Murder, Mafia, and Mayhem

"Get up! And get dressed!" This was what typical and potential mafia member would hear on the way to his induction "ceremony." He would be seated at a long wooden table next to his boss, and be told to join hands with other members of that mafia, often Italian, and recite oaths of loyalty for a series of promises. The inductee, such as Al Capone (left) would be demanded to hold a burning piece of paper. In some mafia "families" there would be a godfather that would guide the inductee into his life of treachery and murder. Last, the man must draw a single drop of blood from his trigger finger. In this case of 1920s mafia and gangsters, Al Capone would be the Godfather. He was a man who was responsible of tens and maybe hundreds of deaths, all throughout the ttwenties. This picture in particularly to our right, i thought was most shocking. This is a picture of Capone when he was transferred to Alcatraz Prison, on Alcatraz Island located off of the coast of San Fransisco, California. I thought it was quite interesting that someone as brutal as Al, and all the chaos that he had caused, he is still smiling in his mugshot.. Very interesting.... Anyways, to our right is a picture of one of Capone's famous bloodbaths; The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. It was between two gangs of the Prohibition Era: The South Side Italian Gang headed by Al Capone, and the North Side Irish Gang, Headed by Bugs Moran. It all started when two members if the North Side Gang were dressed up as police men, and had killed two members on Capones gang, on Valentines Day of 1929. Only, Capone didn't realize it wasn't who he thought killed his men. Blaming it on Moran's gang, six members of Bugs Moran and The North Side Irish gang were eliminated by Capone and his men. With the death of Capone at 48, I believe his work had sparked many other gang violences that we now very well today. Of course there were many other gangs and mafias to pick on that became very famous in our dear twenties, but i prefer to pick the ones that wont come back to haunt me.. :P

Oddly enough, Al Capone was also known for his humor and personality, as well for his hospitality and personability. What do you think of Capone and his men? Were they just in what they did? or Just pain stupid?