World’s Most Notorious Criminals A Comparison of Pablo Escobar, Al Capone, and John Gotti

Organized Crime When we think of organized crime we often think of names like Capone and Gotti, but there are many other men throughout history just as ruthless as the these. One such man is Pablo Escobar, the father of international cocaine trafficking. So as you read this comparison notice the similarities these three share, similarities that remain constant throughout all great leaders of organized crime.

Pablo Escobar Born December 1, 1949 in Medellin, Colombia Entered the cocaine industry in the early 1970’s and had gained control of nearly 80% of the world’s cocaine trafficking by the early 80’s He, along with several others made up the world’s most famous drug ring, the Medellin cartel Was gunned down by police on December 2, 1993 after spending one year in prison and several months on the run

Al Capone Born January 17, 1899 in Brooklyn, NY Dropped out of school at age twelve Moved to Chicago at age 20 where he quickly became the head of all organized crime in the area His involvement with gangs and liquor during the time of prohibition led to the deaths of hundreds particularly in the incident now referred to as the St. Valentines day massacre Convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to eleven years in prison in 1931 Died from a combination of syphilis and complications brought on by mental illness on June 25, 1947

John Gotti Born October 27, 1940 in NY, NY Spent his childhood running errands for the local mafia and by age 16 had dropped out of school and become a full time gang affiliate Made the head of the notorious crime family, the Gambinos, following the death of leader Paul Castellano in 1985 Convicted of murder and racketeering in 1992 and sentenced to life without parole Died in prison June 11, 2002 as a result of complications from cancer of the head and neck

Conclusion If there is one point that stands out most when comparing these men, it is the similarity of their childhood. All three came from families of little or no income and became lost in a world of crime at an early age. Perhaps if they had received a proper education and had been given the attention that all children need then maybe the outcome of their lives would have been greatly different.