James Vincenzo Capone James Vincenzo Capone Richard James Hart (born Vincenzo Capone in Angri, Italy; March 28, 1892 – October 1, 1952) was the oldest brother of infamous Chicago gangster, Al Capone. Capone left home at age 16 and moved from Brooklyn to Nebraska, ostensibly to join a circus. He worked to lose his Brooklyn accent and tried to disguise his Italian ancestry as well. He enlisted in the United States Army in World War I, served in France, and earned a commission as a lieutenant. After the war, Capone legally changed his name to Richard James Hart, partly in honor of his
Al Capone Torrio was returning from a shopping trip when he was shot several times. After recovering, he effectively resigned and handed control to Capone, age 26, who became the new boss of an organization that took in illegal breweries and a transportation network that reached to Canada, with political and law-enforcement protection. In turn, he was able to use more violence to increase revenue. An establishment that refused to purchase liquor from him often got blown up, and as many as 100 people were killed in such bombings during the 1920s. Rivals saw Capone as responsible for the proliferation of brothels