http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition Learn about the gangster Al Capone and explore the era he lived in through images of prohibition, prisons, gang violence and much more. en Copyright 2013, History.com Fri, 24 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT History.com 2013-05-24T04:00:00Z en Copyright 2013, History.com http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo1 Alphonse "Scarface" Capone (1899-1947) controlled organized crime in Chicago during the late 1920s. From gambling rackets to bootlegging, it is estimated that Capone's enterprises netted him close to $100,000,000 during his career. http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo1 http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo2 Printed in 1910, this post card encourages citizens to support a ban on alcohol. Officially adopted by the US government in 1919, prohibition was repealed in 1933. During this 14-year period, many gangsters organized bootlegging operations. http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo2 http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo3 These two anti-prohibition buttons reflect the sentiments of many who opposed the ban on the sale of alcohol from 1919-1933. Criminals like Al Capone thrived off of this discontent, distributing alcohol secretly throughout Chicago and other cities. http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo3 http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo4 The Green Mill jazz club was Al Capone's favorite hang-out, and provided an excellent cover for his bootlegging. Capone transformed the basement of this club into a series of elaborate tunnels through which he could smuggle booze to various places in Chicago. http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo4 http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo5 Located in the Levee District, once the most crime-ridden area in all of Chicago, Blue Star Auto Parts stands on the site of the old Cullerton Hotel, another popular hangout for Al Capone. http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo5 http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo6 Capone preferred the Cullerton Hotel (now Blue Star Auto) because of the many escape routes provided in the basement. Here we see an old blocked up tunnel entrance that provided a quick exit during police raids. http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo6 http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo7 Authorities empty barrels of beer into the sewers during prohibition (1919-1933). http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo7 http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo8 On February 14, 1929, members of Al Capone's gang executed several rival bootleggers in a Chicago garage. This so-called "massacre" symbolized the violence that was prevalent in 1920s Chicago. http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo8 http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo9 Eliot Ness (1903-1957, photographed in 1937) was appointed head of a nine-man law enforcement team created to investigate and disrupt Al Capone's operation. All nine men were young and could not be bribed, thus they became known as the "Untouchables." http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo9 http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo10 Arrested in 1929 on minor charges, Capone spent several months in this comfortable cell at Philadephia's Eastern State Penitentiary. http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo10 http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo11 These mug shots were taken by the Chicago police after Capone's arrest in 1931. http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo11 http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo12 In 1931, Capone was convicted of tax-evasion and sentenced to eleven years in prison. In 1934, he was transferred to Alcatraz. http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo12 http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo13 Even after his death in 1947, Capone remained one the most famous gangsters in the United States. This movie poster comes from the 1959 movie "Al Capone", in which actor Rod Steiger played the leading role. http://www.history.com/photos/al-capone-and-prohibition/photo13