A revolver belonging to notorious US gangster Al Capone sold at a London firearms auction last Wednesday for 67,250 pounds (NT$3.1 million).
The 1929 .38 “Police Positive” gun was used by the mobster, full name Alphonse Gabriel Capone, during his reign as king of the Chicago underworld in the Prohibition era.
The Christie’s Antique Arms, Armour and Collectors Firearms sale displayed 209 lots dating from the 10th to the 20th centuries and raised a total of 634,825 pounds (NT$29.38 million).
Photo: EPA
照片：歐新社
“This sale saw strong international interest from a notable number of new clients, including the successful purchaser of Al Capone’s revolver,” Howard Dixon, Head of Sale, said.
“The clear demand for quality, condition and rarity reflected the hunt for perfection in this category,” he added.
New York-born Capone gained notoriety for his involvement in the 1929 St Valentine’s massacre which claimed the lives of seven rival mobsters and for his sharp suits and hats, which became the stereotypical image of gangsters thereafter.
Capone, who was also known by the nickname “scarface,” once mused: “You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.”
(AFP)
一把屬於美國一位惡名昭彰的幫派份子艾爾‧卡邦的左輪手槍，上週三在倫敦的一場槍械拍賣會中，以六萬七千二百五十英鎊（新台幣三百一十萬元）賣出。
一九二九年生產的這把「警用型」點三八口徑手槍，是全名為艾爾方斯‧加布里耶‧卡邦的暴徒，在禁酒時期，身為芝加哥黑社會頭目時所用的槍。
佳士得「古董武器、裝甲與收藏槍械」拍賣會展示的拍賣品有兩百零九件，年份由十世紀到二十世紀不等，拍賣總額為六十三萬四千八百二十五英鎊（新台幣兩千九百三十八萬元）。
拍賣負責人霍華德‧狄克森說：「這次拍賣有強大的國際參與，其中有許多是新客戶，包括成功標下艾爾‧卡邦手槍的買家。」
他補充說：「客戶們對品質、狀態以及稀有性的明顯要求，反映出他們對此類物品追求完美。」
紐約出生的卡邦因捲入一起一九二九年的情人節屠殺案而被冠上惡棍之名，此案有七名競爭對手幫派份子喪命；而卡邦穿戴時髦西服與禮帽，也成為日後幫派份子的刻板形象。
卡邦有個外號叫「疤面煞星」，他曾在沉思後說：「配戴一把槍說好話，會比只說好話的收穫更多。」
（法新社／翻譯：林亞蒂）
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