(UnitedVoice.com) – Curiosity hunters will soon have an opportunity to own some unique items with a dark past. Notorious gangster Al Capone’s granddaughters are auctioning off a selection of his most prized possessions.
The auction catalog for what’s being called “A Century of Notoriety: the Estate of Al Capone” lists 174 items.https://t.co/jli4tKg9E8
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) August 23, 2021
Alphonse Capone was involved in organized crime his whole adult life, but he became infamous during Prohibition. Building a Chicago-based bootlegging empire that brought whiskey in from Canada, and using his wealth to corrupt the city’s government, Capone became a public figure and bought popularity by donating to charities and running public soup kitchens during the Great Depression. His popularity began to fade as his battles with other gangs became increasingly violent. He was finally jailed for tax evasion in 1931.
Now Capone’s granddaughter, 77-year-old Diane Capone, plans to auction his remaining possessions. Diane and her two sisters say they’ve decided to sell now because they’re getting old and they’re worried a wildfire could destroy the artifacts located in Diane’s California home.
In total, 174 items will be up for sale, including furniture, jewelry, letters and porcelain figures. However, the most attractive item for collectors will be Capone’s favorite Colt M1911 pistol, which has a starting price of $50,000. Diane says her grandfather used the gun for self-defense and “it probably saved his life on a few occasions” – and, if you have the money and can get to Witherell’s auction house in Sacramento on October 8, it could be yours.
Copyright 2021, UnitedVoice.com
