Who would have thought it, Chicago's infamous gangster, Al Capone, was not only a notorious mobster but a mandolinist, and a bit of a composer/songwriter, as well. "He did have a human side after all," according to an ABC news article. "But maybe it took several years in the harshest prison in the country for him to turn it around. After years of being under the federal government's watch, he was finally nabbed for tax evasion in 1931 and was serving time at the famous Alcatraz prison off the coast of California. From his prison cell more than 70 years ago, the story goes that Capone requested the warden to start a band. Capone got his wish, with other prisoners who knew music too, but this cold killer's love of music came long before his crimes caught up with him."

Capone was a big opera and jazz fan; he was known for hiring famous jazz musicians to entertain at his clubs and speakeasies. You can catch a performance of his original song "Madonna Mia" in the news video report.

View ABC News video report

Read article: Mobster's Killer Love Song Discovered

Posted by Ted at April 20, 2009 5:38 AM