Fri. Nov 22nd, 2024
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AL Capone’s incredibly-rare bulletproof 1928 Cadillac has gone on sale for £792,000.

The infamous mob leader – who went by the nickname Scarface – built up an empire during the prohibition era in the US.

This green 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan is up for grabs7

This green 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan is up for grabsCredit: mediadrumimages
One of Al Capone's cars is up for sale7

One of Al Capone’s cars is up for saleCredit: Getty
The rare motor has a hefty price tag

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The rare motor has a hefty price tagCredit: mediadrumimages
It is believed to be the first armoured car

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It is believed to be the first armoured carCredit: mediadrumimages

A young Calpone at the time fell in with mafia boss Big Jim Colosimo who was running a brothel at the time.

But then in 1920, the government banned alcohol – leaving Capone to a life he could have never imagined.

He made it his mission to supply the booze-loving American public with drink.

After years of crime, he was sentenced to 11 years at Alcatraz where he began suffering psychiatric problems.

He then died in 1947 at the age of 48 after spending time with his family at his Palm Island mansion.

One of the motors he left behind is now up for sale.

This incredible green 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan serves as one of the first armoured cars.

It’s rumoured to have been modified for the gangster by a mechanic with the help of his ten-year-old son.

The vehicle now has a hefty price tag of £792,000 compared to the £500 pricetag it had back in the 30s.

The car is currently for sale with Celebrity Cars in Las Vegas.

1946 news report shows the epic The Battle of Alcatraz

Capone was born on January 17, 1899, in Brooklyn, New York, in an area ridden by vices, mainly serving the hell-raising needs of US Navy sailors in the nearby dockyard.

By 14 he was finished with school after being expelled for assaulting a female teacher.

But the tearaway teen’s life was to change forever when he met his mentor, small-time mobster Johnny Torrio who ran the James Street Boys gang.

Torrio taught him the importance of maintaining a respectable front while being a racketeer to avoid heat from the law.    

During a fight as a teenager in a brothel-bar, a thug slashed him across the face with a blade.

The deep facial wound left him scarred.

This earned him the nickname “Scarface” which of course helped cement his fearsome reputation.

When he turned to a life of supplying alcohol for Americans he became linked directly to at least 33 deaths during the period.

It is believed many more were murdered.

The car is on sale in Las Vegas7

The car is on sale in Las VegasCredit: mediadrumimages
It originally only had a price tag of £500

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It originally only had a price tag of £500Credit: mediadrumimages
It's rumoured to have been modified for the gangster by a mechanic with the help of his ten-year-old son

7

It’s rumoured to have been modified for the gangster by a mechanic with the help of his ten-year-old sonCredit: mediadrumimages

Who was Al Capone?

AL Capone remains a gangland legend 70 years after his death – and for a very good reason.

Alphonse Capone – also known as “Scarface” – was the infamous leader of the Chicago mafia during the Prohibition era.

He was born on January 17, 1899, in Brooklyn, New York, in an area ridden by vices, mainly serving the hell-raising needs of US Navy sailors in the nearby dockyard.

He is linked directly to at least 33 deaths during the period. It is believed many more were murdered.

During his reign, he was known as America’s Public Enemy No one.

But investigators found it difficult to bring him to justice and finally had to nail him with tax-dodging charges.  

Used to living the luxurious high life in penthouse suites, Capone’s life was reduced to four walls of Alcatraz

In 1931 Capone and 69 members of his gang were charged with tax evasion.

He was found guilty and sentenced to 11 years in prison, spent most of his stretch in Alcatraz prison which was located on an island of San Francisco.  

It was here he began suffering psychiatric problems related to his syphilis.

In 1939 he was released, but his mental capacity was on the slide.

The year before his death, a test showed he had the mind of a 12-year-old.

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