Notorious American Gangster Al Capone’s Chicago Home Is Up For Grabs
For those with a strong fascination about the American gangsters and their infamous lives, this is a dream come true. Notorious American gangster Al Capone’s Chicago house is now on the real estate market.
For a relatively modest sum of $225,000, you can own a piece of dicey American history. The house has three bedrooms on each of its two floors, states the listing.
“This was AL CAPONES Chicago Home WOW there are 3 bedrooms on each floor.”
Though the asking price seems pretty low now, consider the fact that Al Capone’s Florida estate, which became available way back in 2012, was sold earlier this year for a much higher sum of $8 million. However, historically speaking, the Chicago house of Al Capone has seen a lot more action than any other of his houses or estates, reported Patch. It was built in 1914 at a cost of $5,000, according to MyAlCaponeMuseum.
He bought it for $5,500 in cold, hard cash when he arrived from New York in 1923, and immediately set out to climb to infamy, starting first as a bouncer at an upscale brothel before becoming right-hand man to infamous ‘The Immune’ Johnny Torrio as he built a criminal empire known as the Chicago Outfit.
Within a short span of three years, Al Capone, with his hardcore attitude and ruthless methodologies, had taken over the entire operation. He was skilfully running a vast network of illegal breweries and a sneaky and snaky distribution system. At its peak, Al Capone’s illegal hooch business was worth an estimated $100 million a year in today’s money.
However, once Al Capone rose among the ranks, he needed something a lot classier than a suburban home to run his empire. Hence he based himself at the Lexington Hotel. But Al Capone still frequently visited his mother, who lived in the house.
The house even witnessed a wake that was held for his brother, Frank, when he was shot and killed by Chicago police in 1924 on election day while trying to intimidate voters. Moreover, as a classic cult Hollywood film, Al Capone once barricaded himself inside the house when police threatened to arrest him in 1927.
Al Capone eventually faced arrest for tax evasion and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Released from “The Rock” Alcatraz prison in 1939, he reportedly died in 1947, though there’s an interesting story behind his death.
The Chicago house is said to be in good condition and while all the signs of Al Capone’s business have long vanished, prospective buyers might still stumble upon some super-secret stash of vintage bootlegged liquor.
[Image Credit | Getty Images]
