MOB BOOKS

Al Capone (Biography A&E)

by Rick Hornung, Random House Value Publishing Staff Al Capone (Biography (A & E))

Rick Hornung's riveting account of one of the century's most prominent celebrity sinners shows how Capone came to see the law as a bully and crime as a solid way to make a living. As a protégé of gangster John Torrio, Capone collected illegal bets, thereby learning the skills of "negotiation and compromise," backed by intimidation and raw force. Capone followed Torrio to Chicago, where the two ran brothels and, during Prohibition, imported liquor. Capone quickly outmastered the master and became the dominant force in Chicago's underworld by swiftly retaliating against those who encroached on his territory.

Capone's downfall was brought about by a landmark IRS investigation for which Capone served eight years in prison for tax evasion. Following his release, Capone withdrew from the public eye. Seven years later, at the age of forty-eight, he died from a brain hemorrhage.

This compelling profile lets us understand the continuing fascination with a man who was at once a gangster and gentleman; tyrant and pal; family man and murdering pimp.

"Love is what somebody feels just before they give you a good you know what, professor. Fear is better. Respect." --Al Capone

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