Table Of Content
- Life
- Federal intervention
- Al Capone was in Florida during infamous 1929 St. Valentine's Day Massacre
- DeSantis demolition law clears way for hit job on Al Capone’s Miami mansion
- New York City
- Al Capone: the Infamous Mobster’s Impact on American Society and Law
- The Chicago Gangster Tour: An Interview with Craig “Southside” Alton

Even while he was alive, the press attention created a larger-than-life persona for the man who’d been a two-bit hoodlum just years prior. Yet, as I wrote in a previous blog post on the site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, surprisingly few buildings remain which directly connect to his actions here in Chicago. The Shriners constructed the opulent Medinah Athletic Club, now an InterContinental Hotel, in 1929. The over-the-top Orientalist tower included everything from banquet halls to a dirigible dock.
Life
Tax evasion eventually brought down the crime titan of illegal booze, brothels and gambling. The Chicago gangster was rumored to have hideaways all across the Midwest and Florida, but this house on South Beach’s Palm Island was legendary. He reportedly planned the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre here, and conveniently, he was at home in Miami when the Chicago slaughter went down. The island has 41 homes and a population of 84 as of the last Census, according to Forbes, and is considered a place where the rich and famous can live undisturbed.
Inside millionaire Mafia mansions from estate dubbed ‘White House’ to £15m home where Murder Inc. mobster w... - The US Sun
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Federal intervention

Many people became outraged by his presence, leading to multiple questionable arrests of the man. Al Capone came to Miami Beach in 1927 and bought the Palm Island property in 1928 from Clarence M. Busch. The renovations of the house had the sole purpose of video and audio production. So, Monica and her team did an amazing job maintain some of the original details of the property. According to them, they bought the estate for around $8 million and invested approx. In August 2016, the estate went though some serious renovations spearheaded by Miami-based, Italian-run MB America.
Al Capone was in Florida during infamous 1929 St. Valentine's Day Massacre
He understood that in the world of organized crime, complacency was the surest path to ruin. And so, he continued to innovate and adapt, constantly seeking out new avenues for profit and expansion. Whether it was through the establishment of lucrative gambling dens or the ruthless elimination of rival gangs, Capone’s reign of terror knew no bounds.
The essay delves into Capone’s legacy as a cautionary tale of ambition, power, and corruption, highlighting the broader social implications of his reign as the most infamous mob boss of his time. Capone spent the first two years of his incarceration in a federal prison in Atlanta. After he was caught bribing guards, however, Capone was sent to the notorious island prison Alcatraz in 1934. Isolated there from the outside world, he could no longer wield his still considerable influence.
It is said that Capone was drawn to the property because it reminded him of the sunny shores of Italy (although apparently he had never set foot on Italian soil). According to historian Paul George from HistoryMiami, speaking at a press event at the mansion, Miami had already experienced a rise and fall by the time Al Capone reached our shores. In the 1920s Miami had a boost in tourism because, for the first time, middle class (or at least upper middle class) Americans had the time and money to travel for leisure. Union workers were getting more paid vacations, pensions and fringe benefits that were previously unheard of.
New York City
With our Chicago neighborhoods, vibrant cultural institutions and nearly two centuries of larger-than-life stories, there’s never a dull moment here! I’m a fifth generation Chicagoan and a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. In addition to guiding tours, I’m a creative writer and amateur genealogist. You can also read overlooked stories from 19th-century newspapers on my “Second Glance History” blog. There is no shortage of things to discover in Chicago—I love being an urban explorer and uncovering its hidden places. I have an MA in Public History from Loyola University Chicago, and I have worked as a museum educator and kindergarten teacher.
Al Capone: the Infamous Mobster’s Impact on American Society and Law
Capone initially rented a mansion, under an assumed name, on Indian Creek, a 300-acre island in Biscayne Bay, for his wife Mae and son Sonny as well as a penthouse suite in a Miami hotel, according to Miami History. The waterfront Spanish-style estate, located at 93 Palm Ave., was built in 1922 by brewing magnate Clarence Busch and eventually became owned by the notorious Prohibition-era gangster. MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Much to the dismay of local preservationists, famed gangster Al Capone’s one-time home on Miami Beach’s Palm Island has met the wrecking ball. Fans of Chicago gangster movies will find another of the Blackstone’s spaces familiar.
And while his name may live on in infamy, it is a stark reminder of the fragility of the human spirit and the lengths to which some will go in pursuit of their darkest desires. The South Carolina-based auction house listed the “Sweetheart” with provenance and documentation, and noted they estimate the final auction price to be as high as $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. The auction will take place on May 18, at 3 p.m., and has already generated global interest. Those looking to bid on this unique item have been encouraged to arrange an appointment for a viewing, according to Richmond Auctions.
Chicago sent in police to respond, and they brutally gunned down Capone’s brother Frank in the street. Alphonse Capone (1899–1947) was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of recent Italian immigrants Gabriele and Teresina Capone. A poor family that came to America seeking a better life, the Capones and their eight children lived a typical immigrant lifestyle in a New York tenement.
Capone apparently reveled in attention, such as the cheers from spectators when he appeared at baseball games. The elegant century-old property on one of Miami’s most exclusive islands was quietly razed earlier this month. The take-down followed the enactment of a law from the DeSantis administration last summer stripping municipalities of their power to prevent the demolition of certain properties, regardless of historic designation. The Spanish Colonial-style waterfront mansion features views of Biscayne Bay, and boasts a private beach, a gatehouse and a 30-by-60-foot pool with a cabana, according to the listing. The governor told sheriffs to arrest him on sight—and he was frequently taken in on petty charges like vagrancy. The city filed a lawsuit calling his Palm Island home “a menace to the safety and well-being of residents,” according to a PBS documentary.
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