Did you know that today is the day that Al Capone went to prison?
On this day in 1931, Al Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion and fined $80,000. It was the beginning of the end for the most notorious criminals of the Prohibition era.
“Scarface” was given control of the Chicago crime syndicate in 1925, when the crime boss Johnny Torrio retired. Capone’s wealth grew enormously during Prohibition. The smuggling of illegal hooch into Chicago was very lucrative and by 1930, he was at the top of the FBI’s wanted list. I always find it ironic that Al Capone was arrested and charged with tax evasion when the government was fully aware that they had lost the equivalent of 50% of their own tax income by imposing Prohibition on the country. The government was struggling financially while Al Capone was raking in the money they weren’t able to collect.
Before his final arrest, Al Capone spent 8 months in Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary. It was his first jail sentence and he spent his time there in relative luxury with many comforts. You can visit his cell at Eastern State in Philadelphia because the site is an historic landmark and tourist attraction. He was arrested for carrying a concealed, deadly weapon.