CAPONE: THE MAN AND THE ERA

Rating:
Summary: Good overview, of the Capones for a popular history
Review: "Capone" not only details the life of Alphonse Capone, and the gangs of Prohibition-era Chicago, but also his family members. The author makes the point, well almost his thesis frankly, that Capone was more than a common thug; he went to great pains to ingratiate himself with Chicagoans (and Floridians when he bought his estate there). This is not a revisionist history, though: the author clearly reminds us that Al had murdered others personally and ordered others to kill, and also profited from prostitution and protection rackets. He was not simply a bootlegger as some romanticized bio's have made him.
An aspect of the Capone legend that must be addressed is his nemesis, at least in the popular conception, Eliot Ness. Bergreen dispatches him to the relative obscurity that Ness historically deserves; it was the IRS quietly working behind the scenes that brought down Capone-not Ness' showboating. The IRA agents who were the real heroes, get their story told in full.

Having said this, there are some shortcomings. Too much space is given to his elder brother "Two-Gun" Hart. As has been pointed out, his reputation is much exaggerrated, and the chapters devoted to him do not show the same research as Capone. Speaking of sources, the author is probably a little too accepting of some statements made by those who were related or simply knew the subject. All in all though, a good overview of Capone's life and death, and the machinations of Prohibition-era Chicago.

Rating:
Summary: no scars on this face
Review: This book deserves better than it has gotten; I am surprised by the vehemence of some of the reviewers' reactions to it. It offers a broad, interesting, historical view of turn of the century New York, then Chicago, early 20th century politics, prohibition, the hero-worship of the Roaring 20's, the mafia, the FBI, syphillis, Alcatraz -- a whole Ragtime-like panorama. It is entertaining and instructive. Those who pan it appear to have a problem with the somewhat sympathetic portrayal of a morally objectionable person or quibble over arcane facts.

Having lived in Lansing, Michigan and spent time in the northwoods of Wisconsin, where Al Capone summered, I can say that the legend of Al Capone is still very much alive in those two locations; he rivals George Washington for having supposedly slept or shot up more places than anyone else. The author captures this aspect of Capone's life, as well as his charismatic, sympathetic Robin Hood-like persona which humanized him and endeared him to a portion of the masses.

I wa not bothered by the diversions of attention to Al Capone's brother, Two Gun Hart and his supposed nemisis, Eliot Ness, and found them interesting and germane to Capone's life story. I had not heard of the brother before but was aware that post-Capone, Ness ended up as a police official in Cleveland. Nor was I bothered by what some call an overly-sympathetic portrayal of Capone; he has aspects that frankly are sympathetic.

What strikes me as most interesting about the author's portrayal of Al Capone is that he shows how Capone -- certainly not stupid, and trained as a bookkeeper -- was the first man to apply systematic business and financial practices to the running of the mob, and increased its bottom line. He also was either more politically astute than those gangsters who came before -- although at times, just as crude in his methods -- or was lucky enough to have blatantly corrupt, receptive mayors in Chicago and Cicero when he came to power.

The author does a good job of showing how the federal government wanted to get Al Capone in the worst way and finally figured out how to do it with the Income Tax Code. The book lays out the dogged determination and methods of the agents who persevered to nail him. In the end, given the author's somewhat sympathetic portrait of Capone, you feel sorry that he got caught, and even sorrier to learn of how he was treated by fellow inmates at Alcatraz. Most biographers seem to gravitate toward either abhorring or loving their subjects and this author is no exception, tending toward the latter.

I recommend this book. Unless you are a Capone fanatic and know all there is to know about him already, the factual presentation will not put you off. I frankly did not know if I was reading the truth or not, but it seemed like it, and it was interesting and I thought, reasonably well-written. I am curious if there is any difference in the texts or otherwise in the newer paperback edition, versus the original hardback, which is what I read.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect
Review: This book was a wonderful biography on the most famous gangster in history. Laurence Bergreen tells his story along with others in an unbiased and understandable way. The pure information is exact and undoubtable. A must read if you are a crime buff, doing a research project (as i am), or just wanting to know more about America in the prohibition era

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating tale of American lives
Review: This is much more than a biography of Al Capone. Bergreen gets right to the heart of the world Capone traveled in with all its duality. You see Capone the Violent and Capone the Benevolent. This portrait is butressed by a thorough exploration of the crime world Capone traveled in.

Balancing Scarface's story is lesser know story of Capone's brother, who fled the family, changed his name and became a lawman out west. The comparison/contrast of the two brothers and the lives they chose is a strange and compelling family portrait. The result is a real page-turning American biography.

Some minor mistakes on Chicago geography and small historical errors prevent me from giving this 5 stars. Regardless, the writing and the story are compelling. This is well worth the price of admission.