Al Capone
Capone in 1931, Bertillon photograph, U.S. Dept of Justice/U.S. Bureau of Prisons, C 28169, Science and Society Picture Gallery
Birth Name: Alphonse Gabriel Capone
Date of Birth: January 17, 1899
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Death: January 25, 1947
Place of Death: Palm Island, Florida, U.S.
Ethnicity: Italian
Al Capone was an American gangster and businessperson. He became known as the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit, during the Prohibition era. He was nicknamed “Scarface.”
Al was the son of Teresa/Teresina (Raiola) and Gabriele Capone/Caponi. His parents were born in Angri, in the Province of Salerno, Campania, Italy. Al was married to Mae Josephine Coughlin, who was of Irish descent. The couple had a son.
Al’s paternal grandfather was Vincenzo Capone (the son of Salvatore Capone and Maria Scongamiglio). Salvatore was the son of Vincenzo Capone and Teresa Petrocino. Maria was the daughter of Aniello Scongamiglio and Mariantonia Rossi.
Al’s paternal grandmother was Marzia/Maria Calabrese (the daughter of Angelandrea Calabrese and Teresa de Pascale/de Pasquale). Angelandrea was the son of Pasquale Calabrese and Marzia Contaldo. Teresa was the daughter of Gaetano de Pascale.
Al’s maternal grandfather was named Raffaele Raiola.
Al’s maternal grandmother was named Carolina Alfani.
Sources: Genealogies of Al Capone – http://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com
Draft card of Al Capone – https://www.archives.gov
Capone was not half-Irish nor was he Sicilian. Both of his parents were Italians from the Campania region, so this is accurate. Capone married an Irish-American woman, Mae Coughlin, so it was his son, Albert Francis “Sonny” Capone, who was Italian/Irish.
The funny thing is that people always like to claim that all of the Italian/Italian-American gangsters were of Sicilian origin, when at least as many were of Neapolitan or Calabrian extraction. Al Capone here was Neapolitan as was Vito Genovese. Frank Costello (Castiglia before he Americanized it) was Calabrian. John Gotti was of Neapolitan heritage too. Two mobsters who were actually Sicilians were Carlo Gambino and Lucky Luciano.
Also, it should be known that Capone’s one known prejudice was against Sicilians. There are quotes of him denigrating Sicilians as being untrustworthy and not really Italian. With all the Greek, Arabic, French, Spanish, and other bloodlines in Sicily, Sicilians really are their own people to a large extent, who just happen to be Italian by nationality since the 1860’s or so when Italy was united.
nice post, Al. thanks
His mom was irish
Big Al is actually Siciliano, not Italian, there’s a deffinative difference.
You have made a big mistake!! Capone isn’t absolutely Sicilian!!!
His parents came from Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples!
No, Al Capone married an Irish woman. Both his parents immigrated from Italy in 1883 :D
That’s true. His wife was Mae Coughlin who had Irish parents. Their son ”Sonny” also married a woman of Irish descent by the name of Diana Casey.
If I am not mistaken I read somewhere that Al Capones mother was Irish
She was