Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947) was an Chicago gangster who achieved worldwide fame during the Prohibition era.Born in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City to Italian immigrants, Capone was a Five Points Gang member who became a bouncer in organised crime premises such as brothels. He apparently contracted syphilis without seeking medical attention, although there was an effective treatment available. In his early twenties, he moved to Chicago becoming bodyguard and trusted factotum for Johnny Torrio, head of a criminal syndicate illegally supplying alcohol, and politically protected through the Unione Siciliane. On Torrio's retirement Capone succeeded him as boss. Capone was able to expanding the bootlegging business through violent means that included bombings by James Belcastro. With his last rivals eliminated in the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, and mutually profitable relationships with mayor William Hale Thompson and the city's police, Capone was undisputed boss and safe from local law enforcement. His wealth, influence, and corruption of the city authorities made him a nationally debated symbol of prohibition and crime. Apparently revelling in the attention, such as the cheers when he appeared at ball games, Capone made donations to various charities and was viewed by many to be a "modern-day Robin Hood".
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