William Colbeck (gangster) and no one was charged in his shooting. On the strength of the testimony of Egan gangster Ray Renard, Colbeck and eight of his men were convicted on November 15, 1924, and sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. While in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, one of his cell mates was Chicago gang boss Al Capone, who assisted him in his work with the Catholic chaplain. Legend has it the two hit it off so well they planned to go into business together once they were both paroled. These plans were foiled by Capone's transfer to Alcatraz in 1934. Paroled
Al Capone as having an appreciable effect in bringing about the victories of Republican William Hale Thompson, especially in the 1927 mayoral race when Thompson campaigned for a wide open town, at one time hinting that he'd reopen illegal saloons. Such a proclamation helped his campaign gain the support of Capone, and he allegedly accepted a contribution of $250,000 from the gangster. In the 1927 mayoral race, Thompson beat William Emmett Dever by a relatively slim margin. Thompson's powerful Cook County political machine had drawn on the often-parochial Italian community, but this was in tension with his highly successful courting of African