Today in History—October 18: News Breaks of Al Capone’s Guilt

On this day in 1931, news broke that Al Capone, Chicago’s untouchable crime boss, had been found guilty.

After years of bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, and racketeering, Capone went down not for murder or mayhem but for failing to pay taxes.

Capone had taken over Chicago’s bootlegging empire in 1925 and grown it into a criminal enterprise that was reportedly pulling in more than $100 million annually. Everyone knew the man had money, but proving it was another matter. Capone had no bank account or checkbook.

Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.

SIGN UP

By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

The Treasury’s Intelligence Unit had its work cut out for it. Their break came in 1930, when a ledger seized in a gambling hall raid was found to mention someone named Al.

By then, Capone was fighting legal battles on several fronts, and things were beginning to unravel.

He’d failed to appear in Illinois for a grand jury summons in 1929, citing health issues. But witnesses swore he looked fine in Miami at the horse track and in Bimini aboard his boat. Also that year he was arrested in Philadelphia, caught with a concealed firearm. He served nine months for the weapons charge. The Northern District of Illinois found him in contempt.

Capone offered to settle his back taxes; the government declined. In 1931 he was charged with evading federal income taxes from 1924 to 1929.

The colorful trial started on October 6, with Capone sporting a yellow suit. The judge began the proceedings by making a dramatic move amid rumors of jury tampering: He swapped the entire jury with one from a neighboring trial.

During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence of Capone’s extravagant lifestyle, while the defense argued that Capone’s expenses and gambling losses outpaced his income.

The jury found Capone guilty on five charges. Capone, in a green suit, reportedly smiled, perhaps not yet realizing those counts carried a maximum sentence of 17 years.

A few days after the verdict hit the headlines, Capone was sentenced to 11 years, a new record for tax evasion.

Capone served time in Atlanta and then Alcatraz. He was released early because of deteriorating health. Dementia related to untreated syphilis left him incapable of resuming his position atop the country’s criminal underworld. He and his wife retired to his Florida estate, where he spent the rest of his life.