Al Capone’s real story cuts through the myth

Al Capone, born Salvatore Lucania in Naples in 1899, emigrated to the United States as a child and entered crime through New York’s Five Points Gang. His rise was shaped by mentor Johnny Torrio, who taught him the mechanics of organized crime. Contrary to popular portrayals, Capone never fully controlled Chicago’s South Side; his power was concentrated in the suburb of Cicero, while the South Side remained fragmented among various ethnic gangs.

Capone’s infamous facial scar resulted from a 1917 altercation with a woman’s brother at a Brooklyn tavern, not a battlefield wound. Federal estimates place his total criminal earnings at about $60 million, far less than legendary figures, and much of that was spent on bribes and lifestyle. Unusually for a bootlegger, Capone publicly called for the repeal of Prohibition, arguing the law created organized‑crime opportunities.