The New York Restaurant Where Al Capone Received His Infamous Scar

Perhaps the most famous (or infamous) gangster that the United States has ever seen, Al Capone has enough elusive lore surrounding him to fill several volumes — even if you were to completely ignore those three conspicuous scars on his left cheek. Certainly, Capone himself would have liked them not to be noticed — he supposedly disdained his “Scarface” nickname, even going so far as to invent a story of acquiring said scars while fighting in France during World War I. However, the apparently true account of the incident that left a real mark on the crime boss brings us a lot closer to home, to a sleazy cabaret and nightclub in Coney Island.

In the 1910s, this Brooklyn neighborhood was home to the Harvard Inn, where a young Capone briefly worked as a bouncer. According to some accounts, Capone drew the ire of a man named Frank Galluccio after Capone made an off-color toward a woman who was with Gallucio. Not taking this perceived insult lightly, Galluccio slashed at Capone with a knife, severely wounding and forever scarring the future mobster. While this may not be the fanciest of the locales frequented by Capone, it certainly proved to be a pivotal one.

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What Became Of The Harvard Inn?

Poster of notorious New York gangsters – Bettmann/Getty Images

Unlike some of Al Capone’s other famous haunts (such as Route 66’s Luna Cafe restaurant, which would become one of his favorites), little else is known about the Harvard Inn –- perhaps due in part to the mythos surrounding the origins of Capone’s scars taking center stage. Besides its location on 14 Seaside Walk in Coney Island (across from the more famous Stauch’s restaurant), most of the remaining information surrounding the Harvard Inn relates to either Capone himself or the mobster who initially hired him, Frankie Yale.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing left of the Harvard Inn these days, and there hasn’t been for over 100 years. In January of 1925, the building that housed the Harvard Inn was consumed by fire. While firefighters were able to contain the blaze to that area, the establishment was sadly lost to the flames. So, if you’re looking to trace the steps of Capone’s rise to infamy, you’ll have to settle for one of his favorite meals instead of visiting the place where the legend of Scarface was born.

Read the original article on Chowhound.

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