He was one of America’s most notorious gangsters, famous for running a multi-million-dollar Chicago operation in gambling, bootlegging and prostitution in the 1920s, and inspiring countless books and films, including Scarface. But who was the real Al Capone, what crimes did he commit, and how did he die?
Al Capone, American Prohibition-era gangster who dominated organized crime in Chicago from 1925 to 1931. In 1931 Capone was indicted for federal income-tax evasion and was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was confined in the Atlanta penitentiary and Alcatraz before being released in 1939.