Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-01
CAPONE CONVICTION
SPURS PROSECUTOR
Turning Point in Chicago
| Fight on GangIand Is
Thought Reached.
by the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, February 28.-Heartened
by the conviction of the keyman, Al
phonse Capone, the agencies charged
with enforcement Of the law in Chi
cago pushed forward with renewed
vigor in their fight on gangs.
In the Criminal Courts Building,
where the county's wheels of justice
grind, and in the Federal Building,
where United States District Attorney
George e. @. johnson and his assist
ants drive relentlessly at the organized
criminal element, new spirit of en-
thusiaSm and confidence was apparent.
Al Capone, the car of all Chicago
gangs, had at last been proved at vari-
ance with the law. Public enemy No.
]" was found guilty of contempt of
court by Federal Judge James H. VIII
kerson yesterday and sentenced to six
months in jail.
Turning Point Reached.
Prosecutors believed that the turn
ing point had been reached in their
battle against gangland with the big
fellow" the one who had never been
convicted in his home courts, finally
under sentence.
In contrast with the years when the
gang barons made their own law and
enforced 1t, the Government today was
able to point to an impressive list of
convictions and indictments. Most of
the old-time rival gangs have been
merged, driven out of town or killed
of, so the list is made up almost en-
tirely of the henchmen Of "Scarface
Al" Capone.
Ralph Capone, older brother of the
portly leader and a lieutenant IN his
liquor-gambltng- syndicate, has
been sentenced to three years In prison
and fined $4,000 for income tax vio-
lations.
Jack Guzik, Capone's business man
eger, received the biggest sentence 50
lar for income tax fraud-fiye years.
Incomes Are Investigated.
Frank Nitti, known as the Capone
~enforcer," is already serving an 1s-
month sentence for lodging Govern
n1ent taxes.
Tony "Mops' volpe, once Al Capone's
bodyguard and more recently one of
his executives, has been ordered de-
ported to Italy.
Sam Guzik, brother of Jack, has
been indicted, and two former beer
barons, frankie Lake and Terry Drug
gan, have entered conditional pleas of
guilty to income tax charges.
The Government has indicated it Is
Just getting started on the income tax
cases against those who have made mil
lions and given none of it to the Gov
eminent. And 1t is no secret that the
reputed great wealth of Al Capone him.
self has been under investigation for
months.
Term Must Begin by July.
Judge Wilkerson, in permitting Ca
pone 30 days more of freedom on the
contempt case to enable his attorneys
70 fiIe an appeal, stipulated that unless
his decision we're reversed, Capone must
start serving his term by July. This
would keep him in jail until December,
when the Government hopes to have
its income tax case against him ready
to take before the grand jury.
Besides an occasional murder charge
or violation OF parole case, the States
attorneys ONCE drive against gangland
has consisted mainly of prosecution on
the vagrancy warrants sworn out
against the public enemies" It Is
one Of these warrants that brings Ca
pone into court next. Wednesday
mo. Il on the list compiled by the
Chicago Crime Commission will face
Municipal Judge Frank M. Padden and
attempt to prove he has lawful occu-
patton.