Summary

• Al Capone's family after his death remains largely unknown, especially regarding his son Sonny Capone and wife Mae Capone.
• Sonny Capone tried to distance himself from his father's legacy, changing his name and living a quiet life in California.
• Al Capone's descendants are still alive today, with his great-grandchildren occasionally auctioning off his estate in recent years.

Tom Hardy's 2020 movie Capone explores the final year of the legendary gangster's life, but it doesn't reveal what happened to the Al Capone children, Sonny Capone, and the rest of his family after he died. The story of the Italian gangster is a popular one throughout the history of entertainment, with writer-director Josh Trank responsible for the 2020 adaptation. Unlike most stories about the crime lord, though, Capone takes place well after his time in power, when his mental state has deteriorated.

For many, Al Capone is a familiar name, but Capone shows a different point in his life and heavily involves Al Capone's family, who are with him in their giant Florida mansion. Capone concludes before the death of its lead character, which might leave viewers wondering what happened next in real life after Al Capone died on January 25, 1947. This is especially true where his family is concerned, as Josh Trank and Tom Hardy's movie doesn't shed light on Al Capone's family, such as Mae Capone or Sonny Capone.

Who Are Al Capone's Descendants?

Sonny Capone Tried To Distance Himself From His Father

Despite what Capone might suggest, Al Capone's family actually consisted of just one descendant: his son Albert Francis "Sonny" Capone Jr. Al Capone's only son was born on December 4, 1918, which was a few months before Al's major rise to power in Chicago. Due to that power and likely due to sharing a name, Albert Jr. had to grow up in his father's large shadow, which didn't make things easy for him.

After the death of his father, Sonny worked to separate himself from Al Capone's legacy. He remained in Florida and worked several odd jobs before moving to California for a more quiet life. While Sonny Capone Jr. did threaten to kill Edward Kennedy in 1968, the only crime he was ever convicted of was stealing aspirin and batteries in 1965. Al Capone's son Sonny legally changed his name to Albert Francis Brown in 1966 to remove ties to Capone. Sonny Capone died on July 8, 2004, at the age of 85.

What Happened To Al Capone's Family

Mae Capone Died In Florida In 1968

The fate of Al Capone's family after Capone is not well-chronicled, but information on many of his family members is available. His wife Mae Capone, played by Linda Carellini in the film, largely stayed out of the public eye after Al Capone's death. She sold the Florida mansion and remained committed to maintaining Al's legacy even after he died. Mae Capone sued a production studio due to the similarities between Al's life and The Untouchables TV show in 1964. Al Capone's wife died a few years later in Florida on April 16, 1968, at the age of 89.

There are notable claims that there are more Al Capone children in the world but none have ever been confirmed or sustained. Al and Mae reportedly did attempt to have more than one child but pregnancies ended in miscarriages or stillbirths. Some believe that the pregnancy complications stemmed from syphilis, which Al is believed to have given to his wife. It is also said to have caused health problems for Sonny when he was young.

Al Capone's siblings were not heavily involved with his criminal empire, even though Capone changed the true story to include Ralph Capone.

After his death, his mother, Teresa Capone, died in 1952. His older brothers, Capone's real-life renditions of characters Ralph Capone aka "Bottles" and James Vincenzo aka "Two-Gun," had both moved past their criminal days. James Capone passed away in Nebraska in 1952 and Ralph Capone died in Wisconsin in 1974. Al Capone's brother Matthew died in 1967, his brother Umberto died in 1980, his brother Ermino died in 1985, and his sister Mafalda passed away in 1988. Al Capone's siblings were not heavily involved with his criminal empire, even though Capone changed the true story to include Ralph Capone.

Does Al Capone Have Any Living Relatives Today?

Sonny Capone Has Had Several Children With Three Different Wives

Al Capone's family is still alive today, as the notorious gangster has a few living relatives still, outside of all the true story changes Capone made. Sonny Capone got married three times, resulting in the birth of many children, who have since had what would be considered Al Capone's great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Many of Al Capone's descendants who are still alive today do not make their connection to the gangster's lineage widely known. However, three out of his four granddaughters (Diane, Teresa Capone, Barbara, and Veronica Capone) began auctioning off his estate in 2021 after Capone's release.

Al Capone's Family Is Largely Forgotten By Hollywood

Many Movies About The Gangster Ignore His Family

While there are plenty of Al Capone movies to choose from, there aren't many about Al Capone's family. One example changes history entirely, starting at the beginning of Al Capone's exploits in 1919. The 1959 "biographical" crime drama, Al Capone, zeroes in on the gangster's criminal history during the prohibition era, as most Capone films do. Whilst Al married his wife Mae Capone in 1919, the film sees the gangster trying to woo the widow Maureen Flannery, played by Fay Spain. Flannery basically acts as Mae Capone's replacement, since they were both Irish Americans.

Like Al Capone, the 1975 film Capone also shacks up the gangster with an unrelated woman who isn't his wife, Mae Capone. Capone is a sprawling biography, beginning in the earliest stages of life and meandering its way through time before rounding off with his final years. In Capone, his love interest is a woman named Iris, a dancer, and barmaid. The film sees regular scenes of the two wining and dining until Iris is killed at a bistro during a shootout, and Capone is eager to avenge her death. Iris was played by Susan Blakely.

The only program outside of Capone to depict Al Capone's family was the television series Boardwalk Empire.

The only program outside of Capone to depict Al Capone's family was the television series Boardwalk Empire. Boardwalk Empire includes Mae Capone, Sonny Capone, Ralph Capone, and Frank Capone. Mae Capone appears in seasons 1, 3, 4, and 5, and is played by Marcella Lentz-Pope (The Social Network, Superbad). Al Capone's son, Sonny, is portrayed by a set of young triplets in seasons 1, 3, and 5, and he is fully deaf rather than partially. Ralph Capone was played by Domenick Lombardozzi (The Family) in seasons 4 and 5. Finally, Frank Capone was portrayed by guest star Morgan Spector (Homeland).

Tom Hardy Has Made A Name Playing Real Life Gangsters

He Also Portrayed The Kray Twins, Charles Bronson, & Forrest Bondurant

While Al Capone may be the most recognizable gangster Tom Hardy has played, it's far from his first time taking such a role. In fact, Hardy has made a veritable name for himself in playing real-life gangsters. In 2015's Legend he played twin brothers Ronnie and Reggie Kray, who rose to power in London's criminal underworld in the 1960s. Hardy also played the notorious Charles Bronson in Bronson in 2008, another true-to-life crook (famously known as the most violent prisoner in Britain) who has been in and out of prison since 1974.

Of course, Hardy has also played plenty of fictional gangsters throughout his career as well

Across the pond, Tom Hardy has also brought to life the role of Forrest Bondurant in Lawless (2012). Bondurant was a Prohibition-era gangster who operated in Virginia's Appalachian mountains during the Great Depression. Of course, Hardy has also played plenty of fictional gangsters throughout his career as well, but it's especially noteworthy that Capone is only the latest in Hardy's long list of adapting real historical mob bosses.