Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Al Capone Was a Baseball Fan, Too: "You Tell Him"

From the July 3rd Chicago Tribune Chicago Flashback page.

In conjunction with the Crosstown Series, which was being played at Wrigley Field between the White Sox and the Cubs.

The Cubs and Sox also played an extra game in 1931 for charity to raise money for the relief of those hard-hit by the depression on September 9th.

Unfortunately, the Cubs won 3-0 (said the Sox fan).

But a photo made the headlines all over. Cub star Gabby Hartnett trotted over to the box seat occupied by Public Enemy No. 1, Al Capone and had a chat. At the time, Capone was under indictment for tax evasion. Capone's young son (who looks a bit like a young Babe Ruth) sat next to him and his bodyguard "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn, sat behind him.

When baseball commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis saw the picture, he was livid and telegraphed Hartnett, "You are no longer allowed to have your picture taken with Al Capone!"

Hartnett replied, "OK, but if you don't want me to have my picture taken with Al Capone, you tell him."

Capone was convicted of tax evasion the next month so I imagine it never became a problem.

Good One. --Cooter

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