Analysis Of Al Capone And His Criminal Behavior In Terms Of Social Process Theories

Social Process theories attempt to explain how people become criminals and criminal behavior as learned behavior.Alphonse Capone, commonly known as Al Capone, is one of the most notorious gangsters in history. This article discusses the life of Al Capone in the context of social process theory. It explores how his early life experiences and environment influenced his criminal behavior and his rise to power as the leader of the Chicago Outfit.

Al Capone's Life and Criminal Career

A first-generation American, Alphonse (Al) Capone was born January 17, 1899, in Brooklyn, New York. His parents, Gabriel Capone and Teresa Raiola, were immigrants from Naples, Italy; Al Capone was the fourth of nine children. When Capone was ten years old, his family moved to a better neighborhood in New York City, near the waterfront. Capone’s life in crime began as a minor when he and other neighborhood children committed robbery and other petty crimes; Capone was prone to violence and fighting. At the age of fourteen, sixth-grader Al Capone quit school, after he assaulted his teacher. He then pursued his education in the streets and became involved in a gang of Italian-American youths called the Five Points Gang. Capone’s life of crime and violence escalated when he was hired as a bouncer in a brothel owned by Brooklyn mobster Johnny Torrio. During a fight in a New York City club, Capone received a facial knife wound and the nickname, “Scarface” which stuck with him, despite his hatred of the name. Mobster Johnny Torrio took notice of Capone and began teaching him the inner workings of mob life.

In 1919, Al Capone moved to Chicago; Torrio wanted him to join mobster “Big Jim” Colosimo’s crew in the city. Under Torrio’s mentorship, Capone worked at Colosimo’s nightclub and moved up through the organization. In 1920, Prohibition became law and people could no longer legally buy alcohol. Torrio knew people would not stop drinking alcohol; Torrio and Capone knew they could make a great deal of money bootlegging. Greedy Torrio wanted Capone to have Colosimo murdered; Capone hired a hit man to kill Colosimo. After Colosimo’s death, Torrio became the leader of the Chicago crew and Capone was his astute student. In 1925, Torrio retired; Capone took over the Chicago crime organization; he "owned" Chicago. Al Capone’s organization became known as the Outfit, having over one thousand members and associates. Capone had absolute control of criminal activities in an empire that included Chicago and most of its suburbs, most notably Cicero, Illinois. Capone’s control was beyond the mob, encompassing law-enforcement officials and politicians at state and local levels. Capone’s operation symbolized organized crime's widespread corruption.

Capone's and the Outfit’s income was largely derived from the distribution of illegal alcohol. They operated on two major ideals, to give the people what they want, liquor, gambling, and prostitution, and make deals with whoever can further the goals of the Outfit, however, if that would fail then the opposition would be eliminated forcibly. Capone and the Outfit were always ready for war against their competition. In his business dealings, Capone conducted and ordered many acts of violence, including murder. The violence that occurred in Chicago became known as gang wars; many mobsters were murdered. In 1929, George "Bugs" Moran was the leader of the North Side gang; Capone wanted him eliminated. To get rid of Moran, Capone devised a scheme to have Moran and his men pick up a load of illegal whiskey at a garage, located at 2122 North Clark Street on February 14, 1929. Five of Capone’s men, posing as police officers, entered the garage, using Tommy-guns, shot to death, seven of the North Side gang. Moran escaped, but the St. Valentine's Day Massacre made Al Capone the “crime czar” of Chicago. Although Capone was responsible for planning the murder, he was never indicted because he was at his Florida mansion at the time of the crime.

After the massacre, Capone realized his safety was in jeopardy and was fearful of retaliation. Capone and his bodyguard believed they would be safe in jail and purposely got themselves arrested for carrying concealed weapons; Capone and his bodyguard were sentenced to one year in jail. Yet, Capone was still able to run his criminal organization from jail. Federal law enforcement finally took an interest in gang activity and organized crime. Capone had become a target of the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. These agencies diligently tried to secure enough evidence to arrest Capone and his associates, but Capone’s use of bribes, violence, and intimidation derailed their efforts. Although the FBI attempted to charge Capone for bootlegging there was never enough evidence to bring a case against him. However, the FBI used Capone’s bookkeeping records to create a case against him of tax evasion; though he was never convicted of murder or any other violent crime.

At first, Capone pled guilty to the tax evasion charges, however, when he learned that the judge in the case was not bound to accept a plea deal for a two-year sentence, Capone changed his plea to not guilty. After a long trial in which Federal Prosecutor Jacob I. Grossman, was threatened with violence, on June 16, 1931, Capone was convicted of several tax evasion charges and found guilty. On November 24, 1931, Capone was sentenced by Judge James H. Wilkerson to 11 years in jail, fined $50,000 and charged $7,692 for court costs, in addition to $215,000 (plus interest) due on back taxes.

Al Capone was sent to federal prison in Atlanta and then in 1934, was transferred to the infamous federal prison Alcatraz, after it opened in San Francisco Bay. Capone’s prison sentence marked the end, of his reign as head of the Chicago mob. When Capone entered prison, he was diagnosed with syphilis. Syphilis leads to neuro-syphilis, a degenerative neurological disorder which attacked his mental facilities. In the end the infamous Al Capone was a victim of federal law enforcement and a social disease, syphilis. In 1939, Capone’s wife petitioned for his release from prison; Capone left prison in 1939 and remained sick the rest of his life. Capone died in Florida on January 25, 1947, of cardiac arrest. According to his biography, Al Capone’s occupation was listed as Gangster. Al Capone, “Scarface,” achieved an almost heroic status, because of his defiance of the authorities and his illegal actions during Prohibition.

Social Process Theories

Criminality is a function of people's interactions with various organizations, institutions, and processes in society; criminal behavior is learned behavior, and all people, regardless of their race, class, or gender, have the potential to become delinquents or criminals. In 1947, American Sociologist and Criminologist Edwin H. Sutherland offered the theory, Differential Association to explain criminal behavior. Sutherland along with Sociologist Donald Cressey formed 9 propositions to explain the theory. Criminal behavior is learned through interaction with others via communication, learning criminal behavior in small intimate groups, and criminal behavior is learned. It is evident that Al Capone (Scarface) propensity for criminal behavior began as a minor with his involvement with other neighborhood children committing robbery and other petty crimes; Capone was prone to violence, fighting, and assaulting his teacher as a 14-year-old. With criminality as the objective, with motives, drives, and attitudes, teenage Al Capone formed the Five Points Gang. Al Capone takes a job in a brothel, owned by a mobster; his relocating to Chicago to join another criminal enterprise. The learning of criminal behavior by association with criminal patterns. In Chicago, Al Capone was involved in bootlegging, gambling, murder and other nefarious illegal acts. Excessive violation of the law. Al Capone orchestrated the Valentine’s Day Massacre to have a competing gang murdered. Criminal behavior is his expression of his depraved values.

Conclusion

References

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