1929 Chicago.
Al Capone
by
Eduardo Galeano.
Ten thousand students chant the name of
Al Capone on the sports field of Northwestern University.. The
popular Capone greets the multitude with a two handed wave. Twelve
bodyguards escort him. At the gate an armoured Cadillac awaits him.
Capone sports a rose in his lapel and a diamond stickpin in his tie,
but underneath he wears a steel vest, and his heart beats against a .
45.
He is an idol. No one provides as much
business for funeral parlours, flower shops, and tailors who do
invisible mending on small holes, and pays generous salaries to
policemen, judges, legislators, and mayors. Exemplary family man,
Capone abominates short skirts and cosmetics. He believes woman's
place is in the kitchen. Fervent patriot, he exhibits portraits of
George Washington and Abraham Lincoln on his desk. Influential
professional, he offers the best available service for breaking
strikes, beating up workers, and sending rebels to the other world.
He is ever alert to the red menace.
Eduardo Galeano. Century of the Wind.
