Ralph Capone Sr. was born on January 12, 1894 in Angri, Italy. He was one of nine siblings born to Gabriel and Teresa Capone, and the older brother to Al “Scarface” Capone, future boss of the Chicago outfit.
Ralph, his brother Vincenzo, and his mother arrived in the United States at Ellis Island on June 18, 1895. His father arrived several months earlier and established a home near the Navy yards in Brooklyn, New York. As his father worked in a nearby barbershop, Teresa stayed busy with their growing family. Four years after they moved to Brooklyn Ralph’s mother gave birth to Alphonse Capone. In 1910 the family moved from their home near the Navy yards to 38 Garfield Pl. in Park slope, Brooklyn.
Ralph married Filomena Muscato on September 24, 1915. He was 21 years old and she just 17. They had one child, a son named Ralph Gabriel Capone on April 17, 1917. They divorced in 1921.
During the time Ralph was establishing a family his younger brother Al was being groomed by a well-known Brooklyn gangster named Johnny Torrio. After Al married in 1918, Torrio beckoned him to Chicago in anticipation of the start of prohibition. Ralph accompanied his brother Al to Chicago taking his son, but leaving his wife behind.
In Chicago, Ralph was placed in charge of the bottling plants for the Chicago version of the mafia formally called the Outfit. Torrio was attempting to monopolize nonalcoholic beverages that were commonly used in mixed drinks during the time the sale of alcohol was outlawed. The family became successful in their endeavors taking large profits for the Outfit. They even became the second largest soft drink vendor during the 1933 World’s Fair.
By 1930 his brother Al had complete control of the Chicago Outfit and nearly all of the illegal alcohol flowing in and out of Chicago. In April, 1930 Al was named as public enemy number one by the Chicago Crime Commission. Ralph was number three. Less than a year later his brother would be tried and convicted for tax evasion and sent to prison on an eleven year stretch. Frank Nitti was picked to be the new boss of the Chicago Outfit. Brother Ralph remained with the crime family and placed in charge Chicago’s Cotton Club, a front for syndicate gambling.
Though Ralph was the older brother of Al, he never held a position of power within the Outfit. He was a trusted front man and good earner, but stayed clear of the dirty side of the business choosing to earn money from legitimate business fronts. In 1932 Ralph, like his brother, was also convicted of tax evasion. He served three years.
After his release from prison, Capone moved to Mercer, Wisconsin where he purchased a home and eventually a hotel named “The Red Hotel” and attached tavern named “Billy’s Bar”. During his time in Wisconsin he still had ties to the Outfit as members of the crime family were frequent visitors of his hotel; a safe place to lay low. He died on November 22, 1974 of natural causes in Hurley, Wisconsin.
I’ve read in several sources that Teresa was pregnant with Ralph when she came to the states, and that Ralph was actually born in Brooklyn, and his brother Jimmy (Vincenzo) was the only Capone of his generation to have been born in Italy. Jimmy, Ralph, Frank and Al and their siblings were born in Brooklyn.
At some point Al assigned Ralph to run a dairy, figuring milk had a good markup and might form the basis of continuing profits after Prohibition came to an end. For whatever it’s worth, his granddaughter claims that it was as a dairyman that Ralph acquired the nickname “Bottles.” But it seems to me likely he would have already picked it up from bottling booze and soft drinks.
The bar he owned was not the Red it was the Rex. My grandparents owned after Ralph. In fact my family has many of the decorative figurines that were displayed in the bar when Ralph owned it.
I couldn’t find too much about the restaurant. Do you have any pictures of it you would be willing to share? Ralph’s post could use some more.
I had the opportunity to get to know Ralph’s nephew who days Ralph’s wife is still alive
Thanks for sharinig. What a pleasure to read!
I am the daughter whose parents owned Billy’s Bar/Rex Hotel. I have pictures of the bar with all the beautiful Cambridge glasses that sat on the back bar that gave it an additional name of the Glass Bar. It also shows pictures of slot machines which tells me it was quite a bar in its hay day. I have a good part of the glasses that are shown in this picture which contain nudes holding goblets of all sizes. I would love to find out the values of theses glasses with the proof of there origin.
As a young girl, I had the pleasure of meeting Ralph and Madeline at their home on Lake Martha in Mercer, Wisconsin. I knew Madeline’s daughter Lisa. I also knew quite a few of Ralph’s relatives known as the Hart’s. Growing up in Mercer and it being such a small town, it seemed everyone knew everybody. Because my parents owned Billy’s Bar/Rex Hotel it made the connection more relevant. I am still connected to friends in Mercer as my parents owned the bar for almost 30 years.
Didn’t Ralph own the Rex Bar across from heart of north. Remembering when I was younger my Dad ans I would go in for. Burger. Ralph was a very fine man.
And the radio station down stairs at Billy’s?
It was the Rex Hotel and Billy’s bar. My mom has pics. I could share if I had an email
Would anybody know the name of the bartender or manager/supervisor of the bar. My grandfather who worked with and for Ralph Capone may have been employed at the Rex and his name was Bill. Have always been curious about the association with Ralph Capone , but Grandma and Grandpa were always very hush hush. They always said you would read about it in history books someday 🙂
I grew up in Manitowish Waters, not far from Mercer. As underage teenagers we were often in the “Rex” as ID checks were not done, and we could drink a few beers. His wife was behind the bar and he, Ralph, senile then, sat at the end of the bar drinking. Madeline (spelling?) was his wife.