3 weeks ago
Al Capone's individual items up for grabs
A pistol that nan notorious Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone nicknamed "sweetheart" is erstwhile again up for auction. This time, prospective buyers tin spot bids successful South Carolina connected nan limb that Capone's family members in installments pinch routinely protecting his life, aft a Greenville-based auction location acquired what is now considered by immoderate to beryllium an iconic collectible.
The winning bid for Capone's pistol is expected to travel astatine an exorbitant cost. Richmond Auctions will big a information of bidding connected nan weapon adjacent month, estimated that nan last value will onshore location betwixt $2 and $3 million. Their auction connected May 18 will return spot little than 3 years aft it sold for just complete $1 million astatine different auction successful California. Bidding starts astatine $500,000.
The .45 Colt semi-automatic pistol was manufactured successful 1911 and became 1 of Capone's astir prized possessions erstwhile he roseate to infamy arsenic a seemingly untouchable Chicago crime boss during nan 1920s. According to nan FBI, Capone's bequest includes a litany of criminal accusations involving gambling, prostitution, bootlegging, bribery, supplier trafficking, robbery, racketeering and murder. It is believed that Capone, who was sometimes known arsenic "Scarface," was down nan sadistic St. Valentine's Day massacre successful 1929.
In this Aug. 25, 2021 record photo, Brian Witherell displays a Colt .45-caliber pistol that erstwhile belonged to mob leader Al Capone, astatine Witherell's Auction House successful Sacramento, California.
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File
He evaded rule enforcement for years earlier yet being convicted of aggregate charges related to taxation evasion and prohibition violations successful 1931. He yet servied astir 7 and a half years successful national situation successful Atlanta and astatine nan notorious Alcatraz penitentiary disconnected nan seashore of San Francisco. Capone's wellness deteriorated during nan incarceration, and he died successful 1947 astatine 48 years old.
The mobster's .45 pistol, supposedly his "favorite" gun, was turned complete to his wife, Mae Capone, historians say. She handed it down to their son, Sonny Capone, who successful move near it to his daughters Diane and Barbara Capone pursuing his ain decease successful 2004.
Al Capone's granddaughters initially put nan pistol up for auction successful 2021, alongside astir 200 of their grandfather's individual belongings. Witherell's auction house, based successful Sacramento, facilitated nan bidding connected a wide scope of items Capone had owned during his life that by past were portion of his estate, including jewelry, watches and galore weapons of varying types. The .45, which sold successful nan extremity for hundreds of thousands of dollars much than anticipated, went to a backstage collector.
Al Capone (left) sits successful a train compartment pinch an unidentified subordinate during his carrier to situation successful October 1931.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
"This weapon was benignant of his protection and I deliberation it saved his life connected a number of occasions and truthful he called it his sweetheart," said Diane Capone during an question and reply pinch CBS News up of that auction. She said that arsenic acold arsenic she knew, her grandfather carried nan pistol pinch him everyplace he went.
Critics person denounced nan family's determination to auction disconnected items from Capone's estate, and for turning a profit considering nan gangster had a manus successful galore convulsive and deadly crimes during his reign successful Chicago. But others constituent to nan humanities value of Capone's belongings successful nan coming day, and particularly that of his treasured "sweetheart" pistol.
"This peculiar Colt 1911 is much than conscionable a firearm. It's a relic of an era marked by lawlessness and larger-than-life personalities," said Kimmie Williams, a firearms master astatine Richmond Auctions, in a statement. "Its profound relationship to Al Capone adds an other furniture of allure, making it a must-have and trump-card for immoderate world-class collector."
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Emily Mae Czachor
Emily Mae Czachor is simply a newsman and news editor astatine CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing connected crime and utmost weather. Emily Mae has antecedently written for outlets including nan Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
