Mae Capone

 Mae Coughlin married Alphonse Capone on December 30, 1918, at the St. Mary Star of the Sea Church in Brooklyn, New York. They either met at a party in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn, or their marriage was arranged by Al's mother, who knew Mae from church.[clarification needed Mae was two years older than her husband. On their marriage certificate, Al increased his age by one year, and Mae decreased her age by two years, making them both appear 20 years old. Despite the rivalry between Italian-American and Irish-American groups at the time, there is no evidence that Capone's parents opposed their marriage. It is speculated that Al's parents were probably in favor of the union, because an Irish partner was seen as higher status than an Italian at the time. In addition to their differences in ethnicity, Mae was also more educated, more Catholic, and more middle class, while her husband was less educated, and grew up in a rougher part of town.Mae Capone remained a devoted Catholic throughout her entire life.Three weeks before their wedding, Mae reportedly gave birth to a son, Albert Francis "Sonny" Capone. The couple had no more children. As reported by Deirdre Capone, a great-niece of Al Capone (the granddaughter of Ralph Capone), this was because Capone was sterile due to a birth defect. Other sources claim that she contracted syphilis from Al, which caused each subsequent try for another child to end in miscarriage or stillbirthFrom a young age, Sonny showed signs of being hard of hearing. This supposedly was because Mae had transmitted syphilis to him as well.[1] When Sonny developed a mastoid ear infection, Al and Mae Capone traveled from Chicago to New York to ensure he got the best care.[3][2] She also filed a lawsuit when her grandchildren were being bullied in school for being a Capone, following the release of the TV series, The Untouchables.