Scarface and the Untouchable: Al Capone, Eliot Ness, and the Battle for Chicago

This history examines gangster-era Chicago through the lives of Al Capone and Eliot Ness. In 1929, the thirty-year-old Capone controlled Chicago's underworld and corrupt government. Known as "Scarface," he became a public hero despite Prohibition, but after the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the federal government made him "Public Enemy Number One." The government then turned to twenty-seven-year-old Prohibition agent Eliot Ness, who led the law enforcement team called "The Untouchables" in an effort to dismantle Capone's criminal empire. Written by Max Allan Collins and A. Brad Schwartz, the book draws on decades of primary source research, including Ness's personal papers, newly released federal files, and historical crime magazines featuring interviews with gangsters and law enforcement officials. The authors examine the complexities of both figures and their roles in Chicago's underworld battle. The book includes 115 photographs and a map of gangland Chicago. A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year.