By Molly acheson, kennedy knapp, ben slocum, derek coombs, abby kreisler
BACKGROUND OF AL CAPONEAl Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York to poor immigrant parents who wanted a better life for their children. Neither of his parents were criminals and nothing in his upbringing or childhood indicated his later life of violence and crime. Capone started by running small, illegal errands for Johnny Torrio, a gambling ring owner, and when he left Brooklyn for Chicago in 1909 they kept in touch. Then in 1917, he met Frankie Yale who employed him, earning him the nickname "Scarface" because of an encounter as a bouncer where he was slashed across the face. He eventually married and had kids which led him to move to Baltimore, settling with an honest job as a bookkeeper. Once his father died in 1920, Torrio invited him to Chicago where his life of crime took off. In 1920, prohibition was enacted which spiked his business of illegally selling alcohol. He was also participating in prostitution and gambling rings. He made a poor reputation for himself was first arrested for a DUI after hitting a parked taxicab while driving drunk. He was arrested on multiple occasions and was well known as one of the most important mob members of Chicago. His most famous crime was the St. Valentine's Day Massacre which sent him to jail at Alcatraz. He is infamously known for being a top tier gang leader in the 1920s and 30s.
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