Al Capone once had a rumoured secret hideout in Canada
Al Capone, one of America’s most notorious gangsters during the prohibition era, may have a surprising connection to a tiny Ontario village where he was once said to hide from authorities and enemies.
Earning the nickname “Scarface” during a bar brawl after being slashed with a knife, Capone rose to become a menacing yet pivotal figure in the 1920s in Chicago.
Known for his temper and a troubled youth, minor crimes and mischief escalated to his suspected involvement in everything from gambling and prostitution rings to bootlegging and murder in his 20s.
His empire’s brutality culminated with the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929, when seven members of Bugs Moran’s gang met a brutal end. While Capone’s involvement was widely speculated, he was never officially linked to this gruesome act.
One interesting rumour connects Capone to Canada and the quaint village of Quadeville in Eastern Ontario. Off a gravel road in the forest, an unassuming log “fortress” was said to once been his hideout.
Made from roughly cut logs and having strangely small windows, local lore believed the cabin also housed a concealed tunnel passage that led through the hill.
It was through this tunnel that Capone and his men could quickly evade authority figures or rivals if they happened to find his location.
Fascinatingly, despite the long list of crimes attributed to him, only possession of a firearm and tax evasion led to his conviction in 1931. An 11-year prison sentence followed, though he served only six due to declining health.
Today, some local Quadeville residents still swear that they spotted a man who matched Capone’s description during the mid-to-late 1940s in visibly poor health, which matches the time frame he was battling the effects of syphilis which would ultimately lead to his death in 1947.
While you can still visit the cabin today, it has sadly since been vandalized and is boarded up with plywood. However, you can still peek through some of the broken windows into what might have been a secret refuge for the legendary Scarface himself.
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