SCARFACE’S ‘SWEETHEART’ FOR SALE
Capone’s Colt .45 pistol, valued between $2M-$3M, goes up for auction next month
One of Al Capone’s most prized possessions — a Colt .45 pistol he named “Sweetheart” — will be auctioned off next month.
The Colt 1911 .45 semiautomatic pistol was Capone’s “constant companion” throughout his reign as a Chicago gangster boss during the Prohibition era, his granddaughter, Diane Capone, has said.
Richmond Auctions, which is hosting the sale on May 18, estimates the value of the Colt at between $2 million and $3 million.
“This particular Colt 1911 is more than just a firearm. It’s a relic of an era marked by lawlessness and larger-than-life personalities,” Richmond Auctions’ firearms specialist Kimmie Williams said in a statement. “Its profound connection to Al Capone adds an extra layer of allure, making it a musthave and trump card for any world-class collector.”
Capone headed the Chicago Outfit from 1925 to 1931 before serving six and a half years in prison on tax evasion charges. He died in 1947 after suffering a stroke and later cardiac arrest at age 48.
His “Sweetheart” Colt .45 stayed in his family’s possession for almost 75 years until his granddaughters sold his cherished belongings in 2021. The “Sweetheart” gun sold for about $1 million at an auction that year.
Capone apparently dubbed his favorite gun “Sweetheart” because it saved his life “on several occasions,” Richmond Auctions said.
“As one of the most recognizable figures in popular culture and the archetypal gangster, Capone is often credited with coining the phrase, ‘You can get more with a kind word and a gun than with just a kind word,’” the auction company added.
Bids on the “Sweetheart” gun can be made in person at the Richmond Auctions event in Greenville, South Carolina, or online, by phone or absentee bids. More information can be found at guns.richmondauctions.com.
Two years ago, letters penned by Capone sold at an auction for nearly $45,000.