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Al Capone — Part 8

70 pages · May 23, 2026 · Broad topic: Organized Crime · Topic: Al Capone · 69 pages OCR'd
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The newspapers blazed with the story of the attempted assassination. The police came to Johnny’s bedside with questions and so did representa- tives from the office of the state's attorney. “Who did it,” they ced, wasti good breath, for Johnny, coward though he was at heart, would not violate law No. 1 in Gangland’s code, namely that you must never squawk to a policeman. But they persisted with the question- ing. “Don’t you know who they were,” asked John’ Shi To, an assistant state’s attorney. “Oh, hell,” replied Johnny in exasperation, “Of course 1 know. I'll tell you later.” But he never did. Neither could Attorney Sbarbaro pry any information from Capone nor rom Mrs. Torrio. “Why should I tell,” replied Mrs. Torrio “It wouldn’t do any good.” Mrs. Torrio knew her Chi- ¢ago. The amiable AI who stood out in the corridor of the hospital room parrying questions with reporters found it more difficult to repress him- self, and once, his emotions bubbled over. “The gang did it, the gang did i cried Al impulsively and then, as if to kick himself, snapped his mouth shut. When reporters pressed eerea es far in which Johnny Torrio and Mrs. Torrio rode as they fol- him ite, this, pe we aig STH tet were being lowed and fired upon by George “age” Moran, Eitile ‘Bymie" Weiss and Schemer Dracel. ous way as we shall see. A small boy who had witnessed the was shown a picture, taken at the got busier than ever, and on January 24, 1925, just twelve shooting of To: lays later, he and George “Bugs” Moran who were cruising funeral of O'Banion, and he Pointed out George “Bugs” pn the South Side, spotted Johnny Torrio and Mrs. Torrio, Moran as one of the assassins. George, along with other his Irish wife, driving down the Boul Mich in their limou- gengsters, was gathered in and again identifi by the boy sine with a chauffeur at the wheel. This was eweet? George who picked him out from a group of men. Eventually and Hymie, instructed their chauffeur, “Nigger” ‘Pellar, Moran was released on $5,000 bonds (small change to not a Negro, to make for the “grease-ball.” The automobile Gangland) and nothing came of the case. darted crazily in and out of traffic in an effort te get into Little Hymie” had failed to get the “grease-ball” but a Position to “let him have it” but Johnny, who had his ‘attempt ‘had not been in vain. Though he fed not become cognizant of their presence, was trying to escape, killed Torrio, he had killed Torrio's career’ Whats more He kept well in front untit his automobile final lly drew up he had caused the complexion of Signor Torrio to turn in front of his little bungalow at 7011 Clyde Avenue, a few a definite yellow. He had had enough, quite enough. When blocks from Chicago's aristocratic South Shore Country Club. his wounds had healed, Torrio left the hospital by a side Johnny jumped from the car, literally dragging hin wite entrance. A vast body guard engulfed him. ‘Torin had out after him. But the Savage gcngsters were upon him thought of a way by which he could keep clear of any before he had taken a dozen steps. A doren chete or more more attacks from “Little Hymie” Weiss, Torrie thought Were fired. George Moran, afraid he might miss, had placed of everything. This time he thought it would be fine if he himself on the running board, and, as the car slowed down could to jail and let the law Oretect him. You will he leapt out and, with a gun in each hand, poured lead remember that Little Johnny and ’Banion were arrested at the underworld lord. Torrio fell to the cement walk. together one cold morning in front of the Sieben brewery? People were beginning to appear on front porches, heads Well, there was a Federal “rap” awaiting Johnny on that, Were sticking out of the windows of apartment buildings. and he had decided that it would be useless and wonderful The killers, believing that Torrio was dead, made away fot to contest it further. Indeed, he induced the authorities at top speed, taking a corner on two wheels, to let him begin Serving his year's sentence on February But Little Johnny Torrio was not dead. As 7, instead of February 27, the date set by the his hysterical wife bent over his prostrate body, : government originally. And so Little Johnny he opened his eyes and moaned for a doctor, crept into s jail cell and he “selected” a jail as When one came Johnny again brought himself far away from Chicago as possible. It was in to consciousness long enough to whisper that Waukegan, Illinois, The doors of his cell slam the wounds be cauterized. Little Johnny thought shut and we shall see him no more. of everything. Half-dead and in agony he could . remember that the balls of lead which burned Johnny Torrio, the boy who had been known in his body might have been rubbed with garlic on the old east side of New York as “Terrible Johnny” was terrible no longer. He had had and that, though the bullets themselves might not kill him, the poison from lead and garlic enough. What kind of a life did Johnny lead in banner ne her cout aomterize ie he moaned the Waukegan ecll? He asked and received an e ime Be! “insi i ir marginal of consciousness, and, all the way na aoe ight in such a oenired fo eorhake he the ambulance to the Jackson Park Hospital, the inaccessible to the naked eye (and the garlic attendants heard this order again and again. ; - if ‘And, as they took him in the homiter a the bullet from the outside). At the end of his sen. stretcher, Little Johnny had another bright idea, tence, ten months later, he dropped completely Bingen fat fe Could nk of etme Ghigo of bin ait She thea om away from a sangeet He, be, placed in Undertaking “parse he is somewhere im New Jersey neotae tgtntt is in Italy. Our guess is that he is in Italy. room away from a window, and far removed from, a fire escape. Later he insisted that his UafeFtabng_parior business. It is farther away from Chicago’s Gangland. (20) 4 Y own body guard increased. And it was.
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