Frank Capone's Funeral

Written May 2009 as a general entertainment piece for a funeral magazine.

It should be no surprise to you that one of the most flamboyant funerals ever held was that of one of New York’s most notorious and feared sons. After all, the city has been setting trends in the fashion and culture worlds for decades. Yet it was America’s ‘Second City’, Chicago, which was the home of the most unique funeral of the 1920s.

Twenty thousand dollars alone was spent on tributes arranged via racketeer florist Dion O’Banion. At the current American inflation rate, this puts the figure at almost a quarter of a million dollars. Such was the volume of public grief, the decorations packed fifteen of the one hundred cars forming the funeral cortège. More flowers were strewn across the family home’s doors and garden.

Put simply, it was an extravagant funeral to compliment an extravagant persona. Tall and lean with thick wavey hair, he was frequently at the heart of the family’s business dealings. Each time, dressed in a luxurious, high-priced suit. His attention to detail was immaculate.

So when one of the leading figures behind Chicago’s most dangerous criminal network of the time passed away, it came as no surprise that his coffin pulled no punches. Silver-plated in design, its value greatly exceeded that of any of his family. Perhaps this is due to the common belief that had this criminal mastermind survived the events of April 1st 1924, he would have eclipsed the power held by his brother, Al Capone.

Four years older than Al, Frank ‘Salvatore’ Capone was born in 1895. He moved from the harsh surroundings of New York City with his family to begin a new life in Chicago, Illinois. Later residing at 7244 South Prairie Avenue, the address was also to be the venue for Frank’s funeral. His mother later passed away in the same house in 1952.

Although Al was famed for his use of violence to terrorise his victims, Frank Capone was regarded as even more dangerous. He often chose to resort to drawing his gun without hesitation.

Ultimately, Frank’s reluctance to negotiate and extreme methods of intimation proved his downfall. During the Primary election of 1924, Frank and Al’s ‘Chicago Outfit’ gang attempted to influence voting in Cicero, a suburb of the city. Standing at polling booths brandishing submachine guns and sawn-off shotguns, voters were only permitted into booths if they voted for City Manager Joseph Klenha.

Hearing of the threats, the Chicago Police cornered Frank. Believing them to be members of a North Side mob, he drew his gun to open fire. Before he could so, Capone was shot dead. Just weeks later, the same police officers involved attended Frank’s funeral. They stood just yards from Al Capone. The Chicago Tribune described the event as being “fit for a distinguished statesman”.

Amongst Frank’s family there were no doubts as to his status in society. Frank’s family, particularly Al, openly wept at his funeral. As was common at the time amongst crime syndicates, Al Capone attended the funeral unshaven as a mark of respect to his brother.

In fact, Capone was held in such high regard by the local community that every gambling house and red light district in the Cicero area ceased trading for two hours as a mark of respect to the gangster.

Having received protection from the Capones to ensure they traded without intervention from the police, there was an overwhelming sense of loss amongst these businesses. Indeed, the general mood of Frank Capone’s last rites was sombre- perhaps due to being just 28.

Whatever the level of loss, Frank Capone could not escape the reality that he killed, terrorised and corrupted. This may go some way to why his memorial at his original resting place, Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery in the heart of Chicago is inscribed with the words: “My Jesus, mercy”.

Faced with growing local and tourist interest, both Frank and Al’s remains were moved to the quieter surroundings of Mount Carmel Cemetery, around half an hour from Chicago’s centre. Much larger in size than Mount Olivet, the graves are marked by a small headstone obscured by plants and trees as the city and cemetery aim to remind visitors that there is more to the area than its links with the Capones.

As much as the Capones will be remembered for their cold, heartless disregard for society, one has to look past this for a minute and see that this funeral was a hugely warm and loving financial public display of a family’s undoubted grief. Even in today’s high-spending celebrity society, this funeral will take some beating.