The Criminal Styles of Al Capone and John Dillinger free essay sample

At the same time, John Dillinger is one of the most notorious bank robbers in the United States history. Al Capone built a criminal empire based on fear of the people. According to Al Capone Quotes (2001-2011), â€Å"I have built my organization upon fear (p. 1). † On the other hand, John Dillinger did not want to scare people or for people to have any fear of him. According to â€Å"Brainy Quotes† (2001-2011), â€Å"Now nobody get nervous, you aint got nothing to fear. Youre being robbed by the John Dillinger Gang, thats the best there is! (p. 1)† Al Capone and John Dillinger grew up living different lifestyles. However, both men relied on the streets to make a living. Although Al Capone and John Dillinger lived the life of crime, they had different criminal styles in which they used to commit their crimes. Al Capone grew up in a poor and rough neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. We will write a custom essay sample on The Criminal Styles of Al Capone and John Dillinger or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Capone developed as a smart boy, but his school expelled him for hitting a female teacher in the sixth grade. Capone never returned to school after the school expelled him. At this time, Capone a 14 year-old teenager, turned to the streets to make a living. Capones father moved the family to a new neighborhood with the hope of a better life for the family. This move ultimately led Capone to choose a different path in life (â€Å"Al Capone,† n. d. ). At this time, Capone became a member of two â€Å"kid gangs,† the Brooklyn Rippers and the 40 Thieves Juniors (â€Å"Al Capone,† n. d. ). In addition to running the streets, Capone worked various odd jobs, from a pin-boy in a bowling alley to a candy store clerk. However, Capone wanted more in life than what a normal job would offer him. Capone became involved in organized crime while working as a bouncer in a club called the Harvard Inn (â€Å"Al Capone,† n. d. ). Capone received the nickname, â€Å"Scarface,† for insulting a female while working one night at the Harvard Inn. Although Al Capone came from a poor area, a middle-class residential neighborhood in Indianapolis, Indiana is where John Dillinger grew up. Dillinger frequently got in trouble with the law for fighting, petty theft, and bullying smaller children. Dillinger quit school at age 16 and began to work irregular jobs. Dillinger’s father decided to move the family to a farm near Mooresville, Indiana, but Dillinger hated the rural life (â€Å"John Dillinger,† 2004). At age 19, the police arrested Dillinger for stealing a car. Afraid of prosecution, Dillinger joined the Navy, but that lasted only for a few months. Not long after leaving the Navy Dillinger and a friend, Ed Singleton, attempted to rob a local grocer (â€Å"Famous Cases and Criminals,† n. d. ). The police charged Dillinger with assault and battery with the intent to commit robbery and for conspiracy to commit a felony. Dillinger plead guilty, and the court convicted Dillinger of two consecutive sentences. Dillinger received a sentence of two to 14 years and 10 to 20 years in prison (â€Å"Famous Cases and Criminals,† n. d. ). Dillinger got quite a harsh sentence for a first time offender. During the time in prison, Dillinger embraced the criminal lifestyle by befriending seasoned bank robbers and studying Herman Lamms meticulous bank-robbing system (Sensagent, 2011). Al Capone became a heartless murderer who chose to live his life by way of the gun to get where and what he wanted in life. As a result, the street life transformed Capone from a small time gangster into a shrewd criminal executive by the age 26. Capone organized a group of more than 1,000 members, and mainly experienced gunmen represented Capones organization (Fisher, 2003). Capone made a living bootlegging, racketeering, and running brothels. Furthermore, Capone decided to pay off people to avoid time in jail, and one could never find a witness around when Capone committed a murder or criminal act. Therefore, Capone stayed a free man for many years. Capone killed anyone who crossed him, and Capone bashed the brains out of three members of his own gang because the members wanted to kill him. Capone also took over other gangland territories by any means necessary. In 1929, Capone ordered the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in an effort to kill rival gang leader George â€Å"Bugsy† Moran, but instead killed seven of Bugsys gang members (â€Å"Al Capone,† 2004). Although Capone became a cruel and viscous man, people still admired him. Members of the police and members of Chicagos government officials admired Capone, but Capone definitely did not earn the admiration of anyone (â€Å"Capone Al,† 2003). Capone killed hundreds of people and had no remorse for his actions. Capone always managed to evade time in jail, but the court system later convicted and incarcerated Capone for tax vasion. On the contrary, John Dillinger committed petty crimes until released from prison. While serving time in the penitentiary, Dillinger spent much of the time in solitary confinement. In solitary confinement Dillinger became a bitter man who turned into a hardened criminal. When the prison released Dillinger, businesses would most likely no t employ this ex-convict. Instead of working legally, Dillinger began robbing banks to make a living. Dillinger stole guns from police stations that he used during bank robberies and in shootouts with police officers. Dillingers exploits caused the death of a few citizens because FBI agents accidentally gunned down three innocent workers during a shootout with Dillinger and the Dillinger gang (â€Å"Famous Cases and Criminals,† n. d. ). Although Dillinger enjoyed stealing money, Dillingers actions traumatized many innocent people in the process. When the police captured Dillinger, it did not take very long for Dillinger to escape and go on the run. Although not a murderer, Dillinger killed one man, an officer from East Chicago, during his criminal career (â€Å"Famous Cases and Criminals,† n. d. . In conclusion, although Al Capone and John Dillinger lived the life of crime, they had different criminal styles in which they used to commit their crimes. Al Capone came from a poor area, yet John Dillinger came from a middle-class residential area. Al Capone developed into a heartless murderer, while John Dillinger preferred thievery. Similarly, both men quit school as teenagers, and both men chose the streets to make a living. Al Capone survived by bootlegging, racketeering, and running brothels. On the other hand, John Dillinger made a living stealing money from banks. As opposed to Al Capone killing hundreds of people, John Dillinger killed only one man during his lifetime. Indeed Al Capone transformed himself into a viscous man who always seemed to avoid time in jail. In the end, Capone spent time locked up where his shrewd ways would get the best of him. Even though John Dillinger learned how to become a better criminal during the time he spent in prison, Al Capones experience in prison changed him because he could no longer boss people around. Consequently, Al Capones time locked away from the world stopped the streets from providing his way f living.