New light on Capone downfall

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CHICAGO, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- New material for a book on Al Capone's last days as a mighty Chicago crime lord sheds light on the great lengths taken to end his infamous career.

Tentatively titled "Get Capone," Jonathan Eig's book-to-be uses recently released memos written by the IRS investigators who finally brought Capone down to tell how it was done. He got the material through the Freedom of Information Act, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Eig says IRS investigators could prove Capone had money, but they couldn't prove where he was getting it from. Agents found a bookkeeper who could testify about that and "used a lot of muscle to get this guy to testify" even hiding him out in South America to avoid a mob hit.

Among other things, Eig hopes the book will quell the myth that Eliot Ness was the man who got "Scarface." The IRS agents should get the credit, the author says.