Massachusetts

Cambridge Auction Offers Gangster Curiosities

A handwritten musical composition by Al Capone, a letter written by John Gotti, and jewelry that belonged to Bonnie and Clyde are among the items up for bid

Artifacts connected to some of the nation's most notorious gangsters have sold for more than $100,000 at an auction house.

The Boston-based RR Auction says a diamond pocket watch that belonged to Al Capone fetched the most - $84,375 - at the auction Saturday in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

One person in the small ballroom during the auction process was Buddy Barrow - nephew of Clyde Barrow, of Bonnie and Clyde bank robber fame.

"My dad was LC Barrow, Clyde's little brother," he said.

Barrow was joined by Ray Lin Lender - the niece of Bonnie Parker - and the granddaughter of the Dallas County sheriff who lead the charge to arrest the famed outlaw couple.

The three families, brought together for the first time since Parker and Barrow's notorious crime spree, were thrilled by the items and their success at auction.

"[This is] so different from our typical lives," said Lender. "So it has been very fun."

In addition to the sale of his watch, a handwritten musical composition by Capone went for $18,750.

The musical piece, "Humoresque," shows Capone's softer side. Written when Capone was in Alcatraz in the 1930s, it contains the lines: "You thrill and fill this heart of mine, with gladness like a soothing symphony, over the air, you gently float, and in my soul, you strike a note."

An autographed "So Long'' letter from Bonnie and Clyde sold for $16,250. Parker's three-headed snake ring fetched $25,000.

A letter written by John Gotti didn't sell.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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