Al Capone and the 1933 World’s Fair: The End of the Gangster Era in Chicago

I bet you know how they got Capone: Eliot Ness, the tax records, and all that. Even if that’s true — and it’s not…not really — do you know why they got Capone? Well, it was partly to stop all the killing in the streets and partly so that tourists would feel safe enough to visit Chicago in time for the World’s Fair.

Oh yes, one of the most famous criminals in history had to go down before one of Chicago’s biggest spectacles could happen, and you get the whole story in Al Capone and the 1933 World’s Fair.

This book is the insection of two rags-to-riches stories — that of Al Capone and that of Sally Rand — and the role each had to play in the realization and success of the 1933 World’s Fair. Ambitiously encompassing the Great Depression, Prohibition, the spirit of innovation, vaudeville, murder, media, sensationalism, and much more, this glimpse into an influential few years of Chicago history offers an intriguing and underexplored take on one of the cities hit hardest by the Depression.

History unfolds and individuals become icons through Hazelgrove’s laser-keen lens and detailed reporting.