Al Capone "Scarface"

Alphonse "Big Al" Capone, born on American soil in 1899, was one of the world's most notorious criminals.

Growing up in Brooklyn, NY, Capone was the 4th son of Italian immigrants Gabriele and Teresina. As a boy of nine, he met neighborhood resident Johnny Torrio, a "gentleman gangster" who would pass along the importance of leading an outwardly respectable life and stress the ability to make alliances. His next major underworld contact would be Frankie Yale for whom he would bartend at the age of 18. Yale ran his business on muscle and aggression. It was at this bar that he received three knife slashes to his face.

After his father died, Torrio summoned the 22-year old Capone to Chicago. Torrio had assumed control of the "Big Jim" Colosimo brothel-speakeasy-gambling empire after the latter was assasinated. The "operation" was moved to Cicero shortly thereafter where police and elected officials were openly bribed to "look the other way" regarding the activities.

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