9 Interesting Facts About Al Capone

Almost everyone in this world knows Al Capone as someone who was badass. Widely known as “Scarface,” the notorious US gangster was among America’s most feared gang leaders. And, of course, there was every reason to be. Although the infamous (and bloody) St. Valentine’s Day Massacre brought him his downfall, this guy lived to be a legend.

The massacre, in particular, saw at least seven rival gang members brutally gunned down. Unfortunately for Capone, this severely damaged his public reputation. This mess particularly hurt his image in Chicago where he had built up his criminal empire.

Although the Scarface was widely known for his criminal activities, he still had some strange and interesting stories to share.

Capone was an indeed interesting man. Although his criminal activities were measured to the extreme, he still had some interesting facts to share to the world.

Scroll down below and see for yourself:

#1. A Big Golf Fan

Believe it or not, Scarface was a huge fan of golf. Although he was not a good player, he had a passion for the sport. In the 70s, his former caddy recalled him once accidentally shooting himself in the foot (ouch!). That is because he was keeping a revolver in his bag – which went off while he was playing. After the accident, his goons would remind him to put the gun into safety mood before putting it inside his golf bag.

#2. He Was a Lover of Scotland

Capone reportedly fell in love with Scotland, and this was in part thanks to golf. It is believed that he went there under a false name just to play at some of the country’s best golf courses. Although this has been lost in many translations, many still believe that this entirely happened.

#3. A Whopping Net Worth

Capone would not be called a criminal king if not for his net worth. And mind you, we are talking nearly $100 million. Yes, that was the net worth of Scarface. And in today’s currency, his net worth would have been around a billion dollars. Imagine Bill Gates’ reaction.

#4. His Imprisonment Journey

Apparently, Capone never experienced jail time for any of the violent crimes he did. He was, however, finally imprisoned on tax evasion charges (surprise!) and was even sent to the notorious Alcatraz prison. The latter is located somewhere off the coast of San Francisco.

#5. He Didn’t Like Being Called Scarface

Want to know what Capone and Bruce Springsteen have in common? Well, they do not want to be called using their monikers. This was especially true with Capone, who enormously hated being called Scarface, but he had no choice as the press kept using the name. In case you did not know, he got his scars during his fight at the Harvard Inn located in Coney Island, New York. He was said to have been disrespectful to a female customer, whose brother slashed him across the face. Although he first claimed to have acquired the scar from war, he later admitted its origins.

#6. He Suffered From Syphilis

Contrary to popular belief, Capone actually contracted syphilis while working as a bouncer sometime in 1920. Although he could have been cured, he never looked for treatment. The disease, unfortunately for him, would later lead to dementia and had him suffer from a stroke. This eventually led to his untimely death in 1947 due to a cardiac arrest.

#7. Donating Weeping Cherry Trees

It really is true that Capone donated two Japanese weeping cherry trees to the Union Memorial Hospital. This happened sometime in 1939, in gratitude of its compassion for caring for him. John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore allegedly refused to treat him due to his bad reputation.

#8. The “Sell By” Dates Connection

Don’t you know that Capone was actually responsible for the existence of “Sell By” dates in milk bottles? The story goes that one of his family members got sick after drinking milk. However, it was later revealed by his grandniece Dierdre that Capone intended to find a way out of the bootlegging business. That he really wanted to have a viable (and legal) means of making money after Prohibition (wherein alcohol was banned in the US) ended.

#9. The Sending of Flowers

One of the things that made Capone a popular criminal was his way of sending flowers to rival gang member’s funerals. In every war or encounter, he would ask his men to send flowers to funerals of rival gang members. There was even one occasion where he included a cash money of $5,000 to help the family members of the fallen enemy.