Discovered while researching the short story “Blood and Sand” — Al Capone showed promise as a student, but his parochial school education ended at the age of 14, in 1913, after he was expelled for hitting a female teacher (presumably a nun) in the face. He then worked odd jobs in Brooklyn, including at a candy store and a bowling alley, until he met gangster Johnny Torrio, who became his mentor. Capone later moved his family to Chicago and the rest is history. [Note: The title “Blood and Sand” comes from a popular cocktail of the Capone era, made by mixing scotch, kirshwasser, sweet vermouth, and orange juice.]
