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What the evidence says

Al Capone and Prohibition: what the evidence says

Al Capone (1899-1947) ran one of Chicago's main criminal organisations during Prohibition (1920-1933). He was never convicted for the gang-war violence: he fell in 1931 for tax evasion, after an accounting investigation by the federal tax authorities.

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The victims of the gang war are named with respect; no violence is described in detail and organised crime is never presented as a model.

Timeline

  1. 17 January 1899 — Alphonse Capone is born in Brooklyn, New York.
  2. 17 January 1920 — Prohibition takes effect (18th Amendment and Volstead Act).
  3. 1925 — Johnny Torrio retires; Capone takes over the Chicago organisation.
  4. 14 February 1929 — Seven men are killed in a garage on North Clark Street: the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. No one is ever convicted.
  5. 1929-1931 — Federal tax investigation (Bureau of Internal Revenue) into Capone's income; in parallel, Eliot Ness's team targets illegal breweries.
  6. October 1931 — Trial in Chicago; Capone is found guilty of tax evasion.
  7. 1934 — Transfer to Alcatraz penitentiary.
  8. 5 December 1933 — Prohibition ends (21st Amendment).
  9. 25 January 1947 — Al Capone dies in Florida.

Frequently asked questions

Why was Al Capone convicted?

For tax evasion, in October 1931: the federal government proved he had undeclared income. He was never tried for the killings attributed to his organisation.

Who brought Al Capone down?

Mainly federal tax investigators (the Bureau of Internal Revenue's intelligence unit, including agent Frank Wilson), with prosecutor George E. Q. Johnson. Eliot Ness's "Untouchables" went after illegal breweries.

What was the St. Valentine's Day Massacre?

On 14 February 1929, seven men linked to a rival gang were killed in a garage on Chicago's North Side. The crime was never tried; Capone's involvement is suspected but was never proven in court.

When did Prohibition start and end in the United States?

It took effect on 17 January 1920 and ended on 5 December 1933 with the ratification of the 21st Amendment.

Where did Al Capone serve his sentence?

At the federal penitentiary in Atlanta, then at Alcatraz from 1934. He was released in 1939 and died in Florida in 1947.

Myths and evidence

  • "Eliot Ness arrested Al Capone." FACT
    The 1931 conviction came from a tax investigation; Ness's team targeted breweries and supply.
  • "Capone ordered the St. Valentine's Day Massacre." RUMOUR
    It is the most common hypothesis, but no trial ever established it.

Primary sources and references

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