Mr. Sas'

Social Studies Website

"Scarface Al" Capone WebQuest

Read the IRS profile of Al Capone and answer the following questions:

1. Where did Al Capone grow up?

2. Do you think that this report reflects an ongoing feud between the federal government and Al Capone?

3. How was Capone succsessful in hiding his finances from the IRS for so many years? How was the IRS finally able to link Capone to the money he was making?

Read the following article about one of Capone's most notorious crimes: the death of State Attorney William McSwiggin in 1926 from the Chicago Daily Tribune, then answer the following questions:

1. How was McSwiggin killed? What do the headlines from the
Chicago Daily News indicate about Capone and the death of McSwiggin?

2. What iconic gangster weapon was used in McSwiggin's death?

3. What do the circumstances of McSwiggin's murder say about the ties between organized crime and local politicians in Chicago?

Do you think it was a good idea for a man of Capone's reputation to attend public functions, such as baseball games? Do you think it was wise for the players to speak with a known gangster who ran gambling operations?

Download and read the following article, "Our Rackets and Racketeers seen through European Eyes", and answer the following questions:

1. How does the European press portray Al Capone?

How powerful do they consider him in comparison to the leaders of the country?

2. Do you think that more immigration and more diversity in America factors into the reason as to why racketeering is more successful in the U.S. than in individual European countries?

What role do you think Prohibition played in answering the same question?

3. The article states that, "few Europeans understand the relations between federal and state governments." Why might America's unique system of federalism factor into the reason for why gangsters were so successful in America?

4. Do you think that this era tarnished the reputation of the United States in the eyes of foreign countries?

5. How does the author suggest America should solve the problem? Do you get a sense that members of the European press see America as primitive and violent?

Do you think they were right?

mrsas@mistersauce.com