Hello Everyone!
Let’s go back to 90-95 years from now. Stranded on an island for life is a man who has done many bad things and has no regrets. He is in Alcatraz prison where the worst of the worst criminals go. You are right, he is Al Capone,the famous gangster who has many books and movies based on his life.
Alphonse Capone was born in New York City in 1899 to Italian immigrant parents. He joined the Five Points Gang as a teenager and became a bouncer in organized crime premises. Capone, sometimes known by the nickname “Scarface”, was an American gangster and businessman who became popular during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit. Al Capone also served New York mobsters Frankie Yale and Johnny Torrio. Capone married Mae Josephine Coughlin at age 19, on December 30, 1918. She was Irish Catholic. Capone was under the age of 21, and his parents had to consent in writing to the marriage.By all accounts, the two had a happy marriage despite his criminal lifestyle. They had a son named Albert Francis “Sonny” Capone (1918–2004). Albert had lost most of his hearing in his left ear as a child.
In his early twenties, he moved to Chicago where he did horrible things and was a bodyguard for a friend. The federal authorities wanted to put him in jail and charged him with 22 counts of tax evasion. He was convicted of five counts in 1931. During a highly publicized case, the judge admitted as evidence Capone’s admissions of his income and unpaid taxes. He was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in federal prison. He was sent to Alcatraz prison where the worst criminal went. On January 25, 1947, he died of cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke.
Here I am going to share with you a book inspired by Al Capone.“Al Capone does my shirts” by Gennifer Chodlenko is a fiction story about a twelve year old boy named Moose and his older sister Natalie who is mentally challenged. Their family moves to Alcatraz (Prison on an island near San Francisco) where there were dangerous prisoners. Moose’s father Mr Flanagan is an electrician and guard who works for the prison and moves to this island with his family. Natalie needs to get into a special school in San Francisco but the family has to face many challenges to get her into that school. While reading this book,I learned about life in Alcatraz and the challenges of having a sibling that is differently abled. When Moose hears about Al Capone locked up in the prison, he hopes that Capone might help to get Natalie into the special school. It was known that Al Capone worked in the laundry section of the prison. Somehow, Moose manages to send a note to Al Capone asking for a favor for his sister. At the end of the story, Natalie gets an admission to ‘The Esther P Marinoff School’. His parents felt relieved and happy but were surprised because they didn’t know how it happened. My favorite part was the last chapter when Moose was putting on a shirt from the prison laundry and found a note in his pocket that said “Done”. It was clear that it was from Al Capone. This book is very interesting and is told in a very simple language. I experienced many emotions while reading the book. It has moments of happiness, sadness, helplessness,hope and humor. It is again a story about family and friendship.
After reading this book, my opinion about Al Capone has changed. I have realized that he was a person who made bad choices but he had a brighter side too.
This book is very interesting. I highly recommend it for ages 10 and up. You can buy it on Amazon,borrow from the library or try audiobooks.
Fun Fact:
- Al Capone had a hideout in Wisconsin and surprisingly it is about 10 minutes away from our house in Brookfield. Last week, we drove around the Capone court neighborhood to see the house that once belonged to Al Capone. I took a few pictures of the house from our car. It was so interesting to go there after reading about Al Capone.
2. Alcatraz Island is located in San Francisco Bay, 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a federal prison from 1934 until 21 March 1963. Alcatraz was a prison home to many terrible criminals but now it’s a landmark.
In 1972, Alcatraz became part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area and
received designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Today, the island’s
facilities are managed by the National Park Service as part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area; it is open to tours.