Capone’s Politicking and Ruthlessness
Capone’s crafty maneuvering to evade scrutiny made him an ideal political benefactor. He supported politicians willing to overlook his bootlegging operations, often greasing their palms with hefty sums of money. Capone contributed $250,000 to William Hale Thompson, a notoriously corrupt politician, for his mayoral campaign. Upon Thompson’s victory, he allowed Capone to run his bootlegging empire throughout Chicago with impunity. Following Thompson’s death, officials discovered $27 million in his safety deposit box—cash that had mysteriously materialized from unaccounted sources.
Capone approached politics with the same ruthlessness he displayed in his criminal enterprises, eliminating those who opposed his interests, including Joe Esposito in 1928 and other politicians who opposed Capone’s plans.
