Al Capone was born in 1899 in New York City after his parents immigrated to this country from Italy. Capone was expelled from school in the 6th grade at the age of 14 for hitting a teacher. While growing up, he belonged to notorious street gangs in NYC. He was an American gangster and businessman and later became a full-fledged mobster and bootlegger who acquired the nickname of “Scarface” after he was slashed in the face by an opposing gang member.
Early on, Capone murdered a player who won at a craps game but he was not convicted because no one “witnessed” the murder. He was later invited by an established crime boss to move from NYC to Illinois where Capone quickly became the crime czar of Chicago. In 1928, he acquired an estate in Florida where he would retreat often with his wife. His life of crime went on. Throughout his career as a mobster and crime czar, he went unpunished for his countless crimes. Capone, being such a proficient gangster, evaded the Feds for years despite his crimes against prohibition and of bribery, money laundering, and murder. Furthermore, widespread corruption within the Chicago Police Force also interfered with the taking down of Capone and his gang. Finally, in 1931, after years of being followed by an elite group of law enforcement agents, he was arrested and convicted of federal tax evasion and was sent to prison. While in prison, Capone developed end- stage syphilis and was transferred to a Baltimore hospital where, due to that disease, he was said to have the mentality of a 12-year-old child. Thus, he was released to his home in Miami and later died in 1947. It was quite the life.
As we look at the life of Al Capone, there seems to be some strong similarities between him and our current President. NYC comes to mind as does the notion of the mob. Specifically, a gangster and con man who commits crimes that no one “witnesses,” who lives above the law, and who provides payouts and protection to his cronies. This includes the fearful men and women who obey the mob boss and follow his every command like monkeys with their hands over their ears, eyes, and mouths. Does this ring a bell?
It seems interesting that these current day, bootlicking mobsters appear to be protecting Trump, his tax information included, but to what end? All the while, the head of our justice system repeatedly protects and defends Trump as he lashes out at our Constitution and our laws.
So, we have to ask, has Scarface been replaced with Orangeface? We also ask ourselves, where is Elliot Ness when you need him? Elliott Ness was the Federal Agent who put together the elite group of lawmen to pursue Capone and who would not accept bribes. Ness’s distinguished group of special Federal agents were called the “Untouchables” because they took an oath that they would not allow themselves to be corrupted. The Untouchables relentlessly tracked Capone for his criminal activities and, after several years, finally brought him down on tax evasion. The work style and law enforcement approach of the Untouchables was so noteworthy that it led to the revamping of the Chicago Police Force. What a unique concept…lack of corruption and consequences for crimes committed! Ness’s distinguished work also inspired a movie and the long running TV show, “The Untouchables.”
But where are our Untouchables when we need them?
Where are our incorruptible crime fighters who would pledge to fight a war on the current political mob and it’s gangster like activity? The Senate has failed to stand up to this group and has failed to stand up to the narcissistic, 12-year-old like mob boss in the White House. So, what we have left is the mob running the show as Capone did for years. We can only hope that some Untouchables will emerge and bring this mob rule to its end. In the future, like the movie, “The Untouchables,” maybe we will be able to watch how this all played out. But right now, we are in search of someone with the courage, integrity, and guts that Elliot Ness had. The job is open and we are ready to interview you if you are interested. Yes, indeed!
Two quotes by Al Capone relevant for today:
“I have built my organization upon fear.”
“They can’t collect legal taxes from illegal money.”
Does any of this ring a bell today? You bet it does!
