This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/5/2007.
Perhaps the most legendary crime figure of the 20th Century, Al Capone left an indelible mark on the City of Chicago. Stories about Capone are handed down like folklore from generation to generation, a man who unabashedly indulged in almost every vice imaginable, all the while knowing that his tenure as mob overlord could end with a single bullet from a rival gang. Under constant pressure to leave Chicago, especially during the 1928 Presidential campaigns when "Big" Bill Thompson was considering running, Capone retreated to Florida and bought the now famous residence on 93 Palm Island. In 1992, Leslie Hindman Auctions held an auction entitled "Prohibition Era and 20th Century Crime Memorabilia and Ephemera, Featuring Property from Al Capone's Palm Island, Florida Residence." This is one of those spectacular items: a dark wool bullet proof vest that was ostensibly worn by Capone in the 1920s. It is a dress suit style vest with four outer pockets and a row of five buttons, with hooks and straps on both sides to fasten the vest in place. Leather encased steel bars on the inside provided the protection Capone needed, considering that the 17-pound weight of this vest could become quite cumbersome under a suit jacket. Included is a full copy of same. Vest is in EXMT condition with some wear on the straps and some minor stitch separation. A tremendous piece of history!