Al Capone: A Lasting Impact On The World

The figure I chose, Al Capone, was one of the most famous criminals in America. In many ways he was the perfect symbol of the age, encapsulating everything Fitzgerald wanted to portray: the greed, the corruption, the climb to power and fancy appearance which hid the evil underneath. This makes him a perfect counterpart to Jay Gatsby; but on the other hand, despite being a mirror image, he is distorted reflection. This is because Jay Gatsby has deceived himself, with his romanticism and delusions. Gatsby considers himself a knight in shining armor, refusing to look at the wreck he leaves in his path, whereas Capone has no such illusions. He is well aware of the cost of his power.

They are contemporaries, but Capone outlives Gatsby, by approximately a decade. Jay Gatsby’s run of success was short-lived. (While Al Capone lived to be 48, Jay Gatsby was born in 1890 and died in 1922). So even though Gatsby is 9 years older, Capone had a quicker rise to power. In many ways Capone was more worldly and shrewder; he would be able to give him some advice on how to maneuver and build a path, to success. The fundamental difference between them, however, was the ultimate goal. For Capone, it was all about ambition and power as a means and a goal in itself. For Gatsby anything achieved was simply to impress and gain Daisy. In both cases, they are unbridled determination to achieve the goals was the cause of each man’s downfall.

Al Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1899. He was not in school for very long and dropped out in sixth grade. He was in gangs from a very young age. In 1918, he married Mae Josephine Coughlin who was an Irish Catholic. When Al Capone was 20 years old, he moved to Chicago and joined a new gang because he had gotten an invitation from Johnny Torrio. The leader of the gang was Jim Colosimo. Over time, Al Capone rose to higher placements in the gang. After Jim Colosimo was violently murdered by another gang, Torrio became the new leader of the gang with Capone at his side. In 1925, Torrio was shot several times by rival gang members. Even though he had survived, he was severely wounded. Capone was ceded the lead role because of Torrio. He was now one of the most powerful men in Chicago. He soon proved to be a ferocious gang leader and expanded his business empire through mostly violence. A big part of his business was the sale of alcohol. Capone would force businesses to buy alcohol through them and that they had no choice. Bars that did not cooperate were typically blown up. Al Capone once said, “You can get much farther with a kind word and gun than you can with a kind word alone.” His crime empire stretched from Chicago all the way to Canada. Capone was also influential in Chicago politics. He helped Republican William Hale Thompson to become a mayor in 1927 by donating $250,000. In 1928, he was also a key figure behind the Pineapple Primary which was a political campaign with a bloody bombing campaign which had over 62 bombs and deaths of two politicians.

Even though he had many deaths associated with his mafia activities, he became a popular public figure. Capone dressed smartly and wore extravagant jewelry. Capone also helped promote his image through high profile donations, and he tried to cultivate an image of a modern-day Robin Hood. When Al Capone was away in Florida, there was a massacre where his gang members who machine gunned members of a different gang, after they posed as police officers. The level of violence turned many against Capone. Capone’s health was also getting worse and he was suffering from syphilis and gonorrhea. But even though he was away, he and his gang were blamed. He got arrested and released on good behavior after just 9 months. He then had a ton of tax evasion charges and sentenced to jail in Alcatraz for 7.5 years. He then returned to Chicago and suffered a stroke and pneumonia in 1947. He died in 1947.

Al Capone had a lasting impact on the world because of the degree of violence he inflicted on the community. Despite that horrific toll and his notoriety, he rose to a level of popularity and was even held in esteem by many because of his influence on politicians and the success of his business.

Works Cited

1. Editors, History.com. “Al Capone.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 14 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/crime/al-capone.
2. Edwards, Halle. “Best Character Analysis: Jay Gatsby – The Great Gatsby.” Best Character Analysis: Jay Gatsby – The Great Gatsby, blog.prepscholar.com/jay-gatsby-great-gatsby-character-analysis-quotes.
3. “Jay Gatsby.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 May 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Gatsby.
4. “Al Capone.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 May 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capone.
5. “Al Capone.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 15 May 2019, www.biography.com/crime-figure/al-capone.
6. Iorizzo. Al Capone: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies, 1540-4900). Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003.
7. Kobler, John. Capone: the Life and World of Al Capone. Da Capo, 2003.