(Part 2 of “Badass Facts About History’s Notorious Gangsters”)
Pablo Escobar, the notorious Colombian drug lord, was so wealthy that his lavish lifestyle required him to spend over two thousand five hundred dollars a month just to buy rubber bands to wrap his millions in cash. Escobar’s notorious Medellin cartel was estimated to be making an astounding sixty million dollars a day from the sale of cocaine. That’s sixty million dollars in a single day, every day, for years. It’s hard to fully comprehend just how much money that is, but suffice it to say that it’s an unimaginable amount of wealth for one person to accumulate, even within the context of an entire drug empire.
Unfortunately, Escobar’s extravagant lifestyle and insatiable greed led him down a dark path. In 1993, he was declared a national public enemy by the Colombian government, and he remained a fugitive until his capture and death in 1993. Escobar’s impact on Colombian society and politics, however, continued long after his death. Some still view him as a Robin Hood-like figure, having used a portion of his ill-gotten gains to fund public works projects and provide for his community. Others, however, see him as a ruthless criminal, responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent victims.
Al Capone, one of the most infamous American gangsters, was a somewhat less benevolent benefactor to society than Escobar. Capone, the head of the notorious Chicago Outfit, once famously kidnapped popular jazz musician Fats Waller at gunpoint and ordered him to perform for his birthday party in 1926. The audience for Capone’s affair with Waller, however, was limited to a small group of his closest associates. Capone preferred more intimate gatherings, as he once remarked, “The police are too much in public places. I hate to have my friends arrested.”
Despite his apparent paranoia, Capone was known for his bombsastic personality and outlandish behavior. He reportedly owned numerous Mansions and businesses, including a string of speakeasies, casinos, and nightclubs. Capone’s wealth, however, proved to be his fateful Achilles’ heel. After years of evading law enforcement, Capone was finally incarcerated in 1931, convicted of tax evasion. It was a rather ironic fate for the man who once quipped, “They can’t bullet a man if he’s just words.”
Griselda Blanco, also known as the “Queen of Cocaine,” was a Colombian drug lord and former lover of Pablo Escobar. Blanco’s notoriety, however, wasn’t solely attributed to her association with Escobar, as she was a formidable criminal force in her own right. Blanco began her criminal enterprise as a decoy for several male traffickers, but she soon realized her own potential and started using her own product. Her ascent to power, however, was marked by an ever-increasing volatility. Blanco gained a lot of weight and began forcing both men and women to make love to her at gunpoint. She was described by some as a “wild firecracker,” and by others as “crazier and crazier.” Nonetheless, Blanco’s empire ultimately crumbled, as she was indicted on numerous drug charges and spent most of her later years in prison.
Jack Legs Diamond was a notorious bootlegger and gangster from New York, who once survived being shot fifteen times during an assassination attempt. In 1929, Diamond was returning from a nightclub when he was attacked by a group of gunmen. Remarkably, he managed to survive the ambush, despite sustaining numerous gunshot wounds. The assailants, however, were not deterred by their initial failure, as they continued to pursue Diamond with relentless zeal. Diamond, however, was too tough to die. He once remarked, “I’m too mean to die, but if I do, it’ll be legal.” A rather ominous prediction, albeit a prescient one, as Diamond was eventually convicted of murder in 1931 and sentenced to death.
These are just a few of the many colorful and notorious figures that fill the annals of criminal history. Their deeds, however, serve as a cautionary tale, a warning about the dangers of greed, power, and unchecked ambition. History, after all, has a way of reminding us that the road to ruin is often paved with good intentions and bad behavior. From the infamous Al Capone to the infamous Griselda Blanco, these are the badass facts about history’s notorious gangsters, confronting us with both the thrilling and the terrifying aspects of criminal lore. Long live the bad guys, but beware of their schemes. As Dylan Thomas once wrote, “I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind.” Amen to that, Mr. Thomas. May we all strive to be a little less evil, a little more comprehensible, and a little more tolerated. In the interim, let us celebrate the many bad guys and gals who, for better or worse, have paved the way for our current understanding of criminal history. As they say, the more things change, the more they remain the same. Cheers to that, my dear readers. May we all be a little less terrifying, but still badass enough to break a leg or two.
