Capone's vault was underneath the Lexington Hotel in Chicago, Illinois.

The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault was a one-time live American television special broadcast in syndication in April 1986 hosted by Geraldo Rivera. The program was centered around the opening of a secret vault once owned by noted gangster Al Capone. The program is now perhaps best-known for the vault being ultimately empty except for debris. Image File history File links Lexington_hotel_old. ... Image File history File links Lexington_hotel_old. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... Live television refers to television broadcasts of events or performances on a delay of between zero and fifteen seconds, rather than from video recordings or film. ... A television special is a television program, typically a short film or television movie, which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... Geraldo redirects here. ... For other uses, see Gangster (disambiguation). ... “Capone” redirects here. ...

History

Main article: Al Capone

Al Capone was a Neapolitan born to immigrant parents in New York City who eventually moved to Chicago, Illinois. There he grew to become a notable criminal figure and gangster in American history. He played large parts in gambling, alcohol, and prostitution rackets and in 1925 Capone took control of the Chicago Outfit for which he had served as the second in command, after an assassination attempt on former head Johnny Torrio. He was listed on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list, sold alcohol during the Prohibition era, planned the St. Valentine's Day massacre, and was eventually indicted and convicted of income tax evasion in 1931. “Capone” redirects here. ... Location of the city of Naples (red dot) within Italy. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... For other uses, see Crime (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Gangster (disambiguation). ... Gamble redirects here. ... Booze redirects here. ... Whore redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... “Capone” redirects here. ... The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Outfit is a crime syndicate that has a long and extensive history dating back to long before Prohibition and part of the U.S. phenomenon known as the Mafia. ... Assassin and Assassins redirect here. ... John Papa Johnny Torrio, a. ... F.B.I. and FBI redirect here. ... The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949, during a game of Hearts between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Kinsey Hutchinson,[1] International News Service (the predecessor of the United Press International) Editor-in... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Detroit police inspecting equipment found in a clandestine underground brewery during the prohibition era. ... Picture of The St. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        Tax avoidance is the legal utilization of the tax regime to... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Program

Capone had previously housed his headquarters at the nearby Metropole Hotel, but in July 1928 moved to a suite at the Lexington Hotel. Capone ran his various enterprises from this hotel until his arrest in 1931. A construction company in the 1980s planned a renovation of the Lexington Hotel and while surveying the building discovered a shooting range and a series of secret tunnels including one hidden behind Capone's medicine cabinet. These tunnels connected taverns and whorehouses to provide an elaborate potential escape route in case of a police raid. These discoveries led to further investigation of the hotel, notably by researcher Harold Rubin. Rumors said Capone had kept a very secret vault beneath the hotel to hold some of his wealth. No loot was ever found, however. In addition, the renovation of the Lexington Hotel fell apart, and the entire structure was torn down in 1995. There was nothing in Al Capone's vault.^[1] In music, a suite is an organized set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed at a single sitting, as a separate musical performance, not accompanying an opera, ballet, or theater-piece. ... Capones vault was underneath the Lexington Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. ... An outdoor shooting range with a sheltered shooting stand and several other unsheltered stands. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Look up rumour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Geraldo Rivera had been fired in 1985 after criticizing ABC for cancelling his report on an alleged relationship between John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. He hosted the special, The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault, which was broadcast live on April 21, 1986. The two hour special (including commercials) was greatly hyped as potentially revealing great riches or bodies on live television. This included the presence of a medical examiner should bodies be found and agents from the Internal Revenue Service to collect any of Capone's money that may be discovered. When the vault was finally opened the only things found inside were dirt and several empty bottles including one Geraldo claimed was for moonshine bathtub gin. Despite the ending the special became the most-watched syndicated television special with an estimated audience of 30,000,000. Rivera later wrote of the event in his 1991 autobiography Exposing Myself that "My career was not over, I knew, but had just begun. And all because of a silly, high-concept stunt that failed to deliver on its titillating promise." The term "Al Capone's vault" has become slang for a heavily expected event with disappointing results. Geraldo redirects here. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. ... John Kennedy and JFK redirect here. ... Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson;[1] June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962), was a Golden Globe-winning[2] American actress, singer, model, Hollywood icon,[3] cultural icon, fashion icon,[4] pop icon, film executive and sex symbol. ... A television special is a television program, typically a short film or television movie, which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Not to be confused with Hyperbola. ... For the thrash metal band, see Coroner (band). ... With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual. ... Seal of the Internal Revenue Service Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Part of the Taxation series        IRS redirects here. ... Revenue men at the site of moonshine stills, Kentucky, 1911 or earlier For other uses, see Moonshine (disambiguation). ... Bathtub gin refers to any style of homemade spirit made in amateur conditions. ... The following is a list of most watched television episodes, organized by country and based on various criteria. ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... Cover of the first English edition of 1793 of Benjamin Franklins autobiography. ... For other uses, see Slang (disambiguation). ...

Lexington Hotel Site Today

The Lexington Hotel was demolished in 1995, the site remained an empty lot in the South Loop neighborhood of Chicago for over a decade until the area was revitalised in the early 2000's. Presently, the 31 story Lexington Park Condominiums tower & loft homes is under construction on the site with completion expected in Spring 2008. The Loop is what locals call the historical center of downtown Chicago. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ...

In popular culture

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• In The Simpsons episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", Homer attempts to compose a song reflective of the spirit of the mid-1980s. His initial attempt runs "'There was nothing in Al Capone's vault, but it wasn't Geraldo's fault' D'oh!".
• In the movie UHF, a commercial announces "marvel as he unravels the secrets of Al Capone's glove compartment," to which "Weird Al" Yankovic exclaims "Aha! ROAD MAPS!!"
• In the movie Titanic, after Bill Paxton's character Brock Lovett opens the safe on deck only to reveal nothing inside but grime and the drawing when they were expecting the Heart of the Ocean, Lewis Abernathy's character Lewis Bodine makes the comment, "You know, boss, the same thing happened to Geraldo, and his career never recovered."
• The Colbert Report referenced the vault on its August 14, 2006 episode, when Colbert quipped, "Why are you closing yourself off from Geraldo? He came to unlock the vault of your heart and when he opened it, it was empty. An empty vault. And he had a camera crew. It was very embarrassing." [1]
• A Time Magazine Culture Complex article refers to James Cameron's Tomb of Jesus promotion as having "a showbizzy, Al Capone's vault feel [...]" Ponieozik, J. (2007). Hollywood vs. Jesus. Time Magazine. 169 (11) p. 57.
• In the one time 1987 satirical news show "Our Planet Tonight", Don Novello playing his character Father Guido Sarducci had a segment where he and his camera crew breaks into Geraldo Rivera's house to open the vault in his basement. When blowing into Geraldo Rivera's vault, they discover all of Al Capone's things, suggesting that Rivera emptied Capone's vault before airing it.
• Rivera himself spoofed the incident on the short-lived sitcom Nurses. In the episode, Rivera, playing himself, checks himself into the show's hospital in an attempt to expose corruption among the hospital's board members. In the episode's climax, Rivera raids the hospital's dumpsters live on TV in order to find evidence, but finds nothing but discarded scrubs.

Simpsons redirects here. ... Homers Barbershop Quartet is the first episode of The Simpsons fifth season. ... Two people have been known by the pseudonym Geraldo: Gerald Bright, British dance-band leader Geraldo Rivera, American television journalist Category: ... Homer Simpson exclaiming the famous quote Doh! is a catch phrase first used in the United States in the 1960s and spelled duh, but made globally popular by the fictional character Homer Simpson, from the long-running animated series The Simpsons (1989–present). ... UHF (also known as The Vidiot from UHF in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe, and Los Telelocos in Mexico) is a comedy film made in 1989. ... This article is about the musician. ... Titanic is a 1997 disaster romance film directed, written, produced and edited by James Cameron about the sinking of the RMS Titanic. ... William Paxton (born May 17, 1955) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actor and film director. ... For other uses, see Heart of the Ocean (disambiguation). ... The Colbert Report (—the Ts are silent in Colbert and Report) is an American satirical television program that airs from 11:30 p. ... The Colbert Report This list of episodes of The Colbert Report details information on past and upcoming episodes of The Colbert Report, a popular Comedy Central show hosted by Stephen Colbert, and produced by Colbert, Jon Stewart, and Ben Karlin. ... (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ... Don Novello (born January 1, 1943, Lorain, Ohio) is an American, writer, film director, producer, actor, singer, and comedian. ... Don Novello as Fr. ... Nurses is a television sitcom that ran on NBC from 1991 to 1994. ... Scrubs are the shirts and trousers or gowns worn by nurses, surgeons, and other operating room personnel when scrubbing in for surgery. ...

Notes

References