Al Capone
Notorious Gangster
CHICAGO:
In the summer of 1919 Capone and his new family fled New York to Chicago, Illinoise. There are disputed reasons that he left, but most point to him being a target of a large gang with a bounty on his head.
Once in Chicago Capone met with his gang mentor Johnny Torrio. Torrio was a mobster from the start and was involved in high levels of bootlegging and other illegal activities.
Johnny Torrio's mugshot from 1936.
Torrio took over the city of Chicago after James Colosimo was murdered. He later gave the entire outfit to Capone, who was the most powerful leader of the city. Capone was also speculated in the murders of Colosimo and two other high level mob bosses.
By 1925 Capone was making nearly $100 million dollar profit per year, more than any other single person. Capone began smuggling liquor and drugs as well as running prostitution businesses and racketeering, but Capone's largest crime was the St. Valentine's Day Massacre on February 14, 1929. Capone's men disguised as police officers entered an enemy gang's brewery and had the men stand against a wall, then mowed them down with shotguns and machine guns.
St. Valentine's Day Massacre.