LAS VEGAS — It was during her childhood on the playground that Diane Capone Pette recognized the significance of her last name, when another girl pointed her out to classmates, demanding their attention.
“Let’s go,” the girl declared. “That’s a Capone.”
Diane Capone Pette is the granddaughter of Al Capone, a notorious figure in American organized crime who earned the nickname “Scarface” due to a facial scar from an altercation. Capone’s legacy is closely associated with violence, incarceration, and his significant influence over the Chicago Outfit during the 1920s. His life has been portrayed in numerous shows and films, most notably the 1983 movie “Scarface,” featuring Al Pacino.
However, Pette reflects on a contrasting image of Capone within the family unit.
“He was much more than a single story. He possessed many layers,” described Pette. “He could be extremely ruthless and aggressive, yet he was also profoundly affectionate and devoted to his family and friends.”
An exclusive exhibition titled “The First Public Enemy” is set to open on Wednesday at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, offering a rare look into the more personal aspects of Capone’s life. Attendees will have the chance to view Capone’s favored sidearm and a brief home video shot by him back in 1929.
Following Capone’s passing in 1947, his belongings remained within the family for many years, initially with his wife and son, and after their deaths, passed down to his four granddaughters, two of whom, including Pette, are still living.
Now aged 81, Pette and her sisters opted to auction some of their grandfather’s possessions years ago, motivated by concerns over California wildfires and the possibility of their heirs losing these treasured items.
Among their most cherished relics is Capone’s preferred firearm, a Colt 1911 .45-caliber pistol, which was widely used during World War I.
“He often referred to it as his ‘sweetheart,’” Pette explained.
In their family narratives, the pistol is almost treated as a living entity that served as a loyal partner to Capone, reportedly coming to his aid on several occasions.
“It saved him more than once, making it very special to him and to us,” Pette added.
Geoff Schumacher, a historian and the vice president of exhibits and programs at the museum, noted the uniqueness of the artifacts from the Capone family collection. Most items already auctioned have ended up with private collectors, he explained, “this is an unrepeatable slice of life you won’t find anywhere else but at the museum.”
In 1929, shortly before Capone was imprisoned for federal tax evasion, he filmed a brief home movie at his Miami waterfront home.
While Capone never appeared on camera, the black-and-white silent film, featuring a day enjoyed with friends by the pool and on a boat, includes appearances from fellow mobsters Lucky Luciano and Frank Costello.
The Mob Museum possesses the sole physical copy of this nine-minute, 20-second film, filmed on 16mm. A shortened version will be showcased at the museum.
In the film, Luciano is seen preparing to dive while Costello sits attentively poolside, watching others jump into the water. The footage later transitions to moments on a boat, capturing Luciano and Costello smiling together.
After his release from prison in 1939, Capone withdrew from the mob scene and spent the remainder of his life at his Miami residence.
Pette was only three years old when her grandfather died, yet some of her earliest memories are with her “Papa.” Both shared January birthdays just days apart, and she vividly recalls sitting on his lap while blowing out birthday candles on their cake.
Her final and most poignant memory of him came shortly before his death. Capone lay ill in bed, and Pette’s father — his only son — set her on the bed to bid farewell.
Pette kissed her grandfather’s cheek. He looked at her and said, “I love you, baby girl.”
“And that was the last thing he said to me,” Pette reminisced.
