Al Capone, The Bad Guy

My folks happened to meet him one night. Courting my Mother, my Dad took her to dinner at the Red Arrow Lounge in Stickney (Illinois). The place was known to be a Speak-easy, "Crook" County officials preferred to look the other way, I supposed, hiding palms anointed. Neither of my parents-to-be drank, but the place had what then was ambiance.

Suddenly, while they were seated at a table, a group of burly men entered, one being the obvious leader. It was Al Capone! He sauntered to the bar, threw hundred-dollar bills on it, and loudly announced, "Everybody drinks on Big Al!"

This event likely occurred in perhaps 1927, or '28, as they were married in '28. One month after the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, Capone was arrested by FBI agents on charges unrelated to the slayings of seven men.

Capone was not the publicly widely-despised individual as portrayed years later, being known for generosity amongst those he favored. Below is the apartment building located at 1600 S. Austin Blvd., Cicero, Illinois, where Capone often stayed for extended periods, though he housed his family in Chicago. My Dad pointed out this apartment building to me numerous times as a kid, explaining who had owned it. It was located about half a mile from the house in which I grew up. Frank

 

Good little story Frank

 

I liked the movie, The Untouchables and Robert De Niro as Al Capone.

 

Al Capone was seen kind of like Robin Hood type until the St. Valentines Day massacre. Anyway, he ended up a pathetic character by the time he was imprisoned.

@Frank Sanoica ...I have a vague memory of him having a vacation home and seeing it somewhere else in Illinois but maybe I'm wrong.

I do know I was somewhere that boasted of Al Capone being there but I just can't recall where that was. I know it wasn't in Cicero.

This is going to bug me til I can remember.

 

@Cody Fousnaugh

"He ain't got NOTH-ING!"

 

@Chrissy Cross
He spent a lot of time in Florida, also. The big den of iniquity which belonged to his gang was located just south of Cermak Road on Cicero Ave., west side of the street, about a block down. It housed gambling and prostitution.
Frank

 

Don't know what you are talking about. If it's about his acting, we think he's great.

 

@Cody Fousnaugh
As Capone came storming downstairs, he very angrily made the statement I wrote. It was classically exercuted.
Frank

 

Now I understand. Yes, that was classic!