" (Crime Library, Capone Young).
At the age of 5, Al went to school in 1904. The school system was very prejudiced toward Italians, and it discouraged many to get a higher education. Al did very well up until 6th grade when his teacher hit him, and al hit her back. He was immediately expelled, and he never went to a school after that time.
In this same time frame, Al's family moved from their house on Navy Street to Garfield Place. Here he had many influences on his future. He met future wife, Mae, and a gangster named Johnny Torrio. .
Johnny Torrio lived just a few blocks from Capone, and was a very successful gangster known on the East Coast. Torrio was a criminal genius. He was actually a pretty small guy, but learned on the street that smarts was what you needed to succeed. Al, like many other kids, made pocket money by running errands for Torrio. Al learned many things from Torrio, like leading a respected life, and how to separate his career from his home life. In 1909, Torrio moved to Chicago. Al soon had other influences.
Kids ran around in gangs in Brooklyn, not like the gangs we have today, but rather clicks of kids. Capone was a tough looking kid, and belonged to the South Brooklyn Rippers, then the Thieves Juniors, then the Five Point Juniors. Street gangs were outlets for the young kids energies. Led by some older, forceful boy, they pursued the thrills of shared adventure, of horseplay, exploration, gambling, pilfering, vandalism, sneaking a smoke or alcohol, secret rituals, smut sessions, and fighting rival gangs.
Even though Al was in a lot of gangs, he still didn't have any indication that someday he was going to lead a life of crime. Al still lived at home and worked to support the family. He carried on many boring jobs for 6 years. All this changed when Al was 18 and when he was recommended to Frank Yale by Torrio to be a bartender. One night, he was waiting on a beautiful girl and her brother; Capone thought she was hot.