I Went Fishing With The Ghost of Al Capone

While the Taney County Historical Society admits there is no evidence that Al Capone visited or stayed in Rockaway Beach, his ghost has been seen cruising Lake Taneycomo at dusk in his 1928 26' Chris Craft. I met local resident Monica one evening at the Fishing Island as she leaned on the railing and stared out over the water.  Her look was one of longing which alerted me to a story that needed to be told.

I approached her cautiously, not wanting to interrupt her longing.  I cleared my throat to get her attention.  She turned and stared at me.  “I have never told this story before,” she said. “I appreciate you being willing to write it down, so people will understand my longing.”

As I took out my notebook and recorder, I motioned for her to continue.  “It was 1993, at the beginning of the Clinton Administration.  I remember it well.  There was a certain optimism in the country that could not be denied.  I used to come down to the Island here to watch the boats go by at dusk.  It is peaceful and a good time of day to unburden the soul.”

An Under-exposed photo of Al Capone's Ghost

“I was watching the lake and observed a wooden boat coming toward me.  I had seen it before, across the lake, but this was different.  The pilot waved and asked if I wanted a ride. It was just one of those nights –I said sure, and climbed into the boat.  I said my name is Monica, what’s yours?  He replied, Al, and said ‘I am like any other man. All I do is supply a demand.’  The optimism of the times blinded me to the obvious at the time:  that was a famous quote of the Chicago gangster Al Capone!”

Al Capones boat

"He started talking about his boat, a 1928 26' Chris Craft Triple Cockpit with a Convertible Top, and how he came to be in Rockaway Beach.  ‘This boat is a beauty, isn’t it?  I had it brought in my cover of night back in 1928, and it has been sheltered every night since." While the storage location of the boat is lost to time, It can still be seen some foggy nights motoring past the Island in Rockaway Beach. Al continued; "Back in the late 20’s Rockaway Beach was a place I could get away from all the racket, know what I mean.’  I pretended I didn’t, and he went on, ‘My rackets are run on strictly American lines and they're going to stay that way.’  I know now that that was another one of his famous quotes.” 

“As we headed east down the lake he pointed out an old cabin with a rock foundation on the south side of the lake. ‘I sent my lieutenant down here one weekend to buy that place right there,’ he said.  I never owned anything in my own name; it is really hard for the government to take it from you if you don’t own it!’  That foundation can still be seen today if you know where to look.” 

“Once we got past Silver Creek Al hugged the south shore of the lake and slowed almost to a stop.  He reached into the hold and brought out two rods, handing me one of them.  ‘here,’ he said.  ‘fish with me for a spell.  It has been twenty-five years since I have had such a pretty fishing partner.’  Of course, I was flattered and took the pole.  We sat there and fished for about two hours, watching the moon and stars come out and ducking as other boats went by.”

Wild Willie Explains The Ghost of Al Capone

“About midnight he started the boat up again and headed back up the lake to Rainbow Haven Resort.  He told me that it was the only place on this part of the lake he could fill up his boat, no questions asked.  He pulled up to the pump at the dock, and blew his air horn for service.  The owner came down and started to pump gas.”

“I turned to Al and told him what a nice time I had had.  He said the pleasure was all his.  It was at this point that I realized, I needed a picture!  I asked Al if I could take his picture, and he said sure, just let me comb back my hair.  I got out of the boat and ran to my car to get my Instamatic.  When I got back to the boat, I climbed back in, handed the camera to the dock owner, and asked him to please make the picture good.  He took four pictures, but fussed that the flash didn’t seem to be bright enough. We laughed about it at the time, but I wish I had listened to him about the flash!”

“The next day I went to Branson to the One Hour Photo Shop and turned in my pack of film.  You know I was very anxious about getting that one picture that would prove that I had actually fished with Al Capone.  However, when I picked up my pictures, all four were under-exposed.  There was no image at all on the snapshots!  Here I had spent an amazing evening fishing with one of Rockaway’s most infamous visitors, and I had only my memories of the night, which makes it very difficult to prove anything at all happened.”

She turned to me at this point in the story and sighed.  “It was a simple case of the spirit being willing, but the flash was weak.”

copyright Willis Montgomery 2018