals) with one purpose - to scare the mafiosi out of their wits. Tough regime, harsh bosses, icy water, which ruled out an escape attempt. Everything is as it should be.

Upon arrival, the administration immediately explained to Capone that he was a nobody here, he had no privileges: they say, sit quietly and keep quiet. Capone, naturally, did not accept this state of affairs. He behaved defiantly, was rude, in general, acted as befits a criminal authority, which he was in the wild. Once he was even cut in a barber shop, but he was able to survive.

Former Alcatraz prison, now a museum. Photo: Depositphotos

In short, Capone pretended to be the toughest guy, which he certainly was, but he did not take into account the simple fact: there were many people like him in Alcatraz.

Capone managed to maintain authority, but then fate played its cruel joke, or rather, one Greek lady of low moral responsibility. In her youth, Capone contracted syphilis from her, and when the disease entered a latent stage, Al Capone simply did nothing. By the way, his wife and son Sonya also had to be treated for syphilis. Al himself was decomposing before his eyes, the disease greatly undermined the morale of the former boss, he became a prison janitor, received the nickname “boss with a mop”, and found himself at the bottom of the prison hierarchy.

Al Capone camera in Philadelphia prison. Photo: Depositphotos

In 1939, Capone was released for health reasons - part of his body was covered in paralysis, he had noticeably aged, a few years later the doctor diagnosed the former authority with dementia, roughly speaking - senile dementia. Al will not return to criminal matters again. Former colleagues often visited him until Capone's wife, under imaginary pretext, banned these meetings.

Capone began to “chat” with long-dead people, including about “business.” The wife was afraid that the mafia would decide to remove the unnecessary witness. Al Capone, “Great Al,” died in 1947 from a stroke.

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