Paw Prints Anecdotes: Al Capone

Paw Prints Anecdotes

Short, humorous stories about people
in politics, history, and the arts.

Al[phonse] "Scarface" Capone
(1899–1947)

Al Capone Anecdote 1...

The U.S. Bureau of Internal Revenue astounded Capone by demanding millions of dollars in back taxes. "They can't collect legal taxes from illegal money," he objected. (They could; in 1931 Capone was imprisoned for tax evasion.)

Anecdote 2...

Al Capone once said: "You can go a long way with a smile. You can go a lot farther with a smile and a gun."

Biographical Note...

U.S. gangster who dominated the Chicago underworld in the 1920s. His ill-gotten gains came from the protection business, gambling, brothels, and illegal liquor trade.

More Information...

READ MORE about Al Capone. Includes a photo gallery and a bibliography for the Capone era in Chicago.

We welcome your comments and suggestions.

top of page

Select an Anecdote