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Prohibition and the American dream: an analysis of the entrepreneurial life and times of Al Capone.

Hipango Jr., Waata; Smith, Robert; Dana, L�o-Paul

Authors

Waata Hipango Jr.

Robert Smith

L�o-Paul Dana



Abstract

The iconic figure of Al Capone is arguably the most prominent figure of organised crime. Both biographers and scholars have analysed his life and behaviour. Hollywood has immortalised his character in film. Today, the name Capone remains synonymous with the word gangster. Although Capone owned businesses of a legitimate nature, illicit ventures and the spectre of the gangster-entrepreneur define his practice of entrepreneurship. In an attempt to understand Capone as an entrepreneur, this paper explores his entrepreneurial behaviour within an analysis of his resource profile, his Italian-American culture and the social context of the USA in the early 20th century.

Citation

HIPANGO, W., SMITH, R. and DANA, L.-P. 2014. Prohibition and the American dream: an analysis of the entrepreneurial life and times of Al Capone. International journal of entrepreneurship and small business [online], 21(1), pages 1-15. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1504/IJESB.2014.057912

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 21, 2013
Online Publication Date May 31, 2014
Publication Date Mar 31, 2014
Deposit Date Sep 19, 2016
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal International journal of entrepreneurship and small business
Print ISSN 1476-1297
Electronic ISSN 1741-8054
Publisher Inderscience
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 21
Issue 1
Pages 1-15
DOI https://doi.org/10.1504/IJESB.2014.057912
Keywords Al Capone; Criminal entrepreneurship; Gangsters; Organised crime; Prohibition; American dream; Resource profile; Culture; Social context; USA; United States
Public URL http://hdl.handle.net/10059/1758

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