Al Capone - From Mobster to “Middle Grade Moron” | Biographical Documentary
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- Опубликовано: 31 авг 2023
- The name of Al Capone was once feared by criminals and law-abiding citizens alike.
Implicated in over 100 deaths, some say as many as 700, he was famous for his ruthless control of the Chicago underworld in the 1920s.
But although he evaded his rivals and numerous attempts on his life, he couldn’t escape the tax man and his criminal career came to an abrupt end when he was incarcerated in 1931.
But after seven years of surprisingly good behaviour in prison, he became violent and delusional, believing he was on a mission from God to solve the problems of the Great Depression and he was diagnosed with an illness that led to him being described as a “middle-grade moron” in the terminology of the time.
In this historical documentary I explore the colourful life of the brutal gangster who was once declared Public Enemy Number One, but who ended his days needing round the clock care at the age of 48, aiming to find out what made Al Capone the man he was in his prime…. and what was the illness that reduced his mind to that of a 7-year-old child.
Finding Out More:
There are lots of biographies on Al Capone, but it is the older ones that are best. I would recommend Mr Capone by Robert J Schoenberg. There are lots of movies which are very entertaining but not very historically accurate. I have added some of the better ones my Amazon store page if you are interested: www.amazon.com/shop/professor...
Academic References:
Bousquet, S. C. (1997). The Gangster in Our Midst: Al Capone in South Florida, 1930-1947. Florida Historical Quarterly, 76(3), 4.
Brewer-Smyth, K. (2006). Neurological correlates of high-risk behavior: A case study of Alphonse Capone. Journal of neuroscience nursing, 38(6), 442.
Tampa, M., Sarbu, I., Matei, C., Benea, V., and Georgescu, S. R. (2014). Brief history of syphilis. Journal of medicine and life, 7(1), 4.
Copyright Disclaimer:
The primary purpose of this video is educational. I have tried to use material in the public domain or with Creative Commons Non-attribution licences wherever possible. Where attribution is required, I have listed this below. I believe that any copyright material used falls under the remit of Fair Use, but if any content owners would like to dispute this, I will not hesitate to immediately remove that content. It is not my intention to infringe on content ownership in any way. If you happen to find your art or images in the video, please let me know and I will be glad to credit you.
Images:
Wikimedia Commons
Wellcome Collection
FBI
My Alcapone Museum
Music:
Stephan Do Mandolinen Demo CC1.0
Hyacinth Yankee Doodle Public Domain
Leoncavallo Vesti la giuba from Pagliacci. Enrico Caruso rec 1907. Public domain
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem, K. 626, Lacrimosa. Wiener Philharmoniker Herbert von Karajan, conductor; Salzburg Festival, 1960. Public domain.
Scott Joplin - Gladiolus Rag - Pathé Dance Orchestra (public domain)
Jazz-Symphonie-Orchester Bernard Etté - O sole mio by Ernesto Di Capua, rearranged as a Tango and blues by Wilhelm Lindemann - Berlin 1927 CC0
Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra Create Rhapsody (Rhapsody in Blue-Paul Whiteman Orchestra) From the King of Jazz (1930) 1.35
The Foop Jazz Trio, Die Moritat von Mackie Messer -- Ukulele Instrumental Medley attribution
Confident Kurt Track Tribe CC0
Walk through the park Track Tribe CC0
Quiet the Mini Vandals CC0
Mussorgsky Il Vecchio Castello - Saxophone and Piano. David Hernando Vitores. CC4.0
Vladan Kuzmanović - Bravoure for 12 string guitar in A-flat major. CC4.0
Mussorgsky Hut on Fowl’s Legs IX. La Cabane sur des pattes de poule Allegro con brio feroce An by Skidmore College Orchestra CC0
Asher Fulero Lament of the Ancients CC0
Aletheia (Unforgetting) Devon Church CC0
B - Somber Ballads by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommons.org/licenses/... Artist: incompetech.com/
I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: chriszabriskie.com/honor/
Artist: chriszabriskie.com/
Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer", published in 1902 and performed here by James Brigham in 2018. CC0
Video produced by Graeme Yorston and Tom Yorston.
I seriously read the thumbnail to say “from mobster to Mormon”
The fact that the syndicate gave him a pension is fascinating.
I work in a hospital lab. Syphilis is still real, folks. We diagnose several cases a week, some in mothers and newborns. And I am in a midwestern town of 100,000. Get checked ✔️
the truth is often offensive. we need to get back to being honest and not worrying about offending everyone's precious feelings. the world was better when we were honest.
My Grandparents came from Italy in 1910 via Ellis Island’ 🇺🇸, legally. When they lived in Chicago, they had the only cinder block garage in town. Al Capone used to park his car in their garage and pay them rent. He was very good to the community during the depression. He still was a crime boss and murderer. I heard a lot of stories from my father about the gang. My father died in 1991 of cancer. He was born 1922.. rest in peace Father. 🙏🏼
I am currently attempting to revive the use of "Moron" as I encounter so many every day.
My great-grandfather cut his hair once in Chicago and told him to never come back. He gave him a $5 tip, but every week broke his windows to his shop. And my family moved out of Chicago. The “great white flight” because of blacks moving to Chicago. Such nonsense. It was the mobsters charging fees to work in Chicago. Like my great grandfather said, “you’re American, I’m from Sicily, you will never be Italian.” Kinda pissed the dude off. But ironically he is buried in the same cemetery as my family. Which proves you don’t get to choose your neighbors in this world or the next.
This was a very humane look at Capone, especially after syphilis ravaged his brain. Great video.
Cute that you are so afraid to use "offensive" words. A true sign of the times 🙄.
He had syphilis for several years. It worked on his brain over the years.
"Don't mistake my kindness for a weakness. I am kind to everybody, but if you are unkind to me, weakness is not what you will remember me for"
The best documentaries are the ones that try to remain unbiased and judgemental.
I was born in Miami and grew up on tales of Capone's harassment by local law enforcement (being hauled out of a classy car and charged with vagrancy, etc.). My mother (a registered nurse) told me about his syphilis but this is the first video I've seen directly addressing that issue. Very professional and revealing. (I'm now a subscriber.)
Back in the 1970's while in college one my fellow students showed a photo of
I absolutely love your mini-documentaries Prof. Yorston! I get more out of these than an hour or two full doc.!
Tangential is a good word. Perfectly sums up the highs and lows of hedonism. The childish helplessness,ambivalence, of consumption and shameful discomfort. Folly is its own reward. Dyad is another great description to describe the relationships with creativity, addiction, love, and the comittments he couldnt quite manage without them. Ill fated and faithfully fatal.
The syphlis story was common knowledge but has been forgotten in the last 30 years.
Just occasionally one comes across a channel worth watching. Few opinions and those together with extensive research make you feel 'I never knew that'. Well done that man.
My parents were born in 1920s Chicago. My mother( 1924 ) her family had immigrated from Sicily. Interesting times indeed!
The syphilis destroyed his mind and his body. I'd be surprised if he could even remember where the bathroom was in his own house, let alone get there himself by the end. As romanticised as he is, he did get the ending he deserved. He was a murderer, unwavering to take a life if it meant improvement of his station.