20. President Franklin D Roosevelt Drove Around In Capone's Bullet-Proof Cadillac During World War II
When Capone was arrested in 1931, the US Treasury seized all his assets - including his 1928 Cadillac V8 Town Sedan, which had been customised to include steel armour and bulletproof windows. During World War II, the Secret Service deemed that President Franklin D Roosevelt should not travel unless he was in a bulletproof car following assassination attempts by Japanese and German sympathisers - but federal law at the time prohibited the government from spending more than $750 on a single car. Instead, the Secret Service trawled through the property the government had seized - and discovered Capone's Cadillac. After having it completely recommissioned through the night, on December 8, 1941, FDR made the trip to Congress to declare war on Japan in the former car of a mobster. Quite incredible really.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
