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UNIS or Unis may refer to:

• United Nations International School, New York City
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• UniS, the corporate logo of the University of Surrey from 1998 to 2007
• University Centre in Svalbard, Norway
• unis, British/Australian slang for universities
• an alternate spelling of Unas, a pharaoh of ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom era
• Unis, police slang for uniformed police officers
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Al Capone
Capone in 1931
Born	(1899-01-17)January 17, 1899 Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died	January 25, 1947(1947-01-25) (aged 48) Palm Island, Florida, United States
Charge(s)	Tax evasion
Penalty	11 year sentence in Alcatraz
Occupation	Gangster, bootlegger, criminal, racketeer, boss of Chicago Outfit
Spouse	Mae Capone
Children	Albert Francis Capone

Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947) was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early 1920s to 1931.

Born in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City to Italian immigrants, Capone became involved with gang activity at a young age after being expelled from school at age 14.^[1] In his early twenties, he moved to Chicago to take advantage of a new opportunity to make money smuggling illegal alcoholic beverages into the city during Prohibition. He also engaged in various other criminal activities, including bribery of government figures and prostitution. Despite his illegitimate occupation, Capone became a highly visible public figure. He made donations to various charitable endeavors using the money he made from his activities, and was viewed by many to be a "modern-day Robin Hood".^[2]

Capone's public reputation was damaged in the wake of his supposed involvement in the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, when seven rival gang members were executed.^[3] Capone was convicted on federal charges of tax evasion, and sentenced to federal prison. His incarceration included a term at the then-new Alcatraz federal prison. In the final years of Capone's life, he suffered mental and physical deterioration due to late-stage neurosyphilis, which he had contracted in his youth. On January 25, 1947, he died from cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke.

Early life[link]

Young Capone and his mother, Teresa

Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born in the borough of Brooklyn in New York on January 17, 1899.^[4] His parents, Gabriele (December 12, 1864 – November 14, 1920) and Teresina Capone (December 28, 1867 – November 29, 1952), were immigrants from Italy. His father, Gabriele, was a barber from Castellammare di Stabia, a town about 16 mi (26 km) south of Naples, and his mother, Teresa, was a seamstress and the daughter of Angelo Raiola from Angri, a town in the Province of Salerno.^[5]

Gabriele and Teresa had nine children: Alphonse "Scarface Al" Capone, James Capone (also known as Richard Two-Gun Hart), Raffaele Capone (also known as Ralph "Bottles" Capone, who took charge of his brother's beverage industry), Salvatore "Frank" Capone, John Capone, Albert Capone, Matthew Capone, Rose Capone, and Mafalda Capone (who married John J. Maritote). The Capone family immigrated to the United States, first immigrating from Italy to Rijeka, Croatia in 1893, traveling on a ship to U.S and settled at 95 Navy Street,^[4] in the Navy Yard section of downtown Brooklyn. Gabriele Capone worked at a nearby barber shop at 29 Park Avenue.^[4] When Al was 11, the Capone family moved to 38 Garfield Place^[4] in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Capone showed promise as a student, but had trouble with the rules at his strict parochial Catholic school. He dropped out of school at the age of 14, after being expelled for hitting a female teacher in the face.^[1] He worked at odd jobs around Brooklyn, including a candy store and a bowling alley.^[6] During this time, Capone was influenced by gangster Johnny Torrio, whom he came to regard as a mentor.^[7]

Career[link]

After his initial stint with small-time gangs that included the Junior Forty Thieves and the Bowery Boys, Capone joined the Brooklyn Rippers and then the powerful Five Points Gang based in Lower Manhattan. During this time, he was employed and mentored by fellow racketeer Frankie Yale, a bartender in a Coney Island dance hall and saloon called the Harvard Inn. Capone received the scars that gave him the nickname "Scarface" in a fight.^[3] After he inadvertently insulted a woman while working the door at a Brooklyn night club, Capone was attacked by her brother Frank Gallucio; his face was slashed three times on the left side. Yale insisted that Capone apologize to Gallucio, and later Capone hired him as a bodyguard.^[8][9] When photographed, Capone hid the scarred left side of his face. He said the injuries were war wounds.^[8][10] Capone was called "Snorky" by his closest friends.^[11]

Marriage and family[link]

On December 30, 1918, Capone married Mae Josephine Coughlin, who was Irish Catholic and who, earlier that month, had given birth to their first son, Albert Francis ("Sonny") Capone. As Capone was under the age of 21, his parents had to consent to the marriage in writing.^{[citation needed]}

Chicago career[link]

Capone departed New York for Chicago without his new wife and son, who joined him later. In 1923, he purchased a small house at 7244 South Prairie Avenue in the Park Manor neighborhood on the city's south side for USD $5,500.^[12]

Capone was recruited for Chicago by Johnny Torrio, his Five Points Gang mentor. Torrio had gone there to resolve some family problems his cousin's husband was having with the Black Hand. Torrio killed the members of the Black Hand who had given his cousin's husband problems. He saw many business opportunities in Chicago, especially bootlegging following the onset of prohibition. Chicago's location on Lake Michigan gave access to a vast inland territory, and it was well-served by railroads. Torrio took over the crime empire of James "Big Jim" Colosimo after he was murdered. Yale was a suspect but legal proceedings against him were dropped due to a lack of evidence.^[13] Capone was suspected in the murders of Colosimo and two other men. He was seeking a safe haven and a better job to provide for his new family.^[14]

The 1924 town council elections in Cicero became known as one of the most crooked elections in the Chicago area's long history of rigged elections, with voters threatened by thugs at polling stations. Capone's mayoral candidate won by a huge margin and weeks later announced that he would run Capone out of town. Capone met with his puppet-mayor and knocked him down the town hall steps.^{[citation needed]}

For Capone, the election victory was marred by the death of his younger brother Frank at the hands of the police. Capone cried at his brother's funeral and ordered the closure of all the speakeasies in Cicero for a day as a mark of respect.

Much of Capone's family settled in Cicero as well. In 1930, Capone's sister Mafalda married John J. Maritote at St. Mary of Częstochowa, a massive Neogothic edifice towering over Cicero Avenue in the Polish Cathedral style.^[15]

Capone's power grows in Cicero[link]

The Torrio-Capone organization, as well as the Sicilian-American Genna crime family, competed with the North Side Gang of Dean O'Banion. In May 1924, O'Banion discovered that their Sieben Brewery was going to be raided by federal agents and sold his share to Torrio. After the raid, both O'Banion and Torrio were arrested.^[16] Torrio's people murdered O'Banion in revenge on October 10, 1924, provoking a gang war.^[17][18]

In 1925, Torrio was severely injured in an attack by the North Side Gang; he turned over his business to Capone and returned to Italy. During the Prohibition Era, Capone controlled large portions of the Chicago underworld, which provided The Outfit with an estimated US $100 million per year in revenue.^[19] This wealth was generated through numerous illegal vice enterprises, such as gambling and prostitution; the highest revenue was generated by the sale of liquor.^[3]

His transportation network moved smuggled liquor from the rum-runners of the East Coast, The Purple Gang in Detroit, who brought liquor in from Canada, with help from Belle River native Blaise Diesbourg, also known as "King Canada," and local production which came from Midwestern moonshine operations and illegal breweries. With the revenues gained by his bootlegging operation, Capone increased his grip on the political and law-enforcement establishments in Chicago. He made his headquarters at Chicago's Lexington Hotel; after the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, it was nicknamed "Capone's Castle".

According to one source, while Al Capone was in charge of the Chicago Outfit it has been reported that some members of organization would take the train from Chicago to Wabash County, Illinois and stay at a remote hotel called the Grand Rapids Hotel on the Wabash River next to the Grand Rapids Dam. The hotel was only in existence for nine years but many residents of the area remember seeing men who claimed to be from the Chicago Outfit at the Grand Rapids Hotel. Suspiciously, the Grand Rapids Hotel was burned down by a man with one leg who dropped a blowtorch. It is not currently known if the men who travelled to the Grand Rapids Hotel were smuggling liquor in violation of prohibition or merely vacationing.^[20]

The organized corruption included the bribing of Chicago Mayor William "Big Bill" Hale Thompson, and Capone's gang operated largely free from legal intrusion. He operated casinos and speakeasies throughout the city. With his wealth, he indulged in custom suits, cigars, gourmet food and drink (his preferred liquor was Templeton Rye from Iowa^[21]), jewelry, and female companionship. He garnered media attention, to which his favorite responses were "I am just a businessman, giving the people what they want," and "All I do is satisfy a public demand."^[3] Capone had become a celebrity.

Unemployed men outside a soup kitchen opened in Chicago by Al Capone, 1931

His rivals retaliated for the violence of Capone's enforcement of control. North Side gangsters Hymie Weiss and Bugs Moran wanted to bring him down. More than once, Capone's car was riddled with bullets. On September 20, 1926, the North Side gang shot into Capone's entourage as he was eating lunch in the Hawthorne Hotel restaurant. A motorcade of ten vehicles, using Thompson submachine guns and shotguns riddled the outside of the Hotel and the restaurant on the first floor of the building. Capone's bodyguard, Frankie Rio, threw him to the ground at the first sound of gunfire. Several bystanders were hurt from flying glass and bullet fragments in the raid. Capone paid for the medical care of a young boy and his mother who would have lost her eyesight otherwise. This event prompted Capone to call for a truce, but negotiations fell through. The attacks were believed to have been made at Moran's direction and left Capone shaken.^{[citation needed]}

Capone had his Cadillac fitted with bullet-proof glass, run-flat tires and a police siren. In 1932, Treasury agents working on prohibition issues seized the car; it was later used as President Franklin D. Roosevelt's limousine.^[22]

Capone placed armed bodyguards around the clock at his headquarters at the Lexington Hotel, at 22nd Street (later renamed Cermak Road) and Michigan Avenue. For his trips away from Chicago, Capone was reputed to have had several other retreats and hideouts in places including:

Couderay, Wisconsin[23] Capone's Couderay hideout (a popular tourist attraction in later years) is a 407-acre property, complete with a 37-acre lake which reputedly was used to land planes filled with illegal liquor for shipment south to Chicago.[23][24] Former New York gang member Owney "The Killer" Madden retired to Hot Springs and invited his former colleagues to visit him there; this was also the place that Lucky Luciano was first arrested. As a further precaution, Capone and his entourage would often show up suddenly at one of Chicago's train depots and buy up an entire Pullman sleeper car on night trains to places such as Cleveland, Omaha, Kansas City, Little Rock or Hot Springs, where they would spend a week in luxury hotel suites under assumed names. In 1928, Capone bought a 14-room retreat on Palm Island, Florida, close to Miami Beach.[3] Saint Valentine's Day Massacre[link] Main article: Saint Valentine's Day Massacre File:Valentine Day massacre.jpg The St. Valentine's Day Massacre eliminated some of Capone's enemies, but outraged the general public It is believed that Capone ordered the 1929 Saint Valentine's Day Massacre in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on Chicago's North Side. Details of the killing of the seven victims[3] in a garage at 2122 North Clark Street (then the SMC Cartage Co.) and the extent of Capone's involvement are widely disputed. No one was ever brought to trial for the crime. The massacre was thought to be the Outfit's effort to strike back at Bugs Moran's North Side gang. They had been increasingly bold in hijacking the Outfit's booze trucks, assassinating two presidents of the Outfit-controlled Unione Siciliana, and made three assassination attempts on Jack McGurn, a top enforcer of Capone.[citation needed] To monitor their targets' habits and movements, Capone’s men rented an apartment across from the trucking warehouse that served as a Moran headquarters. On the morning of Thursday February 14, 1929, Capone’s lookouts signaled gunmen disguised as police to start a 'raid'. The faux police lined the seven victims along a wall without a struggle then signaled for accomplices with machine guns. The seven victims were machine-gunned and shot-gunned.[citation needed] Photos of the massacre victims shocked the public and damaged Capone's reputation. Federal law enforcement worked to investigate his activities.[3] Conviction and imprisonment[link] Wikisource has original text related to this article: IRS investigation of Al Capone Al Capone's cell at the Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, PA In 1929, the Bureau of Prohibition agent Eliot Ness began an investigation of Capone and his business, attempting to get a conviction for Prohibition violations. Frank J. Wilson investigated Capone's income tax violations, which the government decided was more likely material for a conviction. In 1931 Capone was indicted for income tax evasion and various violations of the Volstead Act (Prohibition) at the Chicago Federal Building in the courtroom of Judge James Herbert Wilkerson.[25] His attorneys made a plea deal, but the presiding judge warned he might not follow the sentencing recommendation from the prosecution. Capone withdrew his plea of guilty. His attempt to bribe and intimidate the potential jurors was discovered by Ness's men, The Untouchables . The venire (jury pool) was switched with one from another case, and Capone was stymied. Following a long trial, on October 17 the jury returned a mixed verdict, finding Capone guilty of five counts of tax evasion and failing to file tax returns[26][27] (the Volstead Act violations were dropped). The judge sentenced him to 11 years imprisonment, at the time the longest tax evasion sentence ever given, along with heavy fines, and liens were filed against his various properties.[28] His appeals of both the conviction and the sentence were denied.[29] In May 1932, Capone was sent to Atlanta U.S. Penitentiary, but he was able to obtain special privileges. Later, for a short period of time, he was transferred to the Lincoln Heights Jail. He was transferred to Alcatraz on August 11, 1934, which was newly established as a prison on an island off San Francisco.[30] The warden kept tight security and cut off Capone's contact with colleagues. His isolation and the repeal of Prohibition in December 1933, which reduced a major source of revenue, diminished his power.[citation needed] Al Capone at Alcatraz During his early months at Alcatraz, Capone made an enemy by showing his disregard for the prison social order when he cut in line while prisoners were waiting for a haircut. James Lucas, a Texas bank robber serving 30 years, reportedly confronted the former syndicate leader and told him to get back at the end of the line. When Capone asked if he knew who he was, Lucas reportedly grabbed a pair of the barber's scissors and, holding them to Capone's neck, answered "Yeah, I know who you are, greaseball. And if you don't get back to the end of that fucking line, I'm gonna know who you were."[31] Capone was admitted into the prison hospital with a minor wound and released a few days later.[2] In addition, his health declined as the syphilis which he had contracted as a youth progressed. He spent the last year of his sentence in the prison hospital, confused and disoriented.[32] Capone completed his term in Alcatraz on January 6, 1939, and was transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution at Terminal Island in California, to serve the one-year contempt of court term he was originally sentenced to serve in Chicago's Cook County jail.[33] He was paroled on November 16, 1939, and, after having spent a short time in a hospital, returned to his home in Palm Island, Florida.[34] Later years[link] Capone's control and interests within organized crime diminished rapidly after his imprisonment, and he was no longer able to run the Outfit after his release. He had lost weight, and his physical and mental health had deteriorated under the effects of neurosyphilis. He had become incapable of resuming his gang activity. In 1946, his physician and a Baltimore psychiatrist performed examinations and concluded that Capone then had the mental capability of a 12-year-old child.[35] He often raved about Communists, foreigners, and Bugs Moran, whom he was convinced was plotting to kill him from his Ohio prison cell. On January 21, 1947, Capone had a stroke. He regained consciousness and started to improve but contracted pneumonia. He suffered a fatal cardiac arrest the next day. On January 25, 1947 Al Capone died in his home in Palm Island, Florida, surrounded by his family.[36] In popular culture[link] One of the most notorious American gangsters of the 20th century, Capone has been the subject of numerous articles, books, and films. Capone's personality and character have been used in fiction as a model for crime lords and criminal masterminds ever since his death. The stereotypical image of a mobster wearing a blue pinstriped suit and tilted fedora is based on photos of Capone. His accent, mannerisms, facial construction, physical stature, and parodies of his name have been used for numerous gangsters in comics, movies, music, and literature. Literature[link] Capone is featured in Mario Puzo's The Godfather in a segment in which Luca Brasi kills two henchmen sent by Capone to kill Don Vito Corleone.[37] Capone is featured in the Kinky Friedman novel, The Love Song of J. Edgar Hoover (1997).[citation needed] Al Capone is referenced in Gennifer Choldenko's 2004 historical fiction book, Al Capone Does My Shirts, and its sequel Al Capone Shines My Shoes.[citation needed] In a book of photographs titled New York City Gangland (2010), both Capone and his NYC bootlegging ally, Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria, appear in Prohibition-era "bathing beauty" portraits.[38] A reincarnated Capone is a major character in science fiction author Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy. Capone's appearance was the model for the dummy of Batman villain the Ventriloquist, aptly named Scarface. Capone's niece, Deirdre Marie Capone, wrote a book titled Uncle Al Capone: The Untold Story from Inside His Family.[39] The young Capone is featured extensively in the 2010 HBO production Boardwalk Empire Al Capone is a central character in the fantasy novel Cosa Nosferatu, which imagines Capone and Eliot Ness entangled with Randolph Carter and other elements of H.P. Lovecraft mythos. Film and television[link] Capone has been portrayed on screen by: Rod Steiger in Al Capone (1959).[40] Neville Brand in the TV series The Untouchables and again in the movie The George Raft Story (1961).[40] José Calvo in Due mafiosi contro Al Capone (1966).[40] Jason Robards in The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967).[40] Ben Gazzara in Capone (1975).[40] Robert De Niro in The Untouchables (1987).[40] Ray Sharkey in The Revenge of Al Capone (1989) Eric Roberts in The Lost Capone (1990) William Forsythe in The Untouchables (1993–1994) William Devane as Al Capone in "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (13 November 1994)[citation needed] F. Murray Abraham in Dillinger and Capone (1995). Anthony LaPaglia in Road to Perdition (2002), in a deleted scene.[41] Julian Littman in Al's Lads (2002) Jon Bernthal in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009).[42] Stephen Graham in Boardwalk Empire (2010) Actors playing characters based on Capone include: Wallace Beery as Louis 'Louie' Scorpio in The Secret Six (1931).[40] Ricardo Cortez as Goldie Gorio in Bad Company (1931).[40] Paul Lukas as Big Fellow Maskal in City Streets (1931).[40] Edward Arnold as Duke Morgan in Okay, America! (1932).[40] Jean Hersholt as Samuel 'Sam' Belmonte in The Beast of the City (1932).[40] Paul Muni as Antonio 'Tony' Camonte in Scarface (1932). C. Henry Gordon as Nick Diamond in Gabriel Over the White House (1933).[40] John Litel as 'Gat' Brady in Alcatraz Island (1937).[40] Barry Sullivan as Shubunka in The Gangster (1947).[40] Ralph Volkie as Big Fellow in The Undercover Man (1949).[40] Edmond O'Brien as Fran McCarg in Pete Kelly's Blues (1955).[40] Lee J. Cobb as Rico Angelo in Party Girl (1958).[40] George Raft as Spats Colombo and Nehemiah Persoff as Little Bonaparte in Some Like It Hot (1959).[40] Frank Ronzio as Litmus in Escape from Alcatraz (1979) introduces himself to newcomer Charlie Butts as "Al Capone". The movie is set in 1962, 15 years after Capone's death. Al Pacino as Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy (1990).[40] Music[link] Prince Buster, Jamaican ska and rocksteady musician, had his first hit in the UK with the single "Al Capone" in 1967.[43] The Specials, a UK ska revival group, reworked Prince Buster's track into their first single, "Gangsters",[44] which featured the line "Don't call me Scarface!" Graffiti of Al Capone made by Partizan fans in Belgrade, Serbia. Paper Lace, "The Night Chicago Died" is a song by the British group Paper Lace, written by Peter Callander and Mitch Murray. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in 1974. It is about a fictional shoot-out in Chicago between Al Capone's Gang and the Chicago Police.Quote from the song "When a man named Al Capone Tried to make that town his own And he called his gang to war With the forces of the law" [45] Al Capone is referenced heavily in Prodigy's track "Al Capone Zone", produced by The Alchemist and featuring Keak Da Sneak.[46] Al Capone transcribed a love song called Madonna Mia while in prison. In May 2009, his rendition of the song was recorded for the first time in history.[citation needed] He is referenced in a homonymous song by Brazilian singer Raul Seixas. His name also appears in the (not so well known) song Stone Cold Crazy by Queen. Megadeth's song "Public Enemy No. 1" is about Capone. Al Capone is referenced in song lyrics by the group: TESLA. (Album: Mechnical Resonance. Year: 1986. Song: Modern Day Cowboy-track 7. "Al Capone and his bad boy Jones...") Sport[link] Fans of Serbian football club Partizan are using Al Capone's character as a mascot for one of their subgroups called "Alcatraz", named after a prison in which Al Capone served his sentence. Also, in honour of Capone, a graffiti representation of him exists in the center of Belgrade. See also[link] American Mafia List of Depression-era outlaws Scarface (1932 film) Scarface (1983 film) The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults Timeline of organized crime References[link] ^ a b "Notorious Crime Files: Al Capone". The Biography Channel. Biography.com. http://www.biography.com/notorious/crimefiles.do?catId=259452&action=view&profileId=262834. Retrieved 2010-11-12.  ^ a b "Al Capone at Alcatraz". Ocean View Publishing. 1992. http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/cap1.htm.  ^ a b c d e f g The Five Families. MacMillan. http://books.google.com/books?id=5nAt6N8iQnYC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0. Retrieved 2008-06-22.  ^ a b c d Schoenberg, Robert L. (1992). Mr. Capone. New York, New York: William Morrow and Company. pp. 18–19. ISBN 0-688-12838-6. http://books.google.com/books?id=U7VAcMdddNkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=al+capone&ei=DFt6SuewMZ-UygSR7MXCDA#v=onepage&q=born&f=false.  ^ Kobler, John (1971). Capone. Da Capo Press. p. 23. ISBN 0-306-80499-9.  ^ Kobler, 27. ^ Kobler, 26. ^ a b Kobler, 36. ^ Bardsley, Marilyn. "Scarface". Al Capone. Crime Library. http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/mob_bosses/capone/scarface_4.html. Retrieved 2008-03-29.  ^ Kobler, 15. ^ "Mobsters and Gangsters from Al Capone to Tony Soprano", Life (2002). ^ Hood, Joel (2009-04-02). "Capone home on the market - Chicago Tribune Archives". Chicagotribune.com. http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-talk-caponeapr02,0,5381253.story. Retrieved 2010-03-12.  ^ Bardsley, Marilyn. "Chicago". Al Capone. Crime Library. http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/mob_bosses/capone/chicago_5.html. Retrieved 2008-04-03.  ^ Kobler, 37. ^ Added by bob armour. "Al Capone moves his gang's headquarters to Cicero, Illinois". Timelines.com. http://timelines.com/1923/al-capone-moves-his-gangs-headquarters-to-cicero-illinois. Retrieved 2010-03-12.  ^ Bergreen, Laurence (1994). Capone: The Man and the Era. New York: Simon and Schuster Paperbacks. pp. 131–132. ISBN 978-0-684-82447-5.  ^ Bergreen, pp 134-135 ^ Bergreen, p 138 ^ "Purchasing Power of Money in the United States from 1774 to 2008." Online calculator appears on the right side of website. http://www.measuringworth.com/ppowerus/index.php ^ Nolan, John Matthew "2,543 Days: A history of the Hotel at the Grand Rapids Dam on the Wabash River" ^ Walker, Jason (2009-07-07). "Templeton Rye of Templeton, Iowa". Heavy Table. http://heavytable.com/templeton-rye-of-templeton-iowa/. Retrieved 2010-12-04.  ^ By Mike M. Ahlers and Eric Marrapodi CNN (2009-01-06). "Obama's wheels: Secret Service to unveil new presidential limo - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/06/driving.obama/index.html#cnnSTCOther1. Retrieved 2010-03-12.  ^ a b "Al Capone's Couderay, Wisconsin Hideout Home for Sale; Asking Price $2.6M". CBS News. 07 October 2009. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-5369641-504083.html. Retrieved 20 March 2012.  ^ "Reputed Capone hideout sold to Wisconsin bank". CNN. 08 October 2009. http://articles.cnn.com/2009-10-08/justice/wisconsin.capone.hideout.sold_1_capone-family-al-capone-reputed?_s=PM:CRIME. Retrieved 20 March 2012.  ^ "Visitors to the Court-Historic Trials". US District Court-Northern District of Illinois. http://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/home/CourtHouseVisitors.aspx. Retrieved 2011-02-10.  ^ Linder, Douglas O.. "Selected Documents: Jury Verdict Form (October 17, 1931)". Al Capone Trial. University of Missouri–Kansas City. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/capone/caponeverdict.html. Retrieved 2011-10-16.  ^ Bergreen, p. 484 ^ Bergreen, pp. 486-487 ^ Capone v. United States, 56 F.2d 927 (1931), cert. denied, 286 U.S. 553, 76 L.Ed. 1288, 52 S.Ct. 503; (1932); United States v. Capone, 93 F.2d 840 (1937), cert. denied, 303 U.S. 651, 82 L.Ed. 1112, 58 S.Ct. 750 (1938). ^ "First Prisoners Arrive at Alcatraz Prison (Likely Including Al Capone)". Timelines.com. 1934-08-11. http://timelines.com/1934/8/11/first-prisoners-arrive-at-alcatraz-prison-likely-including-al-capone. Retrieved 2011-01-27.  ^ Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3 ^ Al Capone: Chicago's Most Infamous Mob Boss - The Crime library. ^ J. Campbell Bruce, "Escape from Alcatraz", Random House Digital, Inc. (2005), p 32. ^ John J. Binder, "The Chicago Outfit", Arcadia Publishing (2003), p 41-42. ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation. "Famous Cases and Criminals - Al Capone". www.fbi.gov. http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/al-capone. Retrieved 2010-11-09.  ^ "Capone Dead At 48; Dry Era Gang Chief". Associated Press. Nytimes.com. 2009-04-02. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0117.html. Retrieved 2010-03-12.  ^ Puzo, Mario (1969). The Godfather. pp. 214–217. ISBN 0-7493-2468-6.  ^ www.NYCGangland.com ^ Capone, Deirdre Marie. "Uncle Al Capone - The Untold Story from Inside His Family". Amazon.com. ISBN 978-0-9828451-0-3. http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Al-Capone-Untold-Inside/dp/0982845103/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327756747&sr=1-1. Retrieved 2012-04-13.  ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Newman, Kim (1997). Hardy, Phil. ed. The BFI companion to crime. Cassell. pp. 72–73. ISBN 0-304-33215-1. OCLC 247004388. http://books.google.co.za/books?id=agfHUakbj5kC&pg=PA73&lpg=PA73&dq=%22Barry+Sullivan%22+capone&source=bl&ots=EzxDcfye59&sig=EolUsBQjSaoIZnUBQffBerN1E9c&hl=en&ei=bd6rSpaYOYnbjQfJpv3cBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=%22Barry%20Sullivan%22%20capone&f=false. Retrieved 2009-09-12.  ^ "Video Beat: 'Perdition' exudes a hellish beauty". Seattle Post-Inteligencer. 2003-03-01. http://www.seattlepi.com/movies/110543_vid01.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-12.  ^ Loewenstein, Lael (2009-05-20). "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian". Variety. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117940315.html?categoryid=31&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-09-12.  ^ "Prince Buster, Al Capone". ChartStats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=4375. Retrieved July 22, 2011.  ^ "Gangsters by The Specials". SongFacts.com. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=5253. Retrieved July 22, 2011.  ^ "The Night Chicago Died". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Chicago_Died. Retrieved January 12, 2012.  ^ "Al Capone Zone | Alchemist Song". New.music.yahoo.com. http://new.music.yahoo.com/alchemist/tracks/al-capone-zone--207389271. Retrieved 2011-01-27.  Further reading[link] Capone, Deirdre Marie; Uncle Al Capone - The Untold Story from Inside His Family. Recap Publishing LLC ISBN 978-0-9828451-0-3 Hoffman Dennis E. Scarface Al and the Crime Crusaders: Chicago's Private War Against Capone Southern Illinois University Press; 1st edition (November 24, 1993) ISBN 978-0-8093-1925-1 Kobler, John. Capone: The Life and Times of Al Capone. New York: Da Capo Press, 2003. ISBN 0-306-81285-1 MacDonald, Alan. Dead Famous – Al Capone and his Gang Scholastic. Pasley, Fred D. Al Capone: The Biography of a Self-Made Man. Garden City, New York: Garden City Publishing Co., 2004. ISBN 1-4179-0878-5 Schoenberg, Robert J. Mr. Capone. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1992. ISBN 0-688-12838-6 External links[link] Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Al Capone Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Al Capone Al Capone: The Original Gangster – slideshow by Life magazine Mario Gomes' site on everything related to Al Capone South Beach Magazine The Un-Welcomed Visitor: Al Capone in Miami. (with photos) Complete FBI files on Al Capone Al Capone at the Crime Library Preceded by Johnny Torrio Chicago Outfit Boss 1925–1932 Succeeded by Frank Nitti v t e Alcohol prohibition By country Canada Finland Iceland Iran Russia/Soviet Union United States By topic 18th Amendment (U.S. Constitution) 21st Amendment (U.S. Constitution) Anti-Saloon League American Mafia Dry county Islam Jazz Age Moonshine Prohibition Party Roaring Twenties Rum-running Rum row Rum Patrol Speakeasy Temperance movement Teetotalism Volstead Act Woman's Christian Temperance Union Associated people Al Capone Mickey Duffy The Purple Gang Waxey Gordon Frank Hamer J. Edgar Hoover Bumpy Johnson Enoch L. Johnson Meyer Lansky Lucky Luciano Sam Maceo Owney Madden Bugs Moran William McCoy Eliot Ness Arnold Rothstein Nicholas II of Russia Dutch Schultz v t e Italian American Mafia Families East Coast Five Families of New York City: Bonanno Colombo Gambino Genovese Lucchese Buffalo DeCavalcante (New Jersey) Patriarca (New England) Philadelphia Pittsburgh Trafficante (Florida) Midwestern/Western Chicago Cleveland Detroit Kansas City Los Angeles Milwaukee St. Louis Defunct Bufalino (Pennsylvania) Dallas Denver Genna (Chicago) New Orleans Porrello (Cleveland) Rochester San Francisco San Jose Structure Chain of command The Commission Boss (don) Underboss Consigliere (advisor) Caporegime (captain or capo) Soldier Associate Members (made men) List of Italian American mobsters List of Italian American mobsters by organization Codes and Terms Initiation ceremony Bagman Vendetta Capo di tutti capi (boss of all bosses) Mustache Pete Omertà Zips Events Meetings Atlantic City Conference (1929) Havana Conference (invitees) (1946) Apalachin Meeting (1957) Palermo Mafia summit (1957) Hearings Kefauver Committee (1950–1951) Valachi hearings (1963) Wars Mafia–Camorra War (1914–1917) Castellammarese War (1929–1931) Trials Pizza Connection Trial (1985–1987) Mafia Commission Trial (1985–1986) See also: Sicilian Mafia template List of Mafia crime families v t e The Untouchables Members Eliot Ness · Martin J. Lahart · Samuel M. Seager · Bernard V. Cloonan · Lyle Chapman · Thomas Friel · Joseph Leeson · Paul W. Robsky · Michael King · William Gardner · Others: Jim Seeley · Albert H. Wolff · Unofficial (ie, non-agent): Frank Basile Context Prohibition · Volstead Act Investigation Targets Chicago Outfit · Al Capone · Also: Frank Nitti Law enforcement Bureau of Prohibition · Treasury's Bureau of Internal Revenue · Frank J. Wilson · Elmer Lincoln Irey Book The Untouchables (1957 book) · Authors: Eliot Ness · Oscar Fraley Media The Untouchables (1959 TV series) (episode list) · The Untouchables (film) (1987) · The Untouchables (video game) (1989) · The Untouchables (1993 TV series) (episode list) Persondata Name Capone, Al Alternative names Short description Date of birth January 17, 1899 Place of birth Brooklyn, New York, United States Date of death January 25, 1947 Place of death Palm Island (Florida), U.S.

Jet Li 李连杰
Jet Li at the premiere of Fearless in 2006.
Chinese name	李連杰 (Traditional)
Chinese name	李连杰 (Simplified)
Pinyin	Lǐ Liánjié (Mandarin)
Jyutping	Lei5 Lin4 Git6 (Cantonese)
Ancestry	Beijing, China
Born	(1963-04-26) April 26, 1963 (age 49) Beijing, China
Other name(s)	Lee Yeung Chung / Li Yangzhong 李陽中 (Traditional) 李阳中 (Simplified) Lǐ Yángzhōng (Mandarin) Lei5 Joeng4 Zung1 (Cantonese) (Chinese producer pseudonym)
Occupation	Actor Martial artist Film producer
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Huang Qiuyan (1987–1990) Nina Li Chi (1999–present)
Official Website	www.jetli.com
Awards Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor 2008 The Warlords Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards Best Actor 2006 Fearless Golden Horse Awards Special Award 1995 Other awards Shanghai Film Critics Awards 2008 Best Actor (The Warlords)

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

Li Lianjie ([lì ljǎntɕjɛ̌]; born April 26, 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a naturalized Singaporean^[1][1] film actor, film producer, Chinese martial artist, wushu champion, and international star who was born in Beijing.

After three years of intensive training with Wu Bin, Li won his first national championship for the Beijing Wushu Team. After retiring from Wushu at age 19, he went on to win great acclaim in China as an actor making his debut with the film Shaolin Temple (1982). He went on to star in many critically acclaimed martial arts epic films, most notably the Once Upon A Time In China series, in which he portrayed folk hero Wong Fei-hung.

Li's first role in a Hollywood film was as a villain in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), but his first Hollywood film leading role was in Romeo Must Die (2000). He has gone on to star in many Hollywood action films, including Kiss of the Dragon and Unleashed. He co-starred in The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) with Jackie Chan, The Expendables (2010) with Sylvester Stallone, and as the title character villain in The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008) opposite Brendan Fraser. He also appeared in the Hong Kong film Ocean Heaven (2010), directed and written by Xue Xiaolu.

Early life and martial arts career[link]

Li Lianjie was born in Beijing, People's Republic of China, the youngest of two boys and two girls. His father died when he was two years old, leaving the family struggling.^[2]

Li was eight when his talent for wushu was noticed at a summer course at school, and he began his practice there.^[3] Li participated in the sport of wushu in the non-sparring event. He began his wushu on the Beijing Wushu Team, an athletic group organized to perform martial arts forms during the All China Games. He was coached by renowned wushu coaches Li Junfeng and Wu Bin,^[4] who made extra efforts to help the talented boy develop. Wu Bin even bought food for Li's family because they could not afford to buy meat, which was essential for the good physical condition of an athlete.^[4] As a member of the team, he received wushu training and went on to win fifteen gold medals and one silver medal in Chinese wushu championships, where, despite his young age, he competed against adults.^[5]

According to Li, once, as a child, when the Chinese National Wushu Team went to perform for President Richard Nixon in the United States, he was asked by Nixon to be his personal bodyguard. Li replied, "I don't want to protect any individual. When I grow up, I want to defend my one billion Chinese countrymen!"^[7]

Li is a master of several styles of wushu, especially Changquan (Northern Longfist Style) and Fanziquan (Tumbling fist). He has also studied other arts including Baguazhang (Eight trigram palm), Taijiquan (Supreme ultimate fist), Xingyiquan (Shape intent fist), Zuiquan (Drunken fist), Yingzhaoquan (Eagle claw fist) and Tanglangquan (Praying mantis fist). He did not learn Nanquan (Southern fist), because his training focused only in the Northern Shaolin Styles. He has also studied some of wushu's main weapons, such Sanjiegun (Three section staff), Gun (staff), Dao (Broadsword), Jian (Straight sword) and many more.^[8]

It is Jet Li's authentic martial arts prowess that enabled his rise to domestic and international fame.^[9]

Acting career[link]

Chinese films[link]

Jet Li
Jet Li's hand print and autograph at the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong.
Traditional Chinese	李連杰
Simplified Chinese	李连杰
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Liánjié - Wade–Giles Li Lien-chieh Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping Lei5 Lin4 Git6 - IPA [le̬i lɪ̏ŋkìt]
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	李陽中
Simplified Chinese	李阳中
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Yángzhōng - Wade–Giles Li Yang-chung - IPA [lì jɑ̌ŋtʂʊ́ŋ] Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping Lei5 Joeng4 Zung1 - IPA [le̬i jœ̏ŋtsʊ́ŋ] - Yale Romanization Lee Yeung Chong

The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce. They likened his career to an aircraft, which likewise "takes-off" as quickly, so they placed the name Jet Li on the movie posters. Soon everybody was calling him by this new name, which was also based on the nickname, "Jet," given to him as a young student, due to his speed and grace when training with the Beijing Wushu team. He made his debut with the 1982 film Shaolin Temple. Some of his more famous Chinese films include:

• The Shaolin Temple series (1, 2 and 3), which are considered to be the films which sparked the rebirth of the real Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, China;
• The Once Upon a Time in China series (Chinese title: Wong Fei Hung), about the legendary Chinese folk hero Master Wong Fei Hung.
• Fist of Legend (Chinese title: Jing Wu Ying Xiong), a remake of Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury.
• The Fong Sai Yuk films about another Chinese folk hero.

Li starred in the 1995 film High Risk, where Jet Li plays a Captain who becomes disillusioned after his wife is murdered by crime lords. Along the way, he pairs up with a wacky sell-out actor, Frankie (played by Jacky Cheung), and proceeds to engage in a series of violent battles in a high-rise building. The setting is similar to that of Die Hard and both their Chinese film titles. This movie is notable in that director Wong Jing had such a terrible experience working with Jackie Chan in Jing's previous film City Hunter that he chose to make Cheung's character a biting satire of Chan. Jet Li would later publicly apologize to Chan for taking part in it.

Li has two wuxia feature films scheduled for release in 2011, The Sorcerer and the White Snake and Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, the latter is helmed by Tsui Hark.

In order to promote tai chi, in 2012 Jet Li will star in a film titled Tai Chi and will co-produce the movie with Chen Kuo-Fu. Li will portray Tai Chi master Yang Lu-ch'an.^[10][11]

American films[link]

In 1998, he made his American film debut in Lethal Weapon 4 which also marked the first time he had ever played a villain in a film. He agreed to do Lethal Weapon 4 after the producer Joel Silver promised to give him the leading role in his next film, Romeo Must Die (2000) alongside late singer Aaliyah. The film became a box office hit.

Li turned down Chow Yun-fat's role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) because he promised his wife that he would not make any films during her pregnancy.^[12] He also turned down the role of Seraph in The Matrix trilogy, based on his belief that the role was not one which required his skills and that the films were iconic and stunning enough without adding his name to the cast list.

In 2001, he appeared in two more Hollywood films: The One which was the first of his films with Jason Statham and Kiss of the Dragon opposite Bridget Fonda which did moderately well at the box office. In July 2001, Li agreed to produce and star in an action film with Jackie Chan which was to be released in 2002 or 2003, but no further news of their collaboration surfaced until 2006. In 2002, the period martial arts epic film Hero was released in the Chinese market. This film was both a commercial and critical success and became the highest-grossing motion picture in Chinese film history at the time.^[13] In 2003 he reunited with producer Joel Silver for the action thriller film Cradle 2 The Grave where he starred alongside rapper DMX and fellow martial artist Mark Dacascos. In 2004, Li lent his likeness, voice and provided motion capture work for the video game Jet Li: Rise to Honor.

Li took on a more serious role in the 2005 film, Unleashed (a.k.a. Danny the Dog), where he portrayed an adult with the mentality of a child who has been raised like an animal. Although his martial arts skills were utilized extensively, it was a somber film with more depth than had been previously seen in Li's films, and co-starred dramatic actors Bob Hoskins and Morgan Freeman.

In 2006, the martial arts film epic Fearless, was released worldwide. Although he will continue to make martial arts films, Fearless is his last wushu epic. In Fearless, he played Huo Yuanjia, the real-life founder of Chin Woo Athletic Association, who reportedly defeated foreign boxers and Japanese martial artists in publicized events at a time when China's power was seen as eroding. Together with the film Fist of Legend, Li has portrayed both Chen Jun, the student and avenger of Huo Yuanjia (aka Fok Yun Gap), as well as Huo Yuanjia himself. Fearless was released on January 26, 2006 in Hong Kong, followed by a September 22, 2006 release in the United States where it reached second place in its first weekend.

I stepped into the martial arts movie market when I was only 16. I think I have proved my ability in this field and it won't make sense for me to continue for another five or 10 years. Huo Yuanjia is a conclusion to my life as a martial arts star.^[14]

Li has stated in an interview with the Shenzhen Daily newspaper that this will be his last martial arts epic, which is also stated in the film's television promotions. However, he plans to continue his film career in other genres. Specifically, he plans to continue acting in action and martial arts films; epic films deal more with religious and philosophical issues.

Li's 2007 Hollywood film, War, was released in August of that year, and re-teamed him with actor Jason Statham, who previously starred with him in The One, and action choreographer Corey Yuen. War raked in a disappointing $23 million at the box office, becoming one of Li's lowest grossers in America; however, it was a hit on video, accumulating nearly $52 million in rental revenue, more than doubling its box office take.^[15] With the exception of Romeo Must Die and the worldwide release of Hero, most of Li's American films have been only modest hits like Kiss Of The Dragon, The One, Unleashed, Cradle 2 the Grave, and the worldwide release of Fearless.

In late 2007, Li returned again to China to participate in the China/Hong Kong co-production of the period war film The Warlords with Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro. This film with its focus on dramatics rather than martial arts netted Li the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor.

Li and fellow martial arts veteran Jackie Chan finally appeared together onscreen for the first time in The Forbidden Kingdom, which began filming in May 2007 and was released to critical and commercial success on April 18, 2008. The film was based on the legend of the Monkey King from the Chinese folk novel Journey to the West.^[17][18] Li also starred as the lead villain in the fantasy action film The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor with actors Brendan Fraser, Isabella Leong and Michelle Yeoh.^[19]

After a one-year hiatus from filmmaking, Jet Li returned to acting in 2009, portraying a mercenary in the film The Expendables, teaming up with action stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Steve Austin, Terry Crews, and Randy Couture. It was the third time he had teamed up with Statham.

Personal life[link]

Jet Li with Jackie Chan in Hong Kong.

Li is a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism.^[20] His master is Lho Kunsang^[21] of the Drikung Kagyu lineage of the Kagyu school.^[22]

In 1987, Li married Beijing Wushu Team member and Kids from Shaolin co-star Huang Qiuyan,^[23] with whom he has two daughters, Si and Taimi.^[24] They divorced in 1990. Since 1999, he has been married to Nina Li Chi (born Li Zhi), a Shanghai-born, Hong Kong-based actress. He has two daughters with her as well, Jane (born 2000) and Jada (born 2002).^[25]

Li was in the Maldives when a tsunami hit during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Although it was widely reported at the time that he had died during the disaster,^[26] he only suffered a minor foot injury, caused by a piece of floating furniture, while he was guiding his 4-year-old daughter Jane and the nanny holding his 1-year-old daughter Jada to safety. The four of them were by the pool and slightly above the beach when the wave came ashore.^[27]

In 2009, Li, who previously had American citizenship, after years working in the United States, was thought to have renounced his American citizenship and taken up Singaporean citizenship,^[1][28] although no official confirmation has been provided by Singapore authorities.^[29] On July 28, 2009, the chairman of One Foundation (the Charity fund of Jet Li) announced that Jet Li had indeed become a Singaporean citizen.^[1] He was said to have chosen Singapore for its education system for his two daughters.^[1]

In 2009, Li launched his own fitness program that he named "Wuji".^[30] The programme consists of elements of martial arts, yoga and pilates; Adidas launched a special clothing line for it that bears the initials of "JL".^[31][32]

In his free time he likes to play badminton, table tennis, volleyball, ride his bicycle, read and meditate. He collects rare Tibetan beads. He says he is never bored in his free time.^[33][34]

Views on life and martial arts[link]

Li as a Buddhist believes that the difficulties of everyday life can be overcome with the help of religious philosophies.^[36] He thinks that fame is not something he can control; therefore, he does not care about it.^[37]

According to Li, everything he has ever wanted to tell the world can be found in three of his films: the message of Hero is that the suffering of one person can never be as significant as the suffering of a nation; Unleashed shows that violence is never a solution and Fearless tells that the biggest enemy of a person is himself. Li thinks that the greatest weapon is a smile and the largest power is love.^[38]

About Wushu, Li said that he believes the essence of martial arts is not power or speed but inner harmony and considers it a sad development that today's Wushu championships place greater emphasis on form than on the essence of being a martial artist. He believes Wushu now lacks individuality and competitors move like machines, whereas according to his views Wushu should not be considered a race where the fastest athlete wins. He would like to see Wushu as a form of art, where artists have a distinctive style. Li blames the new competition rules that, according to him, place limitations on martial artists.^[39]

Li believes that Wushu is not primarily for self-defense and instead of trying to play the hero people should think about peaceful resolutions of conflicts and call the police if necessary: "A gun outdoes years of martial arts training in a split second. Like I've said many times before, it is important to differentiate between movies and reality. The hero in movies may be able to knock the gun off his opponent and save the day, but in real life – probably that is not the case."^[40] He has also stated that he has never had to use his martial arts skills in a real life fight and he does not wish to, either.^[35]

Philanthropy[link]

Li has been a "philanthropic ambassador" of the Red Cross Society of China since January 2006. He contributed 500,000 yuan (US$62,500) of box office revenues from his film Fearless to the Red Cross' psychological sunshine project, which promotes mental health.^[41]

In April 2007, touched by his life-shaking experience in the Maldives when he was close to dying during the 2004 tsunami, Li formed his own non-profit foundation called The One Foundation.^[42][43] The One Foundation supports international disaster relief efforts in conjunction with the Red Cross as well as other efforts, including mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Since the starting of the foundation, Li has been involved with recovery efforts in seven disasters, including the 2008 Sichuan earthquake^[27] and Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan.^[44] Wu Jing was a One Foundation volunteer and helped in the effort.^[45]

Li discussed his commitment to philanthropy in an interview with the December 2009 issue of Alliance magazine, stating that "grassroots non-government organizations can help the government in its blind spots. Government relief is not always detail-oriented. Grassroots NGOs can’t be as big as a government effort, but they need to be flexible and independent."^[46]

In September 2010, Jet Li was appointed by the International Red Cross as the first Good Will Ambassador. He posted online saying "Today I signed a deal with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies – IFRC - to become the FIRST goodwill ambassador in the history of this humanitarian organization. I am very honored! At the same time, I will not pause to celebrate, but instead keep pushing forward.. and do my best to help the world! Thank you all once again for your support and belief in me!"^[47]

It was also announced that Jet Li would be meeting Bill Gates and Warren Buffet to talk about charity work. "Three days ago, I received an email from Gates, hoping I could make time because he and Buffett hoped I could go for a 30-minute chat before the dinner about the future we face as human beings, so I will go," Li said.^[48]

Filmography[link]

Considering US box office statistics, the most successful Jet Li film as of August 2010 is Lethal Weapon 4, which grossed over 130 million dollars domestically, while the second is The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor with over 102 million dollars.^[49] Hero is the third most successful foreign language film in the US,^[50] and one of the best critically acclaimed Li movies.^[51] Fearless is the sixth most successful foreign language film of all time in the US.^[50] From a critical point of view, the best acclaimed Li movie is Fist of Legend (Rotten Tomatoes: 100%) and the worst is War (Rotten Tomatoes: 12%).^[51]

See also[link]

• Cinema of China;
• Cinema of Hong Kong.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Ducker, Chris, and Stuart Cutler. The HKS Guide to Jet Li. London: Hong Kong Superstars, 2000.
• Marx, Christy. Jet Li. Martial Arts Masters. Rosen Publishing Group, 2002. ISBN 0-8239-3519-1.
• Parish, James Robert. Jet Li: A Biography. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 2002. ISBN 1-56025-376-2.
• Farquhar, M.(2010) ‘Jet Li: "Wushu Master" in Sport and Film’ in Jeffreys, Elaine. & Edwards, Louise (eds.), Celebrity in China, Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong pp. 103–124. ISBN 962-209-088-5

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jet Li

• Official website
• Jet Li at the Internet Movie Database
• Jet Li's Foundation: The One Foundation Project
• Jet Li Biography (HKCinema)
• Jet Li Biography (HKFilm)
• Jet Li discusses The One Foundation
• Interview At FarEastFilms.com