Central Florida may be home to our very own “Al Capone” and his rowdy gang of mishaps at Capone’s Dinner & Show, however, several decades ago, Al Capone made his home a little farther south of Orlando. Palm Island, Florida is an area near Miami Beach where Al’s last years were spent. His home stood for many decades as a reminder of a different era.

This beautiful mansion was purchased by Capone for $40,000 cash in 1928 from Clarence Busch of the Anheuser-Busch family. It’s no wonder that these two knew each other. Prohibition dealt a serious blow to the brewery company in the 1930’s. Perhaps Al was just trying to help out an acquaintance after some rough times. More likely, he just wanted to own a piece of paradise! Of course, Anheuser-Busch bounced back quite well, and up until 2009, they were the sole owners of SeaWorld and Busch Gardens.

The property was quite large and spanned the waterfront of Biscayne Bay the size of a football field. With the Bay practically at his back door, Al could toss out a line and relax while enjoying the sport of fishing. First, however, he needed to make some improvements including a 30-by-60-foot swimming pool, a two-story cabana pool house for his guards, the addition of another guesthouse, a gated guard house in the front of the mansion, all secured within a tall masonry wall. Capone had everything and the privacy he so desired.

Rumor had it that this house was where Capone planned the Saint Valentine’s Day massacre in 1929. However, further investigation by the FBI concluded that the plot was most likely made in October or November of 1928 in Wisconsin where Capone and several crime bosses spent weeks hunting, fishing, and planning the murder of their enemies. This home, however, was the location of his alibi, since he was here in Florida when the famous incident took place and seven mobsters in Chicago were killed. Capone made sure that many people saw him enjoying the Florida sunshine in South Beach that day. While the FBI knew he was one of the masterminds and mostly responsible for the crime, they were unable to prove it. It would be tax evasion that put the famous mobster away behind bars for nearly a decade.

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Al held onto the Florida home and returned there after being released from Alcatraz in 1939. These were not happy years for the notorious boss, despite the home’s beautiful surroundings. Capone suffered from syphilis and the disease had degraded his mind to that of a paranoid child. It was said that he slept in the front room of the home so that he could watch who was coming and going. Al Capone died in an upstairs bedroom in 1947.

The home only had a few owners since Capone’s death. The concern (which proved true) was that future owners would tear down the home and guesthouses to make use of the massive waterfront property, destroying a piece of Americana. In 2015 the owner, Peter Corsell, restored and updated the mansion to its original gangster grandeur including a powder room in Art Deco style. Although it was completely renovated, the home still maintained a tropical Havana style. It sold for $7.43 million after being listed originally at $9.95 million (Corsell bought it for $5.56 million). It changed hands for the last time in 2021 for 15.5 million. The new owners, Albert and Karise Claramonte had it torn down in August 2023, despite residents petitioning for it to be saved. Preservationists describe the leveling as having the century-old mansion ‘whacked’.

Photo courtesy of the Miami Herald.

Al loved Florida, and it served him well. Some claim that the ghost of Al Capone now roams the area in search of a familiar place. Rest in peace Al. While your home in Florida may be gone, the area still holds plenty of allure and grandeur. Toss out a line and catch a big one!

Last Updated on February 19, 2024