1944: Al Capone is living with his family in Florida and suffering from advanced syphilis. J. Edgar Hoover orders FBI agent Peter Vasco to pose as a priest and get close to the infamous American gangster, so he can obtain information that might help the Bureau nab members of Capone's Chicago Outfit. Vasco and Capone bond over card games, lunches, and even a trip to Wisconsin, and Capone spills secrets that expose in vivid detail this monster who was the most iconic figure in twentieth-century crime.
What emerges is a fascinating, compelling portrait of Capone-a man who would stop at nothing to take what he wanted, but who also fed the poor of Chicago; who rose to the top of Chicago on a tide of bootleg beer and booze but took the time to ensure that innocent victims of mob violence got proper medical care. This is Al Capone as he's never been seen before, a ruthless crime lord who trafficked in death and corruption...as well as a man of refined tastes who loved his family.
Loren D. Estleman's The Confessions of Al Capone is a rigorously researched historical thriller, with sharp and subtly nuanced portrayals of Capone, his family, members of the Chicago outfit, J. Edgar Hoover, and even Ernest Hemingway in a riveting story that truly exposes the real man behind Capone's iconic, scarred visage.
