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Schmeisser Model I semi-automatic pistol presented by Al Capone to Rudolph Pucci, a relative by marriage through Capone’s younger brother, Albert Umberto Capone, serial no. 18314, chambered in .25 ACP. Manufactured by C. G. Haenel of Suhl, Germany, and dating to circa 1920–1921, this compact vest-pocket pistol was designed for discreet personal protection and belongs squarely to the opening years of Prohibition and Capone’s rise in Chicago. Factory-engraved on the barrel, “C. G. Haenel Suhl, Germany, Schmeisser’s Patent,” the pistol retains approximately 80% of its original factory blue and is fitted with its original checkered hard-rubber grips bearing intertwined “SH” monograms.
Accompanied by a letter of provenance from the current owner, a granddaughter of Rudolph Pucci, the brother-in-law of Albert Umberto Capone, Al Capone's younger brother. In part: "My name is Beth Sutton Herlihy. My mother was Mona Pucci Clemens (she was born Mona Pucci), and her parents were Rudolph and Maxine Pucci. Rudolph Pucci's sister, Dorothy Pucci Capone, was my great-aunt. For many years her husband was Albert Capone, who was born Umberto Capone. He was a brother of Chicago Mob Boss Alphonse Capone, and my family was close to the Capones, including to Alphonse Capone, being related to them by marriage.
Alphonse Capone and his wife Mae gave several items to my grandmother and grandfather. In particular, my grandfather, Rudolph Pucci, was given several guns by Alphonse Capone. One of these is a Schmeisser .25 caliber pistol with Serial Number 18314. These guns have been in the possession of my family continuously since Rudy Pucci received them from Alphonse Capone. They are now in the possession of me and my husband, Dan Herlihy, and at this time we are selling the Schmeisser .25 caliber pistol.
Several of our family photos appear in the book Capone: The Man and the Era by Laurence Bergreen. My grandmother, Maxine Pucci, and my mother, Mona Pucci Clemens, licensed those images to Mr. Bergreen, who knew that we were related to the Capones."
Includes a further corroborating statement from organized crime researcher John J. Binder, author of The Chicago Outfit (2003), Al Capone's Beer Wars (2017), and The Chicago Outfit in the 1960s (2026), in part: "I met Maxine Pucci and Mona Pucci Clemens in about 1992, when I brought Larry Bergreen, the author of the book Capone: The Man and the Era, to their house. They allowed Larry to use several of their family photos, including those with Al Capone, in his book.
At that time, Maxine and Mona showed me several guns and a police nightstick that had been converted to hold a tear gas canister, all of which Al Capone had given to Rudy Pucci many years earlier. They told me the story behind these items, which have remained in the family ever since. They are now in the possession of Beth and Dan Herlihy. Beth and Dan have decided at this time to sell the Schmeisser .25 Pistol (Serial Number 18314) that Al Capone gave to Rudy Pucci.
I have done research on this gun and I have determined, after conversing with people who have expert knowledge about Schmeisser pistols (including Dr. Stefan Klein), that this particular gun (Serial Number 18314) was produced no later than July 3, 1921. And probably during the beginning of the year 1920. This assessment is based on the gun's unique serial number and the fact that Schmeisser modified this type pistol several times, and therefore the pistol's features can be used to determine during which time period it was manufactured."
This transfers as a modern firearm.
