Al Capone's Shooter Put Up For Auction

The gun of notorious gangster Al Capone is expected to fetch more than $100,000 (£61,000) at auction.

The Colt .38, made in 1929, will be put up for grabs to the highest bidder at Christie's in London on June 22.
Capone ruled the Chicago underworld in the roaring '20s through racketeering and profiting from a ban on alcohol - known as the prohibition era.
The shooter is being sold by a private collector and comes with a letter signed by Capone's sister-in-law confirming its authenticity.
Capone has been immortalised in numerous books and films as the stereotypical mobster - pinstripe suits, tilted fedora and cigar hanging out of his mouth.
"Anybody interested in the most notorious gangster that ever lived, to own his own personal side arm it's a once in a lifetime opportunity," said Howard Dixon, from Christie's.

Capone, showing off the scar that earned him his nickname

Colt records indicate that this pistol was manufactured in May 1929, three months after the infamous St Valentine's Day Massacre.
Seven people had been murdered on February 14 that year amid ongoing bloody battles between rival Chicago gangs.
At that time the Colt .38 would have been one of the most reliable and concealable handguns available.
Dixon said they know for sure that the gun not only belonged to Capone, but that it was only used by him.
"We have a letter dated 1976 from his sister-in-law, categorically stating that this gun was owned and used solely by Al Capone while he was alive and on his death passed to his brother Ralph," he said.
(courtesy of skynews)