Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
July 30, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Civic Brief • Gangster

Al Capone

Al Capone was an American gangster who became the best-known leader of the Chicago Outfit during the Prohibition era.

Updated July 30, 20261 min readCited sources

Al Capone was an American gangster who led the Chicago Outfit during Prohibition and was famously convicted of tax evasion in 1931.

What it is

Alphonse Gabriel Capone, known as Al Capone or Scarface, was the boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1925 to 1931. His criminal empire included bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, and murder, making him one of the most notorious figures of the Prohibition era.

Why it matters

Capone's downfall came not from violent crimes but from income tax evasion, a landmark case that showed how federal law could be used to prosecute organized crime. His imprisonment at Alcatraz and later death in Florida marked the end of a violent chapter in American history.

Key details

Born in Brooklyn in 1899, Capone moved to Chicago and rose to power through illegal alcohol sales. He was convicted in 1931, sentenced to 11 years, and served time at Alcatraz. After release, he lived in Florida, where he died in 1947 from cardiac arrest after a stroke, worsened by advanced syphilis.

In short

  • Al Capone led the Chicago Outfit during Prohibition, involved in bootlegging, gambling, and murder.
  • He was convicted of income tax evasion in 1931 and served time at Alcatraz.
  • Capone died in Florida in 1947 from cardiac arrest after a stroke, with advanced syphilis.

Quick questions

Who was Al Capone?
Al Capone was an American gangster and crime boss who led the Chicago Outfit during the Prohibition era.
How did Al Capone die?
He died on January 25, 1947, in Florida after cardiac arrest following a stroke.
How was Al Capone caught?
He was brought down by a federal tax evasion case, proving he had not paid income taxes on criminal earnings.

Sources

  1. Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Al-Capone
    Supports: Birth, death, Chicago crime leadership, tax evasion conviction, and syphilis.
  2. Federal Bureau of Investigation — https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/al-capone
    Supports: Criminal activities including gambling, prostitution, bootlegging, bribery, narcotics trafficking, robbery, protection rackets, and murder.
  3. Biography.com — https://www.biography.com/crime/al-capone
    Supports: Leadership of the Chicago Outfit and imprisonment at Alcatraz in 1934 after tax evasion conviction.
  4. HISTORY — https://www.history.com/articles/al-capone
    Supports: Birth in Brooklyn and background details.