Al Capone
Gangster Al Capone (Photo Credit: Bettmann | Contributor via Getty Images)

Did Al Capone Serve Time in Alcatraz & When Was The Chicago Gangster Released?

Al Capone is one of the most notorious gangsters in world history and started his crime spree very young. According to the FBI, the gangster became a member of the street gang after quitting school. As time passed, Capone became a big name in the world of gangsters and became the boss of the Colosimo Mob in Chicago. Subsequently, his activities became more suspicious, and authorities started investigating him. In June 1931, the gangster went to trial for tax evasion charges and pleaded not guilty. The trial continued for five months and concluded with a guilty verdict. As a result, the court sentenced him to 11 years in federal prison.

Between 1929 and 1931, police arrested Al Capone multiple times on different charges. Although the law enforcement agencies put him behind bars for contempt of court in February 1931, they kept on investigating the gangster on the charges of tax evasion. Then, in June 1931, Capone initially pleaded guilty to the charges and told the media about the plea deal. The official website of the FBI noted that Capone allegedly took a plea deal for a two-and-a-half-year sentence. However, the judge told him that he wasn’t bound by any deal. Therefore, Capone changed his plea to not guilty.

The trial concluded after five months and the court found Al Capone guilty on tax evasion charges. Per the FBI, the court sentenced Al Capone to 11 years in prison and sent him to Alcatraz. The gangster served more than seven years at Alcatraz before being released in November 1939. 

When was Al Capone released from Alcatraz?

According to the FBI, Al Capone was released from Alcatraz on November 16, 1939. HISTORY stated that Capone lived in a nine-by-five-foot cell and received no privileges. The outlet mentioned that he swept corridors, mopped floors, and did prison laundry. The convict also took a liking to reading and started reading books. Additionally, he formed a musical band in the prison and played banjo.

During this time, he started receiving treatment for syphilis. HISTORY reported that the prison doctors tried to treat the disease by giving him a malaria virus and raising his temperature. However, that didn’t work and nearly killed Al Capone. After serving over seven years at Alcatraz, the law enforcement agencies released him from the maximum security prison. Correspondingly, he served the rest of his sentence at different prisons. 

Many documentaries on Al Capone and his notorious crimes are currently available on several streaming platforms. 

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