Al Capone's True Story

Rating: 10/10 (9 June 2016)

Let me try to systematize this matter on one-to-one basis. The film "Untouchables" (1987) is based on true story. Unlike Mario Puzo's "Godfather" saga which is fictional but alas paragon for gangster history - i.e., here the only true fact is the village Corleone, 35 km from Palermo then, and now suburb of that city in Sicily. On the contrary, the life and times of Al Capone as "notorious figure" in American society from the first half of 20th century has become somewhat blurred. I have watched at least 10 Capone's movies and most of them are hilarious. Conversely, "Untouchables" (1987) keeps value with time.
Starting with David Mamet's brilliant script, suggested by book from Eliot Ness. The latter is real time figure though not highly instrumental in the conviction case against Capone. His profile from Wikipedia reveals a honest FBI official who wouldn't accept "1,000 $ notes on his desk every Monday morning if he turned a blind eye to bootlegging activities ..." Essentially, it was President Herbert Hoover who monitored Capone's trial through Judge James H. Wilkerson and U.S. Attorney George E. Q. Johnson (those are photos from Library of Congress recently published in book format). Capone is flanked by his two lawyers but at end he defended himself alone, carrying law books at the courthouse and knowing things not going well for him. Famous trial was that 1931 case.
On aggregate Al Capone seemed victimized but he was product of the Great Depression. The biggest criminal of America also endorsed election for Chicago's Mayor Bill Thompson in 1927 and organized free soup kitchens in town. He was a huge Sports Fan and attended horse races on regular basis. He was married to Mae Coughlin, deeply religious Catholic, and have one son - Albert Francis "Sonny" Capone. He did have two scars visible on his left cheek, etc.
I wish to tell further the story of organized crime in America but it would take lot of time. Fragmentary periodization outline three main periods:
1/ Outlaws and Bandits after the Civil War. Those work on "the Quick and the Dead" rule being rather marauders and looters. Most died chased from posse or by Pinkerton detectives;
2/ Organized Crime as Strictly Business. This evolved after Great War, mostly ruled by second generation immigrants Italian, Irish and Jewish. Their legacy is infamous and they jacked America as top destination for crime;
3/ After World War II came the Mafia, the Cold War and then the Jihad. This is the story where crime and politics go hand-in-hand right into the 21st century ...