Alphonse “Scarface” Capone Alphonse Capone was born on January 17, 1899. He grew up in rough neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY where he would attend school only up to the sixth grade, when dropped out. Capone got his nickname “Scarface” from a knife attack by the brother of a woman whom Capone had insulted. The attack left him with three scars across his face and a new nickname. Capone joined his first gang when he became part of the James Street Gang, headed by the well-known Johnny Torrio. In 1920, upon the request o ....