Posted: February 14th, 2023

Al Capone

Al Capone
Formation of criminal gangs and the increasing rate of criminality has been a major concern over the years. Various theories developed provides the cause of crime and deliquency in society. Violent gang has been very impactful in the society, where several street gangs have dominated states across the world. For instance, the Dominican street gang and the joloperros. Violent gangs are involved in criminal activities, such as drug dealing, money laundry, kidnapping, and hijacking.
Several gang leaders have made influenced innocent youths into oining gangs. One of the most popular and influential gang leader in the nineteenth century was Johnny Torrio in the Big Jim Colosimo gang. John Torrio influenced several people, such as AI Capone also known as the “Scarhead” (Corsino, 2017). The gang leader was the builder of Chicago outfit, operated a national crime syndicate in the 1930s, and an adviser of Lucky Luciano a gang member. Johnny Torrio influenced AI Capone into criminality, where later Capone inherited the Chicago outfit and became John Torrio right-hand man in gang leadership.AI Capone worked in John Torrio brothels as a bouncer and the supply of alcohol and other illicit items. Later, John Torrio died and left his businesses to AI Capone who took care of the companies for years before his downfall.
Johnny Torrio and AI Capone relationship and involvement in criminality are related to various crime theories. For instance, the differential association theory and the anomie theory of crime (Mark Lokanan, 2018). According to the differential association theory, people learn and emulate attitudes, techniques, values, and motives from other people. Also, individual interaction with individuals with criminal behaviours contributes to the development of deviance. Differential association theory is a learning theory formed in 1949 by Sutherland (Mark Lokanan, 2018).
The differential association crime theory consists of several propositions concerning crime (Mark Lokanan, 2018). For instance, all crimes are learnt from intimate relationships; criminal behaviours are learnt and emulated through close interactions; all crime associations are the same and only vary in frequency, priority, and duration. Additionally, differential association theory is a psychosocial theory that focuses on individual vulnerability and the nature of the environment (Corsino, 2017). Various TV shows have led to involvement in crime where stories concerning street gangs, for example, the Sopranos and the Godfather films influence individuals, especially children into violent behaviours and formation of teams.
On the other hand, the Anomie crime theory is relative to AI Capone and Johnny Torrie’s story, where social behaviours impact deviant behaviours and crime. The Anomie theory, as proposed by Emile Durkheim, seeks to explain that deviance is as a result of social changes and weakening of traditional and societal cultural values and norms (Bernburg, 2019). According to anomie theory, criminality takes place due to social disorganization or lack of values and code of conduct in the society or social institutions. The anomie theory is a social crime theory where lack of societal values leads to rebellion, ritualism, innovation, and conformity—for instance, the formation of national gangs and involvement in transnational crimes (Bernburg, 2019).
The differential association theory and anomie crime theory are relative to AI Capone involvement in the crime (Corsino, 2017). AI Capone engaged in crime out of the close interaction with Johnny Torrio, a leader of the national crime syndicate. Jonny Torrie’s criminal behaviour influenced AI Capone to engage in criminality, especially while working as a bouncer in Torrio Brothels. AI Capone depended on Johnny Torrio for survival, especially after dropping out of school after the sixth grade. The need to make ends meet led to conformity, where Capone conformed to the social changes according to the Anomie theory (Bernburg, 2019). Additionally, AI Capone learnt criminality from other people, which later made him a leader of Torrio criminal gang according to the differential association theory of crime (Mark Lokanan, 2018). AI Capone chances of engagement in crime were slim if the family were stricter and followed up on his behaviours and relationships with other people.
Also, if AI Capon chose friends with no criminal history, Capon could not ended up in criminality in the first place. The anomie theory five behavioural patterns are well represented in AI Capone behaviour development. The five central patters include, conformity, rebellion, ritualism, rebellion, and retreatism. AI Capone behaviour is relative to innovation and conformity behavioural pattern, where the individual desired to be like Johnny Torrio. Johnny Torrey was a well-known business person and well connected to crime syndicates supplying alcohol in most states.
AI Capone having dropped out of school desired to be wealthy and influential like Capone. The need and drive to be like Johnny Torrio, moved AI Capone into criminality which began by working where the organized crime took place, becoming Torrio right man to becoming the leader of the transnational gang group (Corsino, 2017). The society should uphold societal values and cultural norms to avoid and prevent involvement in the crime. Also, law enforcement should work and fight against crime and gang formation instead of conspiring with criminal groups. The law enforcement should arrest gang leaders for avoiding the appearance of other street gangs and membership.
References
Bernburg, J. G. (2019). Anomie theory. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Corsino, L. (2017). Al Capone: His Life, Legacy, and Legend.
Mark Lokanan PhD, C. F. E. (2018). Informing the fraud triangle: Insights from differential association theory. The Journal of Theoretical Accounting Research, 14(1), 55-98.