I had to come to some difficult conclusions in my head recently. Mostly, I am coming to grips with my daughter now being all grown-up with her own husband and their baby. I've raised her so well that she has things pretty much figured out. Today I was invited over to their brand new apartment and I got to sit and feed the baby. His name is Raiden May KohrdtIroncloud, and he's the most precious little guy that you'll ever see. I am so proud of my daughter and my son-in-law. We had some difficulties at first, upon being asked to leave our prior apartment due to someone else's behavior in the household. This made it so that the whole family had to uproot themselves, and we all soon ended up going our separate ways. At first, this scared me deeply, but with time, I saw that that's exactly what we all needed, to go our own ways. It hurt like hell, but we parted because we had to. No one was healthy or happy in the family, and I saw that the time had come to act on that and do something about it. I had to leave my mother and my little brother as neither of them were healthy, and because it's their behaviors (for the most part) that got us being asked to leave the apartment over. So, we all split. My mother and my little brother got a hotel room, which I imagine they still have, but I don't know for sure as she's cut contact with me. She cut contact with me because I hurt her by leaving her. The last thing she shouted at me was that quote, "I protected you from your father." This is heartbreaking because I was molested by and abused by my biological father and it's true, she did protect me from him. However, was I supposed to spend my entire life taking care of her and all of her wants and needs because of that fact? Of course, not! I soon realized that I deserved to be happy, everyone did. So, I let go, and I set everyone free to do as they would. As I said, my mother and little brother left, and my daughter and her then-finance also went out on their own. My husband and I stayed together just as we have for the past 22 years or so now. We ended up getting our own home which we move into on January 2nd, 2020. The kids (meaning my daughter and her hubby and their baby) got their very own place, too. We're all doing much better for it, too, and I am just so very proud of them and how well they're doing. It's been hard to let go and let be, but I'm glad that I did because without taking that chance we could've all stayed together and remained miserable. Instead, today I got to witness how very grown-up and mature the kids are, and I got to observe that they are also both terrific, loving parents in their very own right. To think that I was ever worried about the whole situation is almost laughable now, but you know us moms; we're going to worry. It helped to see how under control the kids have things though. We're moving back to the city, and they are staying behind. It made me feel more okay about moving back, although I know I'll be missing out on some things, I am certain, that for the more important things, my daughter will make sure that I get to be there with them sharing in it. So now, as I write this, I smile. I'm happy that things are going so well for them, and I'm also happy about the things that my husband and I get to look forward to in our own home. All in all, this event that while indeed tragic, was also a pivotal moment in my life that evoked change with a positive, lasting effect. Now I get up in the morning more eager for the day, and I'm excited about what life has in store for The Patterson's next. Stayed tuned for the latest happenings at www.WritingBeautifully.com!
This weekend, I overcame all odds. My husband and I have been having a very tough time, especially with the current Housing Epidemic happening here in Northern Nevada at the moment. The Reno and Sparks areas of Nevada are especially struggling with the current rise and a surge in population and it shows no signs of slowing up. My husband and I have been staying at a friend's house temporarily, but after much, much effort we finally found a home. We'd been discriminated against in our last home for our disabilities, and the landlords tried to make it impossible for another landlord of a rental unit to accept us. They dragged my name through the mud and even accused us of staying past the agreed-upon vacate date, which we had never done. Finally though, and only after filling out literally over 250 Rental Applications, we were accepted for a lovely little duplex home in the City of Sparks, Nevada. Then, we had some unexpected blessings occur. My Clinic, HOPES in Reno, Nevada has Social Workers. We went to see one of the Housing Counselors there and along with her and the Aging and Disability Services of Northern Nevada and the City of Reno; they helped us with the first month of rent as well as with the required security deposit. Our house passed inspection today (done courtesy the City of Reno), and we're approved and able to move in on January 2nd, 2020 right after we've signed the Lease. We were truly blessed with a miracle, and we're sincerely grateful for the hand up and the opportunity to have our very own home again. The duplex is adorable, and it even features a backyard in which my Kali Pup can play. (She's never had her very own yard before, so I'm excited to see how she'll react to that.) It's even got a little tree and a small storage shed (which we've asked if we could also rent). Another thing I love about it is that it's got exotic Aladdin-looking door frames which make it really unique. The kitchen is a bitcozy, but it makes up for it with its subtle charm and the nice bathtub and shower that it has. Most importantly, it will be our home and ours alone. We've been waiting a long time for this moment, where we could live on our very own again as we'd been taking care of our family. (Not all of whom were even appreciative of that fact, and when things fell apart after we left the last apartment, we all split ways. It has turned out to be for the best and is one of the wisest things that I have ever done.) Finally, we can get out of Fallon and move back into the city where we belong, and no longer will we need to pay $10 gas just for a quick ride into town and back. Most importantly though, we're moving into our very own miracle home. Once only a desperate and hopeful vision, but now a dazzling reality that we're astonished came together quite so well. I do have to seek employment now once we're in the city, as our rent takes most of our income, but it's all going to be worth it just to be on our own and have our own place again. Miracles do indeed happen, and you're looking at one!
One of the Horoscopes I read this year foretold that this year would be one in which, "the Scorpio signs will rise." It turns out that that statement couldn't have been more correct. As I'm sure you well know, those born under the sign of Scorpio are highly motivated, driven people with a persuasive power to them. Most Scorpios are highly intelligent. We're also very sexual creatures. Scorpion, once they have their mindset on something, do not give up easily (or hardly ever at all for that matter, lol!). Scorpios are happiest when they are the ones in control, and they often succeed well in all of their business endeavors. This is in part due to our cutthroat "winner takes all" personalities and due to our shrewdness. I was very blessed to have been the granddaughter of a proud, strong Scorpio woman, and doubly so when my only daughter was also later-born under the sign of Scorpio. Even better was when my first grandson came into the world this year in October 2019, and he is also a little Scorpio guy. The Scorpio sign has always been special to me, and it's been a pervasive force in my life since before birth. This year has brought many changes for me, some very drastically so. That horoscope I read at the beginning of the year that said this was the year for all Scorpios to rise was indeed correct. I am excelling both in interpersonal skills and business, and I've made some great new friends and business partners. I can't wait to see what 2020 will bring to our horoscope and for other Scorpios out there. Here's to us! Let us all rise like a phoenix and breathe and become the fire that burns within!
15 things you didn’t know about Al Capone – by Lesley Patterson
Today I will reveal some exciting and lesser-known facts about the infamous, much loved, and most feared Prohibition Era Gangster and Crime Boss, Al Capone.
Alphonso Capone’s Prison Mugshots
Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born to Italian immigrants Gabriele and Teresa Capone on January 17, 1899, in Brooklyn, New York City. His father was working as a Barber at that time, and his Mother Teresa took jobs as a Seamstress. Al was the fourth child out of nine, part of a large family, and a middle child among his siblings. The family was impoverished until Al was 11 years old, that’s the age he was when his father’s business started succeeding and making some profits. His father moved the family out of the dangerous slum area and into a more beautiful apartment in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn. You might say that “you can take Capone out of the city, but you couldn’t take the city out of Capone.”
Al was a promising student and good with his studies, but always the rebel, his educational years ended when he was 14 because he punched a female teacher in the face over a disagreement and was immediately expelled. Capone then works at different odd jobs around Brooklyn. Destiny called though when he meets his first mentor in crime, Johnny Torrio, and he begins associating with the local well-known smaller Gangs of the Forty Thieves, Bowery Boys, and Brooklyn Rippers. His vicious lusts had really taken root in him, and he continued to make contacts in the local Crime Organizations. His own more criminal, brutal behaviors started to blossom when he joined the well-known, most notorious Five Points Gang in lower Manhattan.
He then begins a job at a bar where he met his second mentor and fellow Racketeer, Frankie Yale. It was during his time there that he received the legendary scars on the left side of his face. He’d been working at a night club when he said something to a woman who was very displeasing to her, so her brother proceeded to take a knife and cut Capone’s face with it. People begin to call him “Scarface.” After that event, Capone would often hide the left side of his face from exposure during photographs and would talk about his “War Wounds.”
All too quickly though Al was again rising up the ranks in the Mob World and continued to make more illegal contacts. At 20 years old Al moves from New York to Chicago to become an Enforcer for James “Big Jim” Colosimo. He then works as “security” for a Brothel but ends up contracting the disease Syphilis, for which no treatment was ever sought. In 1923 he made a purchase on a cozy house in the city’s South Side for himself and his young wife, Mae Josephine Coughlin. Within just 10 years Al’s name started showing up in the Sports section of the local Newspapers where he was being hailed as a Boxing Promoter. His boss, “Big Jim” was murdered on May 11, 1920, and Al himself was once again suspected of committing the crime. His aforementioned violence had really started to rage from within, and Capone was utterly consumed by it. He was known in the Mobs for his brutality and ruthlessness, often going the extra mile to destroy a rival. During his time spent bootlegging he was said actually to blow people up in their breweries. “I have built my organization upon fear,” he’d proudly proclaim.
Johnny Torrio ran the most important organized crime group in the whole area, and he took Capone under his wing. One of his jobs was to focus on working out deals and the agreements for negotiations over Gang Territory. In January of h1925 Capone suffered an attack that left him wary and daunted, but not seriously hurt, and 12 days later Torrio was also assaulted and was shot multiple times. After he got well Torrio gave all control of the Criminal Organizations to a 26-year-old Capone. He was now the Big Boss and ran everything from the breweries to networks for transportation that stretched into other countries. He did it all with apolitical protection and the support of law enforcement. The people loved him, seeing him as a “Robin Hood” character because of his generous and frequent donations to local charities. After more murders and due to ensuing political wars, the need for protection for the bootleggers had become too, and this made Capone flee Chicago.
It had gotten out that Al allegedly gave Chicago’s Republican party William Hale Thompson $250,000 and supposedly a discussion had opened up about support for the illegal bars and breweries belonging to Capone. He bribed the politician with intentions of taking down Bugs Moran, who was the leader of a rival gang. All of this ushered in the 1929 Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre in which several people were killed when Al ordered a hit out on Bugs and his associates slaughtered seven of Bugs’ men while posing as officers of the law. The victims were ambushed, lined up against a brick wall, and shot to death. It later got out that Capone was responsible for the assassination and the local public who had once so revered Capone for his kindness and charity now saw what a monster he really was, and this resulted in the decision to try to lock him up and throw away the key, beginning Capone’s downfall.
Capone did indeed spend some time in jail for other much smaller crimes but was ultimately granted release when enough convicting evidence could not be found to persecute him. Al was excellent at not leaving traces and often used money orders instead of banks for his more significant transactions. This was so no one could tie money from the Gang’s forbidden bootlegging business in with him, as that’s where most of Al’s unlawful fortune and profits came from. Bent on catching Capone a Prohibition Agent named Eliot Ness assembled a team of trustworthy, steadfast agents who happened to be known as the “Untouchables” as they would not accept bribes and would not allow themselves to be bought off of the case. Ness and his team successfully raided several of Capone’s unlawful “businesses.” During this time Al repeatedly tried in vain to put a hit out on Ness, but it was always a fruitless failure, and Ness was never assassinated. Ultimately Ness was never able to catch Capone for his illegal activities regarding organized crime, but Ness did aid the IRS in popping him for evading his taxes, and he was sent to Atlanta U.S. Penitentiary in May of 1932. Due to suspicions and gossip of his manipulating and trying to bribe or pay off the other inmates, along with stories of him receiving special treatment, Capone was eventually transferred to the notorious Alcatraz Federal Prison. During his stay there, he was the victim of a stabbing incident and was wounded, but lucky for him, the wounds were minor and not fatal in nature.
Al was then transferred from Alcatraz and placed into custody at the Federal Correctional Institution at Terminal Island in California where he served the rest of his sentence for contempt of court charge. He spent the last year of his imprisonment in the Alcatraz Prison Hospital. Finally, he was officially released on November 16, 1939. However, by then he was in serious ill-health from the severe untreated case of paresis (or late-stage Syphilis) that he was just a shadow of his former self and became severely lacking in his mental faculties. His brain had literally begun to erode, and he was very pathetic and spent most of his time in confused, bewildered states and was utterly mentally unstable and depressed. Once finally paroled he was referred to a physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore who’d examined him and concluded that Capone now only had the mental capacity of a 12-year-old boy. Despite this, Hopkins denied Al any treatment because of the notoriety and severity of his crimes. However, Union Memorial Hospital was willing to accept him, and Capone was so appreciative of their medical care and helped that he even donated two gorgeous Japanese Weeping Cherry Trees to the hospital in 1939.
Capone left the hospital on March 20, 1940, and traveled to Palm Island, Florida where his mansion was located where he spent the remaining days of his life with his wife and grandchildren. He suffered from a Stroke on January 21, 1947. He had started to come around and was recovering until catching pneumonia. He then deteriorated further and went into cardiac arrest on January 22, and just a few days later at 48 years of age Capone died on January 25, 1947, in his home, with his loved ones gathered around him.
We want to learn more about Al Capone because we are inspired by his success, talent, ambition, brute-force, and hardcore lifestyle. If anything, this was a stubborn man who survived for a long time in dangerous circumstances, even after the repeated attempts made to take his life. He may have done it in an entirely unlawful way, but Al Capone was an intelligent and accomplished, high-powered, successful businessman. He had a passion for power and pursued it to the fullest. He’d amassed a very impressive Net Worth of around $100 million as of 1929, which today with inflation considered would be approximately $1.3 billion. Capone once said, quote “I am just a businessman, giving the people what they want. So, it’s time now to take a look at the ultimate Italian Mafioso Archetypal Legend with the 15 things you didn’t know about Al Capone.
Number 1: He was expelled from school for punching a female teacher in her face.
Capone was a good student and did well in his studies, but he disagreed with the strict rules being enforced by his Catholic School. One day when he was just 14 years old he struck a female teacher in the face over a dispute they were having. He was immediately expelled and never returned to finish his education. Instead, he begins joining smaller gangs like the Bowery Boys, the Forty Thieves, and the Brooklyn Rippers. He also took on many odd jobs including working at a bowling alley and a candy sweets store. It was after joining the gangs that he started to become involved in criminal activities which peaked when he met his first mafia mentor a crime boss named, Johnny Torrio. Capone decided to join a more massive gang and teamed up with the notorious Five Points Gang of Manhattan, New York City. From there he became heavily involved in even more illegal and severe activities and began to earn his own renown amongst his criminal peers.
Number 2: He pioneered and opened the very first Soup Kitchen for the poor in Chicago during the Great Depression.
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that started in the United States and occurred in the 1920s and lasted throughout the late 1930s. It was the most far-reaching financially related epidemic of the entire 20th century. It began due to a nose-dive in stock prices that started at the end of October 1929 and was later appropriately coined as “Black Tuesday.” The effects were severe for both the rich and poor alike when finances from personal income, tax revenue. Profits and prices plummeted, along with International Trade coming in at deep under more than 50%. Unemployment in the U.S. alone escalated by a devastatingly, nose-bleeding high of 25%, with some countries rising up to 33%. People suffered greatly because there were not enough job sources to meet their basic needs. It was during these high-reaching, despairing times that Al Capone officially opened the first original Soup Kitchens for the poor in his city of Chicago. He was a pioneer who paid for everything to provide food to hungry and starving people who were suddenly without a source of food and rendered without any alternative income source. They literally had nothing, and Capone must have genuinely sympathized with them as he championed for his city’s people and showed an innovative, smart form of compassion and humanitarianism in a time of immense need.
Number 3: Capone grew up impoverished, but his family was law-abiding and respectable people.
Capone’s mother Teresa and his father Gabriele were Italian immigrants who came to America with hopes of making a better life for themselves and their children. They were an everyday, typical type of family and were very hard-working. His father was a barber and his mother a seamstress, and they were honest, folks who followed the law and were very devoted to their Family. Capone was not born into a life of crime, he got into it on his own and worked his way up in the world of criminal organizations. He made new contacts and with the aid of his many mentors, made it all the way to the top of the underground syndicates as a crime boss in a self-made empire that he owned and managed vivaciously.
Number 4: The Prohibition played a significant role in Capone’s amassing his fortune.
The Prohibition and the laws being enforced regarding alcohol consumption that made it so hard to obtain are a big part of how Capone made most of his money. He was so deeply involved with the illegal alcohol industry that he was known for blowing up bars, which he wouldn’t hesitate to do if they refused to buy alcohol from him. He eventually rose to power after his boss Johnny Torrio fled the country and gave control of the bootlegging to him. Capone was quoted as saying, “I am like any other man. All I do is supply a demand.” Despite all of this Capone had also stated to a journalist Howard O’Brien he was actually against Prohibition regardless of what most people thought. “It’s a lousy racket for the retailer, “he complained. “He’s got to work twenty hours a day and spend everything he makes to keep the cops off him.”
Number 5: His Net Worth today is valued at $1.3 billion.
It’s said that Capone was managing over 600 gangsters, all of whom were under his control and who helped to protect his business from rival gangs. Due to inflation, his criminal empire would be worth about $1.3 billion today. He liked to show off his fortune and loved the more beautiful things in life. When entertaining he was known to go all out on everything. He wore the most expensive, flashy clothing and jewelry that he could find and was very obsessed with it. He really enjoyed smoking fine cigars, and he has said to treat guests with experiences worthy of the book “Arabian Nights” and indulging them with silver buckets of iced Piper-Heidsieck from 1915, then platters of food, one after another. Capone’s large mansion at 93 Palm Avenue in Miami Beach, Florida just sold for $7.43 million in August of 2016. As of this date in October 2018, his collections of expensive and valuable items are being sold in an online estate sale. The collection of items for sale include Capone’s premium Diamond jewelry, his coin collection, mink coats, various valuable household items, decorative items like Persian rugs, and even his record collection are all being sold online now for very high amounts. It seems that everything bearing his name or connected to him is worth a lot of money just by the association alone.
Number 6: Capone was stabbed in prison over a haircut.
In 1934 while serving his time at Alcatraz prison, his swagger almost got him killed. After being sent transferred to the jail for being accused of receiving special treatment from the last one he was in, Capone still acted like he owned the place. Just one week after arriving at Alcatraz Capone allegedly tried to cut in line in front of about a dozen or so other inmates during prison haircuts, but one guy just wasn’t having it. A convicted bank robber, James Lucas took Capone’s disrespect and sense of entitlement badly, and he reacted by walking right up to Capone, grabbed him by the throat and told him to knock it off. When Capone boldly asked him, “Do you know who I am?” Lucas lost it and replied, “I know who you are grease ball. And if you don’t get back to the end of that fucking line, I’m gonna know who you were.” After which Lucas proceeded to stab Capone in his back and face with a broken pair of scissors. Lucky for the Capone the wounds were just superficial, not fatal, but his attitude of entitlement nearly got him killed that day.
Number 7: Capone was responsible for the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago in 1929 where at least 15 were killed.
Capone couldn’t maintain his professional businessman appearance forever, and on Valentine’s Day in 1929 he ordered his men to dress as police officers and round up rival mob boss, Bugs Moran’s men against a brick wall after ambushing them, and Capone’s men did as he’d ordered and shot to death seven members of Moran’s gang. About 70 rounds or so of ammunition had been fired and ended their lives. The assassinations were discovered by the Chicago police from the 36th District investigated, and while it was said that Capone had ordered the murders, it could not be proven. However, when the story hit newspapers and media people worldwide were shocked by the brutality of the massacre and begin to see Capone for the violent killer that he actually was rather than the friendly, successful and wealthy businessman who’d started a soup kitchen and donated to charities. This marked his downfall as the public demanded justice and the law begins working on ways to get enough evidence of his criminal activities so that he could be imprisoned for his viciously vile crimes.
Number 8: He was dubbed “Public Enemy №1” by Newspapers, and a legal investigation was launched against him.
The story of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and Capone did not sit well with anyone, and the Newspapers continued to report on it. The scandal ran deep and was a popular topic in the city and even nationwide. People demanded justice, so the government acted and launched an investigation into Capone’s criminal activities. When he failed to show up for court after being subpoenaed in March 1929, a warrant was put out on him, and police arrested him on charges of Contempt of Court. Capone immediately posted bond and was released but was detained again in May for carrying concealed weapons. He served nine months in prison when he was released on good behavior. In February 1931 he was sentenced to six months in jail for the contempt of court charges. Frustrated investigators couldn’t find enough evidence to lock him up for his committed crimes and an investigation was opened against Capone by the U.S. Treasury Department who later on found enough evidence to have him charged with Tax Evasion and this resulted in him being charged with it and then sentenced to 11 years in prison in June 1931.
Number 9: His family brought out the soft spot hidden within Capone, and he was a bit of a mama’s boy.
In spite of the hard exterior, Capone had a soft center, and it was his deep love for his family. He loved his wife, his children, his grandchildren, and most of all his mother. He’d remarked to Journalist Howard O’Brien that he never wanted his own boys to get mixed up in the criminal racket that he was involved with. In his office were framed pictures of his family, and during an interview with O’Brien he was, he was overheard as referring to himself as a “kid” when he spoke to his wife on the phone. Later when his mother also called, Capone put her as a priority and began to speak Italian while he talked with her. In a letter that he wrote to his son from prison, he told him to stay strong and that he really wanted to see his son and his wife again. He signed the letter with, “Love and Kisses, Your Dear Dad Alphonse Capone, #85.”
Number 10: Capone was very into refined fashion and collected suits and jewelry to show off his wealth.
Capone was known for buying the most expensive, lavish things that he could find. One of his favorite indulgences was his stylized appearance, so he often bought, collected, and wore expensive suits, clothing, and jewelry. He always had a very ornamented appearance, and his suits alone were imported from Italy and cost him $500 each, which now would be valued at about $6,500. He would adorn these with white pocket squares and accessorize them with precious jewelry such as Diamond pinky rings, platinum jewelry, jewel-encrusted watches, and much more. Recently in 2017, this gangster’s diamond and platinum pocket watch was sold in an auction for an astounding $84,375.
Number 11: Capone has become the Archetypal icon of a hardcore Mobster and has lived on through print and film.
In 1932a movie loosely based around Capone was released, it was the original first version of the well-known, very popular “Scarface” films. The movie was such a hit that Director Oliver Stone later re-made it into the version that we all know and love today which was released in December of 1983. There is news going around about another, an updated version of “Scarface” coming out, but it does not currently have a solid release date though at first Universal Studios claimed that it would hit theaters in August 2018. The movie is being done by a new director and actors and is being highly anticipated by “Scarface” lovers the world over.
Number 12: Tom Hardy to Star as Al Capone in the upcoming film “Fonzo.”
Tom Hardy is so good at playing the villain that he’s been cast as Al Capone in the upcoming new movie “Fonzo” created by writer-director Josh Trank. This was announced in August 2018, just two months ago and is being highly anticipated by fans. It truly goes to show that legends never die. “Fonzo” will be focused around the icons battles with dementia after serving nearly 10 years in prison. It does not currently have a release date, but when Fandango tweeted about it, they announced that we could expect it in 2019. (The tweet was later deleted.) Regardless, the news of its release has excited and delighted “Scarface” and Al Capone fans everywhere, and people are eager to see this new portrayal of the Mob Boss Mafioso. Pictures have been released with Tom Hardy dressed in character, and they’ve become trendy.
Number 13: Capone used to get bags upon bags of fan mail, literally up to two thousand letters each week.
Capon has always been a robust popular personality, and when he was alive and at his criminal peak he used to get movie-star good-sized bags of it, receiving about two thousand letters each week. He was quite popular, plus he never shied away from the media but instead seemed to enjoy being in the spotlight. He often did photoshoots and interviews like the one he did for Variety in 1931. This edition featured the title “Capone Kids Gang Films” and was written by Lou Greenspan. The focus of the piece was the mob boss’s reaction to all of the gangster films that were being released at that time. He has a lot of fans, and they seemed enthralled by him, and that fascination has endured for decades, making him a supremely favorite gangster mob boss and an icon that is sure to live on in our hearts, minds, and culture forever.
Number 14: Capone’s long untreated case of late-stage Syphilis is eroded his brain and was what eventually majorly contributed to his death at the early age of just 48.
Capone had the disease of Syphilis, most likely contracted at a brothel that he ran. (Although he loved his wife he was still a philanderer with a hefty addition to women and sex.) The disease could have been cured with Penicillin, but he never received or sought out any type of treatment, and the condition significantly contributed to his fast detention in prison. During his last year at Alcatraz, he was staying in the prison’s hospital because he deteriorated so quickly, both in health and in mind. The severe case of late-stage Syphilis was eroding his brain, and when he was examined by a doctor it was discovered that his brain had suffered so much damage from the paresis that he was now left with the mental faculties of a 12-year-old boy and his mental health was also failing him. He spent much of his time in a confused, disoriented state of psychosis and was severely ill. Capone had a stroke in January of 1947 and was slowly recovering and regaining consciousness when he contracted pneumonia, It was downhill from there, and he died three days later, on January 25, 1947, at his mansion in Florida surrounded by his family. The official cause of death was cardiac arrest.
Number 15: Capone made the Mafia look attractive and cool which has gotten him a loyal fan-base and some major crime organizations of today are only active because of him.
Capone impacted the world by birthing a new, more refreshing image of an Italian Gangster crime boss, and thanks to him, some new major crime organizations have him to thank for them still being around. He fed the dirty underbelly of the criminal underground, and to this date, his stomping grounds in Chicago continue to suffer and have of the most considerable crime rates in the US to this very day. His legacy lives on in the hearts, minds, and fears of others. Gangs still fight over the same territories that he had done negotiations on when he was the reigning supreme king of the underground. We’ve seen groups and that particular street culture become increasingly popular, and rather than disgust its greeted with a response of ever-increasing fans who think that Capone was a sensational, bigger than life personality and actually even envy or look up to him. His memory will forever live on, in the works that he did, the violence which he committed, and the flashy executive style that he dressed in. Our culture sees him as a pop icon of sorts and idolizes him. He did one good thing for the world by creating his Soup Kitchen, as it inspired the entire United States to start offering this service to the poor and hungry in each State from then on. Capone’s memory has not even begun to fade, and he is majorly responsible for our present-day culture seeing criminals in a much more relaxed, glorious, “larger than life” light rather than as the villains, scoundrels, and thieves who break the law for their own benefit. “Scarface” was so iconic that he will never truly die, as his actions have painted and tainted history with blood, gore, and gang violence that will stick with us to the end of time. Al Capone himself said, “Once you’re in the racket, you’re always in it.”
There you have it, some interesting lesser-known facts about the Mafioso Boss, Al Capone. Now that you’ve learned more about Capone, we’d like to know: Which one of his actions or qualities stands out most to you? Do you think that Capone really sympathized with the charities that he donated to due to his poor beginnings, or do you think he did it just to present the image that he wanted to portray to the public? Let us know in the comments.
Still here? Here’s a bonus fact just for you.
Number 16: He was called “Snorky” as a nick-name by his closest friends.
Despite being renowned for his famous nickname “Scarface,” his best friends and those close to Capone actually affectionately called him “Snorky.” The definition of the word snorky is ritzy, flashy, a sharp dresser, and a fashionable, elegant person. He certainly was a very snazzy dresser and fit that description perfectly. Capone liked the term, and he wished to be known by it instead of “Scarface” as he felt that it expressed and emphasized his image as the wealthy and successful businessman that he always had wished to be seen as.
circa 1930: Italian-American gangster Al Capone (1899 – 1947) with US Marshal Laubenheimer. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Hello everyone! Let me properly introduce myself, my name is Miracle.
I love to eat sunflower seeds and barley balls and a little fruit now and then, especially strawberries and mango, those are my very favorites. I have a good home and am a very happy little guy. I am a really handsome boy and have fluffy gray fur with white markings and the cutest little face with a pink nose and big deep black eyes. I was the runt of my litter. When I was just a baby, my hammy Mommydecided to bite one of my ears off. Sad I know, but you’ll soon see that I now have a very happy life with my family who loves me very much and who I love with all my little hammy heart in return.
I was born from a big litter, I’ve said that I was the runt but I think it makes me special because now that I’m all grown up I am big, fat and happy, you’d never be able to tell that I was once the smallest of all my brothers and sisters. I started out with a different family, then the one that I have now. My new Mommy named me Miracle because she says I am one. My new Family found me one day when the little girl of my old family was outside not being very nice to me and treating me like a toy.
This mean little girl was on the playground of an apartment complex and took me outside with her. It was Summertime; it was hot outside and there were metal slides at the playground which this little girl began to use by sliding me down it. It hurt, and I was sad and scared. I was only a baby and didn’t even have my eyes opened yet when this was happening to me. I was wishing to the God of my species that someone would come and save me from this mean child and suddenly my prayers were answered.
Out of the blue, another girl came up towards me and she was bigger and older than the child who had been hurting me by playing so rough and doing things you should never do to a hamster. This new girl came and rescued me. She told the other child that she had better stop and asked why she was doing things so mean to me. The little girl replied it was because she didn’t want me and this made me sad, especially because my own hammy family had kind of rejected me when my birth mom for some reason decided to bite off my left ear. I can still hear out of it though and I personally think I’m so cute and sweet that my personality completely makes up for this small flaw.
Anyways, this new girl took me from the other child who had been abusing me and she brought me into what would become my new home and forever family. I found out the girl’s name was Amara and she carefully cradled me into my new home and showed me to my new Mommy who immediately accepted and loved me.
When Amara told her mom Lesley my story and what had been happening to me this woman made sure to take good care of me and called herself my Mommy and I was so excited and felt so special now and knew already somehow that I would be safe and loved in this new place. My new Mommy Lesley and her husband Andy, my new Daddy went immediately online and purchased a cage for me and then they went out while I waited with the rest of my new Family to go out and buy me food, bowls, a water bottle, chew toys and supplied all this and more to meet my every need. I remember now being so surprised at the way my new Family was treating me because I had never had a chance to be accepted and loved so much this way before. As I said I was a baby when this happened and my eyes were still shut. My new Mommy and Daddy had to hand feed and water me because I was too young at the time to be able to do these things for myself. They didn’t seem to mind at all and even acted as if they really enjoyed holding me as I drank out of and ate out of their hands. I decided pretty quickly that I loved to be held and handled by these particular humans, they were always so nice to me and had such big hearts so I made sure to always be pleasant and nice to them.
I remember a funny story from when I was a baby that first day that I was brought home and I’d like to share it with you all. My new Family had never had a hamster before and when I first arrived, I was still quite shaken up and understandably scared because of how I was being treated by my old family. Before I was sure I could trust these new people in my life, I had an episode where I got a little scared and rolled onto my back, stuck my legs out and made a noise that sounded like a beeping alarm clock to my new owners. They didn’t know that I did this because I was just a bit scared still and my new Mommy went online immediately freaking out over what had happened, actually worried about me and trying to find out what my actions had meant and to make sure I was healthy and OK. She did a lot of research and finally came upon the correct answer, that it was a defense mechanism we hamsters sometimes use when we are frightened. After they learned, it was only normal behavior they were so relieved. They laughed about how I sounded like an alarm clock and I didn’t mind because once I finally heard an alarm clock I must agree that I did kind of sound like one and this fact made me have a nice hammy giggle to myself, too. Mommy even did all the research to find out what breed of a hamster I am and she found out that I am what they call a Russian Dwarf hamster.
As time passed, I grew up healthy and I got pretty big and a little fat, too but my Mommy thinks that I am the most adorable little thing to ever walk on this Earth. I know because she told me so, she talks to me a lot and I listen, always looking up at her to show I’m paying attention as she lovingly holds me and coos to me with baby noises and softly spoken words confessing all her love for me. I really enjoy being out of my cage and if I had my way I’d be out of it all the time just so I could be around Lesley my new Mommy and the rest of my family.
I really love all the attention that I get from everyone and I adore being held, pet, and just generally loved by my humans. My Mommy does so many special things to make me happy that I try to come up with ways to bring her more joy also and I found some that really work. Mommy loves to put me in her pocket and I like to scramble around inside it and sometimes pop my head out just hanging out in her pocket. I also am allowed to run all over my parent’s bed and I soon found a game that I love where I go under the blankets and roam around. It’s a lot of fun for me and sometimes Mommy leaves treats under it for me to find while I play. She even bought me a special thin blanket that’s fleece that I really love playing under. I don’t care much for the hamster ball they bought me though, that’s why I’m always allowed to come out and play around the bed and floor while my parents supervise me. One thing I do that my Mom just absolutely loves is playing a game with her we call “around the Mommy” where I literally go around and around my Mommy while she sits cross-legged on our bed. She really loves it when I play this game and it’s so much fun. I play it by running close to her body and going around her over and over again, stopping to wiggle my whiskers now and then and look up at Mommy to say I love you to her. She always says she loves me, too.
Another favorite thing we both like is when I sit curled up in her lap or her hands and she just holds me and tells me how special I am, that I am a true Miracle and that she is so happy to have me in her life. She tells me every day how much I brighten up her world and my new Family brightens up mine, too. We get along so well together and everyone in the family holds me and pets me and gives me treats, loves and attention. I am a very lucky hammy. I had a hard start and wondered if my life would get any better when suddenly I was rescued from my bad situation and put into a place I could really call home with people I could really consider my loving and faithful Family. My Mommy took lots of pictures with me and she’s going to share them with my story so you can see me when I was just a baby in their hands and also see what I have grown up to be and look like. She always tells me that I am the cutest hamster ever and she thinks that my missing ear gives me character. She never judged me or treated me differently because the left one is missing. She always treated me just like any happy, healthy hamster should be. I don’t really mind the missing ear myself because it doesn’t interfere with anything and I can still hear out of it just fine.
I lived a very long and happy life with my family, longer than most hamsters usually live. I was on this Earth for about 3 whole years. My vet said that I lived practically forever and had a very long and happy, healthy life. Sadly, I am writing this to you from Hammy Heaven. I passed away at the beginning of this year inside my cage in the middle of the night while I was sleeping all curled up into a ball in the hammy hut that my Family bought for me and that I loved so much. I really miss them and I know they miss me. I know Mommy remembers me every day and I also think of her just as often. I was lucky to be loved by such a great family.
I am buried in a nice spot underneath a tree and a fern now grows there, and I live on not only in Heaven but in this little plant as well and Mommy and the rest of the Family still come visit me to this very day bringing flowers to my little grave and handfuls of sunflower seeds, fruits, and the hamster barley food balls that I craved and loved so much when I was alive. I miss them, and I know they miss me, but Mommy always said we’d find each other again in Heaven, and I am waiting for her here. Mommy named me Miracle and I was one, but my new Family was also a miracle to me and I’ll never forget them, ever.
Author: Lesley Patterson
A Personal Note from the Author:
I was the Hamster Short Story Contest Award Winner for this story. I love Miracle very much, and even though he passed away about 6 years ago, I always keep him alive in my memory. His cute little face will be forever printed on my heart and he will always live on in my memories as well as in this story. Rest in peace my little love, your Mommy still loves you and misses you a great deal. One day I know that our souls will be together again, perhaps at the Rainbow Bridge.
