There were n’t many constants in Al Capone ’s rocky life , though the crime boss ’s erotic love of music never hesitate . He spend countless hour reclined take heed to hisphonograph , which cycled through an impressive collection of Italian opera house records ( Aidaby Giuseppe Verdi was a personalfavorite ) . Capone also adored — and more or less insure — Chicago ’s rising jazz view . Musicians would gravitate toward him , hope to score a lance at his favorite nightclubs .
In 1926 , the mobster ’s friendskidnappedjazz starThomas Wright “ Fats ” Waller . Holding him at gunpoint , theyordered the panic-stricken artistinto the back of their limo . But , to Waller ’s surprise , he was n’t harm . Instead , he was taken to Capone ’s twenty-seventh natal day political party and politely asked to perform . The shindig hold out for three days , and by the oddment , Waller had received scores of peak and free drink from grateful attender .
Five years later , Big Al ’s chickens come home to perch . On October 24 , 1931 , he wassentenced to 11 yearsin Alcatraz for taxation evasion .
At Alcatraz , Capone joined theRock Islanders , the prison house ’s very own inmate - streak banding , whichthrew Sunday concerts . Capone ’s instrument of choice was a banjo sent by his married woman , Mae — though he eventually switch to the mandolin - like mandola .
Between performance , Scarface could often be found strumming aside in his cellular phone . And on Saturdays , he ’d talk at duration with a special guest : Vincent Casey , who was planning to become a Jesuit non-Christian priest ( although those plans later changed ) . His training involved spiritual visit with Alcatraz political detainee . Over a two - year distich , he and Capone raise quite close . harmonise to Casey ’s boy , Mike , “ My father verbalise very extremely of him . It was unbelievable . This criminal murdered many multitude , but he told me when you get to sleep with the man in the ward on Alcatraz , he was very lowly and polite and gracious . ”
One vacation time of year , Casey received an unexpected present : a piece of sheet music . “ To my in force supporter Father Vin Casey , ” the accompanying noteread , “ with the best in all the world for a Merry Christmas always for you . Alphonse Capone . ” It was originally thought that the romantic solo , title " Madonna Mia , " had been penned by the ex - mobster himself , presumably about his faithfulMae .
Here ’s how itwent :
But as it turns out , plagiarism is among Capone ’s extensive tilt of offenses . It wasrecently discoveredthat the crime boss had merely transfer an be 1930s song to an easy key .
According to theBoston Globe , Richard Larsen was work on a documentary about Capone and jazz when he showed the music to thespian - singer - songwriter Anastacia Scardina . Suspicious , Scardina investigated the melody . Her detective work wrench up a song from the 1930s with the same name , written by Abner Silver , Al Lewis , and Al Sherman .
TheGlobeobtained sheet medicine of both songs and asked Jim Dalton , a local prof of music theory , for an opinion . He noted that Capone ’s variation was transposed into an easy key , but conceded that Capone “ did do a decent job . ”
“ Madonna Mia ” was n’t the only song Capone appear to have stolen . In 2018 , Jack WhitetoldThe Tonight Showthat he had seen an auction bridge for “ handwritten bed sheet music by Al Capone in Alcatraz . ” He bought it , intending to record the song .
As White was recording , a charwoman came in and asked why the band was playingHumoresqueby Antonin Dvořák . Dalton recount theGlobethat Capone ’s variant was in a dissimilar meter , which again simplified the song . The woman did n’t recognize the lyric , but it was afterwards specify that Capone had n’t penned those , either . Jack White still recorded it for his albumBoarding House Reach — though it’scredited toDvořák and a piece namedHoward Johnson .
A version of this storey originally ran in 2017 ; it has been updated for 2021 to let in newfangled entropy about Al Capone ’s purported songwriting .
