Leonardo Nunes Al Capone

[oldjazznut]

LOLOLOL ! ....... Rick Harrison's "expert" would say $200, Rick would offer $100, and sell it for $1000, with the expert getting a cut.

 

[Wordbankfrank]

LOLOLOL ! ....... Rick Harrison's "expert" would say $200, Rick would offer $100, and sell it for $1000, with the expert getting a cut.

Yeah I’m at a loss as to where to get it looked at.

 

[oldjazznut]

Is there a respected Al Capone museum? Whichever one has the most of his memorabilia. You could send them some good photos, and a list of the names. Maybe they could at least give some sources to start with.

Another starting point would be whoever could match the names to Alcatraz records. Surely they still exist. It's a shame a lot of them are just nicknames, but you've got enough good ones to find in records. The dates are a 3 year span, '36 to '38, there couldn't have been that many different inmates in that time.

If someone made you an offer, I wouldn't jump at it.

 

[Wordbankfrank]

Is there a respected Al Capone museum? Whichever one has the most of his memorabilia. You could send them some good photos, and a list of the names. Maybe they could at least give some sources to start with.

Another starting point would be whoever could match the names to Alcatraz records. Surely they still exist. It's a shame a lot of them are just nicknames, but you've got enough good ones to find in records. The dates are a 3 year span, '36 to '38, there couldn't have been that many different inmates in that time.

If someone made you an offer, I wouldn't jump at it.

Thank you for the advice. I’ll look into Capone museums.

 

[oldjazznut]

I've got a signed photo of Benny Goodman that I like having, just knowing it was in his hands, about 1936. But it's a 5X7 "Parlor Card" that he signed before and after shows. Probably 100s of them, so they aren't very valuable. I think mine was $20. It's signed "Sincerely Benny Goodman" just below the bowtie. I've seen one like mine, but signed lower. I've matched it to many other signatures online. On the back of the card, I can feel the signature's imprint.

I've got an unused Japanese "Prince" lighter that he handed out to sit-in musicians on recording dates in the 60s. Has an enamel piece on the side, with a clarinet and BG on it.

These stock pix are a poor match. The card here isn't signed. He'd sign some and leave a stack of unsigned. If he signed them all he'd be there all night! My lighter is a green tint. A few were blue. IIRC, my lighter was $25 twenty years ago. Last I looked them up, they seem to go for $75.

.....

 

[Mark Suszko]

"Is there a respected Al Capone museum?"

Have you called Geraldo?

More seriously, an auction house? Maybe one in San Francisco, because of the proximity to Alcatraz.

 

[oldjazznut]

Any news yet?

 

[Wordbankfrank]

I went to the Mob Museum in Vegas a couple of weeks ago, they asked me to send them pics. I will send tomorrow.

 

[oldjazznut]

Not exactly at a Smithsonian level, but maybe they'll have some useful info. Good luck!

 

[Jerryc41]

Martin had / has (?) a limited edition replica, with all the signatures reproduced by laser etching. The original is on display at the Martin factory.

Yes, and it smells wonderful inside! It's unlike any other Martin.

 

[John Colter]

I went to the Mob Museum in Vegas a couple of weeks ago, they asked me to send them pics. I will send tomorrow.

Don't give 'em your real name! They'll make you an offer you can't refuse.

 

[GreatPotoo]

Can't wait to hear something! The best mystery story I've heard on UU!

 

[Wordbankfrank]

I found a guy in Canada with a My Al Capone Museum web site. He seems pretty knowledgeable about Capone. I sent him pics and a rundown of the piece. I’ll keep you all updated.

 

[Wordbankfrank]

So the guy from My Al Capone Museum responded and pointed out that if it had come from Alcatraz it would have a prison stamp on it of some sort, which it does not. Capone was definitely in Alcatraz in 1937 and the date under his name on the instrument is ‘37. I will keep trying to figure out who the other names are, but for now all we know is that it is an old Leonardo Nunes with a mystery scratched into the back of it.

 

[Wiggy]

What was allowed in the inmate's cell:

https://www.alcatrazhistory.com/regpage2.htm

 

[John Colter]

What was allowed in the inmate's cell:

https://www.alcatrazhistory.com/regpage2.htm

Does a ukulele qualify as a musical instrument?

 

[Oldtoolie]

Here's a pic of Al in jail with his banjo and one of Johnny Ukulele.

 

[Wordbankfrank]

Okay. I have searched high, I have searched low, I have searched east and west and north and south. I cannot find anything concrete on any of these names. What I do know is this is an old Leonardo Nunes ukulele. I will entertain offers on it.

 

[ploverwing]

I will entertain offers on it.

If you'd like an official sale post, please create one on the Marketplace Forum. If people want to send you private messages about it, fine. If this turns into the equivalent of a Marketplace ad, we'll need to move it.

 

[Wordbankfrank]

I will definitely move over to marketplace.