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 of a criminal syndicate that illegally supplied alcohol—the forerunner of the Outfit—and was politically protected through the Unione Siciliana. A conflict with the North Side Gang was instrumental in Capone's rise and fall. Torrio went into retirement after North Side gunmen almost killed him, handing control to Capone. Capone expanded the bootlegging business through increasingly violent means, but his mutually profitable relationships with mayor William Hale Thompson and the city's police meant he seemed safe from law enforcement. Capone apparently reveled in attention, such as the cheers from spectators when he appeared at ball games. He made donations to various