Lost Capones

Andrew Ward
Aug 29, 2017 · 1 min read

Danny DeVito

It is one of nature’s dirty tricks that the one man who could embody Capone without even a dab of makeup is only a little more than half the size of Al Capone and now over thirty years older than Capone was when he died. I am speaking, of course, of the great Danny DeVito, whom I’ve been casting as Capone ever since I first encountered him on Taxi. If I, Capone is released as an audio book, DeVito would be one of my top choices to perform the reading.

Marlon Brando

Speaking of lost opportunities, Marlon Brando’s Don Corleone in The Godfather is perhaps the greatest portrayal of a mob boss in all of cinema. But I would have dearly loved to see him take a swing at portraying Al Capone.

)

Written by

Author of nine books, the latest: I, Capone. Former Contributing Editor at The Atlantic, Columnist at Washington Post, Commentator on All Things Considered.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade