Chicago's most famous gangster, Al Capone, spent his earliest years on the streets of Gowanus. Along with his Italian-immigrant family, he lived in a few different places along Garfield Place, including No. 21. (It was up for sale in 2006.) Across the street at No. 20, according to author Troy Taylor, was a poolroom "where Capone and his father both played and Al became the neighborhood champion." Fast forward about a century. Now that quaint clapboard building, along with its neighbor No. 18, will be demolished to make way for a new batch o' condos.
The new building will is slated to rise four stories and have eight units. Developer Farhad Bokhour says he knows about the Capone connection. Naturally he hopes it'll help sell the apartments.
Developer Farhad Bokhour, who filed permits for the project this week, said he knew of the Capone connection and joked that "Al Capone Condos" could be a fitting name for the development.
"Do you think we could get more money by connecting Al Capone to the project?" he told DNAinfo. "Maybe people can play pool with his ghost."
Bokhour also joked about calling them the Al Capone Condos. Please don't.
· Al Capone's Gowanus Hangout To Be Replaced by Condos [DNAinfo]
· Early Days of Al Capone [Troy Taylor Books]
· Building of the Day: 21 Garfield Place ['Stoner]
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