Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947) Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947) was an Italian-American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate . Known as the "Capones", the group was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor , and other illegal activities