• SUBSCRIBE
Athlon Outdoors Supersite
Tactical Life Website
Ballistic Website
Personal Defense World Website
Skillsetmag Website
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors Super Site
No Result
View All Result
  • TL
  • PDW
  • BM
  • Skillset
 
Welcome to GLOCKTOBER! Click here for all things GLOCK.

Al Capone’s Colt .45 1911 Could Be Yours—in an Auction of His Belongings

ShareTweetPin
The Al Capone Colt .45 1911
Joshua SwanagonbyJoshua Swanagon
September 3, 2021
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Al “Scarface” Capone is one of this country’s most notorious crime figures. His legend has lived on to this day in numerous articles, books and movies. Likewise, he has been the model for countless criminal masterminds in the realm of fiction since his death. Recently, his family has opened the family treasure chest and is auctioning many of the mobster’s belongings. If you’ve ever wanted to own a connection to Al Capone’s past, his Colt .45 is the place to start.

Al Capone’s Colt .45

Up for auction on Witherell’s—Al Capone’s Colt .45 Automatic, carried by Capone and considered his favorite gun. The .45 caliber Colt model 1911 semi-automatic has a serial number of C 837. The entire slide features beautiful engraving down its length. They refinished the pistol at the time of engraving.

The handle features what appears to be stag grips that are listed in excellent condition. The blue finish is listed as “good as refinished.”

There are no further details provided about this particular Colt .45 with an estimated value of $100,000 – $150,000.

Provenance: Al Capone to Mae Capone to Sonny Capone to his daughters, uninterrupted.

The Al Capone Colt .45 1911
(Photo by Sara Ahrens)

A Life of Crime

Born in New York City, New York, to Italian immigrants in 1899, Al Capone entered a life of crime at a young age. As a teenager he joined the Five Points Gang acting as a bouncer for the organized crime outfit.

It was the move to Chicago in his early twenties that changed everything for the aspiring crime lord. He moved to Chicago at the request of Chicago Outfit enforcer Johnny Torrio. It was here that he began as a bouncer at a brothel, which would ultimately lead to his demise. During his time at the brothel, he contracted syphilis, for which he never sought attention.

Capone and Torrio ran a bootleg beer business until the murder of James “Big Jim” Colosimo. It was at this time that Torrio took over the empire, taking Capone as his bodyguard and right-hand man. The two became the head of the biggest crime group in the city, with designs to be negotiators of territory agreements.

Torrio’s stint as a negotiator didn’t last long, as a dispute arose between the North Side Gang and his allies, the Genna Brothers. When negotiations failed Torrio arranged for the murder of Dean O’Banion, the head of the North Side Gang. This fateful decision led to Hymie Weiss, who took O’Banion’s place, to make it a priority to get revenge.

Following the murder of O’Banion, The North Side Gang ambushed Capone, who was unhurt. However, twelve days later Torrio was not as lucky. Returning from a shopping trip the North Side Gang shot him several times. Following his recovery, Torrio resigned, handing control of the Chicago Outfit to a 26-year-old Capone.

A Crime Boss

With his newfound power, coupled by a huge bootlegging network and political and law-enforcement protection, he used more violent measures. To increase revenue, Capone went as far as blowing up establishments that refused to buy liquor from him. Many also considered him responsible for the rise of brothels in the city.

Al Capone and associates.

Capone’s character and personality made him somewhat of a national celebrity. The intrigue of a figure such as Capone captured the minds of the people. Capone was also known as a prolific philanthropist, donating to various charities and receiving the image of “modern-day Robin Hood.” This only helped to bolster his public image.

Over the following years Capone engaged in violent altercations with other crime bosses that left Chicago war torn. However, it wasn’t until the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre that Capone lost public support and political and law enforcement allegiances. This one event would ultimately lead to Capone’s fall.

With his political and law enforcement protection at an end, a friend of President Herbert Hoover contacted him to intervene. It was the attention of Federal agencies, that led to various short prison sentences for prohibition violations and carrying concealed weapons. Most notably would be Al Capone’s favorite Colt .45 1911.

The newfound legal attention resulted in Capone being listed as the number one “public enemy.”

The End

With the failure of law enforcement to keep Capone in prison they decided to turn their attention to tax evasion. While investigators focused on tax evasion, Eliot Ness and his team of Untouchables were attacking Capone’s operations. This inflicted major financial damage and led to an indictment of 5,000 violations of prohibition.

Initially filing a guilty plea in exchange for a 2 ½ year sentence, Capone rescinded the plea after the judge refused to honor it. It was then that the focus on tax evasion increased. By the end of the ordeal the government charged Capone with evasion of $215,000 in taxes on $1,038,654 income.

The last photo taken of Al Capone.
The last photo taken of Al Capone.

A week after the trial Capone was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, plus fines. He began his sentence at the Atlanta U.S. Penitentiary but was later moved to the newly finished Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. It was rumors of preferential treatment at Atlanta U.S. Penitentiary that led to the move.

As the years progressed, so did the neurosyphilis, leading to Capone’s mental decline. He spent the final year of his sentence in the hospital section of Alcatraz. After serving his entire sentence they moved him from Alcatraz to Federal Correction Institution at Terminal Island to finish his contempt sentence. He received parole 11 months later when his wife appealed to the court, due to his reduced mental capabilities.

Approximately seven years later Al Capone suffered a stroke, followed by a cardiac arrest the next day. Al Capone was 48 years old when he died.

The Auction

“What people don’t know is his personal story as a father and grandfather and his painful path of redemption while at Alcatraz,” said granddaughter Diane Patricia Capone, daughter of his only son, Sonny Capone. “That is the unknown Capone I talk about in my book and it’s the story that comes to life with these family treasures.”

Al and Sonny Capone.
Al and Sonny Capone. (Photo by Sara Ahrens)

Registration for the auction of Al Capone’s Colt .45 is open today, with a starting price of $50,000. For more information, please visit Witherells.com.

Didn't find what you were looking for?

MOST POPULAR

300 Blackout vs 308, rifles, ammunition

300 Blackout vs 308 Win: Which Round Reigns Supreme in AR-15s?

Taurus Home Defender revolver in .410.

KA-BOOM: Here Comes the Taurus Judge Home Defender!

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

21 Best New Handguns [2023]

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

TRENDING

dick's sporting goods retail location

Dick’s Sporting Goods to Destroy All ‘Assault Rifles’ Left in Inventory

Hunting Aoudad Sheep Browning X-Bolt Hell's Canyon Speed Rifle lead

Hunting Aoudad Sheep in Western Texas with a Browning X-Bolt Rifle

Ballistic's Best Editors Selects 2021

Ballistic’s Best Editors’ Selects 2021 Awards Highlight Top Brands

Vigilance M20 pistol, reup

Vigilance M20: The New, Very Interesting-Looking 9mm SMG Platform

BROWSE BY BRAND

Skillset-Logo_yellow-153x47png
Ballistic_LOGO-217x47
CH-Logo_blue-153x47
T-L-SS-stack life-47x140
PDW_CCH_LOGO-300x101
PDW-2022-Sidebyside-logo 160x30-blk
GOW LOGO x101
AF_LOGO-184x47

SPOTLIGHT

Best Glock Pistols of All-Time, Glock 19, Glock 17, Glock 43, Glock 18, Glock 26

Best Glock Pistols of All-Time | Ranked by Ballistic Magazine

There are several opinions in the firearms world that can be contentious. A classic example is the fight over .45...

RELATED POSTS

Best Glock Pistols of All-Time, Glock 19, Glock 17, Glock 43, Glock 18, Glock 26

Best Glock Pistols of All-Time | Ranked by Ballistic Magazine

...

Predator – M134 Minigun.

Iconic Scary Movie Guns Just in Time for Halloween

...

Friday the 13th and the shooting sports

Friday the 13th and Superstition in the Shooting Sports World

...

Load More

TRENDING

DeSantis Ankle Holsters for Sig Sauer P938 C&L and P238 C&L

DeSantis has announced new product availabilities for two small SIG autos.

The Taurus GX4 Carry.

Taurus GX4 Carry Finds the Balance Between Capacity and Carry

Taurus USA has really created quite a stir in the industry over the past few years with all the new...

Sending rounds downrange at Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous.

Best New Hunting Guns & Gear From Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous

Traveling for work lost some of the allure it brought 30 years ago. But I still look forward to the...

holster, holsters, full-size pistol, full-size handgun, handgun, handguns, pistol, pistols

Practical Concealed Carry: How to Carry A Full-Size Pistol

Given that your carry weapon is a lifesaving tool, carrying a full-size pistol just may be the best decision you...

MOST POPULAR

The Mossberg MC2sc semi-auto pistol.

12 Best Micro-Compact Handguns for Concealed Carry [2022]

A thick veil of fog stood forever in front of me as I cruised down the highway at 6:30 in...

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

Law enforcement in the United States is in constant evolution and that includes various police sidearms. These days, law enforcement...

U.S. Secret Service adopts Glock G47

FIRST LOOK: Glock Just Very Quietly Unveiled the New Glock 47 Pistol

Tuesday afternoon we broke news that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection selected three Glock 9mm pistols as its new standard...

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

21 Best New Handguns [2023]

The NSSF SHOT Show is the premier event to get your hands on new gear. It gives us a first...

VIDEO SERIES: AT THE READY | SEASON 2

MORE VIDEOS

The Taurus GX4 Carry.

Taurus GX4 Carry Finds the Balance Between Capacity and Carry

The 21st Tec TEC47 Rifle.

The 21st Tec TEC47 AR-10 in 7.62x39mm Accepts AK Mags

HANDGUNS

Best Glock Pistols of All-Time, Glock 19, Glock 17, Glock 43, Glock 18, Glock 26

Best Glock Pistols of All-Time | Ranked by Ballistic Magazine

Predator – M134 Minigun.

Iconic Scary Movie Guns Just in Time for Halloween

The Taurus GX4 Carry.

Taurus GX4 Carry Finds the Balance Between Capacity and Carry

The Sig Sauer P320 FCU and Custom Shop circumvent restrictive state regulations.

Sig P320 FCU and Custom Shop Overcome Restrictive State Laws

New Graphene finish.

The Taurus GX4 Micro-Compact is Now Available in Graphene

The Pedersoli Howdah.

The Pedersoli Howdah: Recreating the Howdah’s Legacy

RIFLES - click to see all

The 21st Tec TEC47 Rifle.

The 21st Tec TEC47 AR-10 in 7.62x39mm Accepts AK Mags

The Watchtower Type 15M.

Watchtower Type 15M is Premium Forged and “All American Made”

The Heritage Tactical Rancher Carbine.

Heritage Tactical Rancher Carbine Brings the .22 LR and Mag Fun

The limited edition RISE Armament Topo Watchman rifle.

UPDATED: New RISE Armament Topo Watchman Limited-Edition

AMMO - click to see all

HEVI-Shot HEVI-Bismuth Upland loads.

HEVI-Shot HEVI-Bismuth Upland Expands Hunting Lineup

Ammo Storage, Survival Ammo, long term ammo storage, Prepper

Best Methods for Long-Term Ammo Storage

6 .410 Ammo Options for Home and Personal Defense.

.410 Ammo for Home Defense [2023]

.44 Magnum dirty harry

Your Guide to the .44 Magnum Cartridge

The Escort PS Youth 20-gauge shotgun.

The Escort PS Youth Shotgun is Now Available in .410 Bore

The 2022 Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous event.

Rendezvous Roundup: Guns & Gear at Athlon’s Signature Event

Magazines Available Now! Subscribe today for Home Delivery!
FREE NEWSLETTERS! Subscribe!
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • CORPORATE
  • ADVERTISE
  • EDIT DESK
No Result
View All Result
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS

© 2023 Athlon Outdoors - Premium Firearm product and industry news, reviews and magazines" .