Genre: history, biography
Subgenre: crime, mobsters, United States
Format: paperback
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library.
If all you know about Al Capone is from movies or stories, then this book may be revealing. The great story is that Al Capone was brought down by The Untouchables. With extensive research, Eig shows that is not true. Along the way, we get a biography of Capone with depth and a good look at this times, mainly the Roaring 20's and Prohibition, including topics such as society and politics of the time.
What I found fascinating is how Capone was able to operate with impunity for the most part because so many people were willing to subvert Prohibition. Puritans in the U.S. managed to shove that law down the country's throat, an unpopular law among regular people, resulting in people being very willing to break said law and for men like Capone to make fortunes. Don't get me wrong; Capone was good at what he did, but Prohibition basically gave him opportunity on silver platter, and he made the most of it. So did others, some known, some less so. Capone was able to bribe and corrupt Chicago and others with ease because the U.S. wanted to keep on drinking. Even President Herbert Hoover, who wanted to uphold the law, did so mainly out of (misguided) principle; he knew the law was a failure.
As I mentioned, the book looks at Capone and his times. We get a look at Chicago and its politics. We get various points of view from criminals as well as law enforcement, even the President of the United States. To be honest, by the way, Herbert Hoover was probably way too obsessed with Capone at a time when he probably should have been paying attention to the bad economy and suffering caused by the Great Depression. Overall, everyone who wanted booze could get it, knew where to get it, and/or took a chance to make it themselves.
Eig discusses how he did his research in the book too. He notes that "I've relied as much as possible on primary materials: interviews, newspaper articles, government documents, and books from Capone's own time. Nothing in these pages is invented or embellished" (405).
Overall, I found the book interesting to read as it provides not just a biography of Capone but a good look at the U.S. and Chicago history and culture of the time. Readers who enjoy the true crime and crime history genres will likely enjoy this. Readers interested in early 20th century U.S. history may like it as well. In the end, I really liked it.
4 out of 5 stars.
* * * * *
Additional reading notes:
Why bootleggers were able to succeed:
"Still, the key to success for bootleggers boiled down the public's thirst. From the first day of Prohibition, huge numbers of Americans resented the law. They felt their freedom had been stripped by religious fanatics. Even when violence in the bootlegging business erupted, the gangsters who controlled the booze were never entirely blamed. Most Americans seemed to understand that these criminals were like boils-- irritating yes, but also a symptom of a deeper and more persistent disease" (14).
Capone was into workplace "wellness" before wellness was a thing:
"At the Metropole, Capone set up a gymnasium with punching bags, horizontal bars, trapezes, rowing machines, and more, and expected his employees to use the equipment. It was yet another example of Capone's progressive thinking. He understood that employees who took the time to fortify their bodies and mind would be more efficient killers" (84).
Note we are not saying Capone himself used the gym, but then again, he delegated the actual killing work, and he needed his workers in good shape. Still pretty visionary.
Capone loved the arts:
"By all accounts, Capone was a lover of the arts and a benefactor of musicians. He especially loved the opera, which he usually attended with bodyguards seated all around him" (110).
Eig often provides details like the above which humanize Capone. Some reviewers say this biography glamorizes Capone and makes him a sympathetic figure. In reality, Capone was a glamorous figure; he did rise to become a celebrity, and a popular one at that. Even his opponents could not deny that. But the real picture is that Capone, criminal and violent as he was, was also a complex human being, and that includes being a patron of the arts. Plus, let's be perfectly honest: a good number of entertainers, musicians, and artists might have been out of work in the 20's and 30's were it not for gigs in speakeasies controlled by Capone. It is not all black and white. Eig even writes,
"Almost every musician and comedian who performed in Chicago in the 1920s had a story about Capone. Some of them may have even been true" (110).
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