Living across the Intercoastal Waterway from the infamous Capone Island, I often wondered what really happened there.  In 1928 notorious gangster and Chicago Crime Boss Al Capone caused quite a stir with local residents when he snapped up a property on upscale Palm Island in West Palm Beach.  Florida was his getaway from cold Winters and various assassination attempts.  He poured over three million in today’s dollars into building a 14-bedroom house, a 7 ft wall, searchlights for security, and had guards with rifles on the second-floor rooftop of the pool house to protect him from anyone arriving by boat.

Secluded and desolate, this 56-acre Island was perfect to carry out his bootlegging operation during prohibition.  Capone had whiskey and gin shipped to the Bahamas from Europe while distilling Caribbean rum to boat up to Florida.  Capone lived there till his death in 1947, and his wife Mae held on to the place until 1952.   While the estate was recently purchased for $10.75 million, the Island is no longer open to the public.