Capone’s crime gang raked in as much as $100 million annually

You may not know, that one of the interesting facts about Al Capone is that Capone's crime gang raked in as much as $100 million annually.

After arriving in Chicago, Capone began working for Torrio, who was part of a criminal organization led by Big Jim Colosimo. When Colosimo was assassinated (possibly as a result of a hit ordered by Torrio and carried out by Capone's former boss Frankie Yale), Torrio took over as boss and made Capone a key aide. Torrio was assassinated outside his Illinois home in January 1925. He survived the attack but left Chicago later that year, replacing himself with the 26-year-old Al Capone.

Capone grew "the outfit," as he referred to his underworld organization, and rose to become one of America's most powerful mobsters. According to some estimates, his crime syndicate made around $100 million per year, the majority of which came from bootlegging, followed by gambling, prostitution, racketeering, and other illegal activities. Capone, a flashy dresser who enjoyed chatting with reporters and became an international celebrity, never apologized for his way of life. He claimed to be performing a "public service" for Chicago residents, saying: “Ninety percent of the people of Cook County drink and gamble, and my offense has been to furnish them with those amusements.”