Big Boy ran his criminal enterprise from the city in which Dick Tracy lived. One night, Big Boy sent two of his men to rob the home of Emil Trueheart, a delicatessen owner and father of Tracy’s girlfriend Tess. The robbers took Emil’s savings, shot him, and kidnapped Tess. Emil died from the injury and Tracy, who was present, swore revenge. Tess was brought to Big Boy’s hideout where he was impressed by her good looks, though she was repulsed by him. Big Boy decided to enlist Tess in his next crime- the robbery of a payroll. Big Boy believed that no one would suspect that an innocent-looking young blonde woman was driving the getaway car.
Tracy, appointed to the Detective Bureau of the City Police by Chief Brandon, had gone undercover to find Tess and was able to extricate her from Big Boy’s scheme. After that, Big Boy continued to operate behind the scenes, often using lieutenants like Ribs Mocco and his sometimes-girlfriend Texie Garcia. As Tracy began to more and more effectively combat his criminal endeavors, Big Boy became increasingly desperate.
At some point, Big Boy and his brother Sal relocated to the suburb of Homeville, where they bribed local officials to ignore their criminal activities. On the day that Waite Wright was elected Mayor of Homeville (running on an anti-corruption platform), Sal was killed in a shootout with Dick Tracy and Pat Patton. Big Boy was not present for this incident, and by the time Wright was sworn in as Mayor, Big Boy was in prison (see below).
The Waldorf Kidnapping and Big Boy's Capture[]
Big Boy’s next big plot was the kidnapping of Buddy Waldorf, the son of wealthy financier John H. Waldorf. Big Boy and a female accomplice abducted the child and planned to take him away on a cruise ship, the Alonia. Tracy discovered this plan and managed to board the Alonia just before it left port. Big Boy learned that Tracy had tracked him down, and he was eventually able to ambush Tracy and throw him overboard.Tracy survived and was able to get back on board the Alonia.
With the help of the crew, Tracy rescued Buddy Waldorf just after Big Boy had thrown his accomplice overboard and was preparing to do the same to Buddy Waldorf. Tracy administered a serious beating to Big Boy (May 19th, 1932).
Prison, Escape and Return[]
Big Boy went to jail, but he was not completely absent from Tracy’s life. After a failed escape attempt, Big Boy continued to direct certain underworld activities from prison through his agent, “Boss” Jim Herrod. When Herrod was discovered, Big Boy refused to help him. Herrod was eventually killed and Big Boy's operation continued be dismantled.
Big Boy became determined to revenge himself on Tracy. He offered $1,000 to any of his operative who killed Tracy. While his men attempted to carry out this plot, Big Boy also arranged to escape from prison. A gun was smuggled to him, and he was able to escape by holding the warden hostage. Big Boy was taken to a secluded cabin where the abducted Dick Tracy and Tess Trueheart had been brought.
Big Boy intended to watch Dick and Tess burn to death in the cabin, but the couple was freed by Junior. Big Boy and his men stopped the group before they could escape. Big Boy was about to execute Dick and Tess with a machine gun when he was interrupted by the arrival of Pat Patton and Chief Brandon. A brief gunfight ensued and Big Boy was shot in the leg. He fled and sought medical attention.
Big Boy then resumed control of his organization with the help of his lawyer Spaldoni. When the author Jean Penfield prepared the manuscript of a book that detailed his criminal activities, Big Boy tried to arrange for her to be killed. The potential hit man, Jimmy White, failed and Big Boy was implicated in the attempted murder. He was apprehended and sent back to jail.
The Open Contract: Big Boy's Revenge[]
After serving 18 years in jail, Big Boy was eventually released. His local Outfit was now revealed to be part of The Apparatus, and it was further revealed that he was not merely a member of the nationwide organization's governing council, but had been the most powerful and influential member of that council by far. Though control of the Apparatus was lost to him when Tracy successfully sent him to prison, Big Boy was still respected and influential.
Big Boy learned that he was dying and wanted revenge on Dick Tracy before he died. He issued a one million dollar Open Contract on Tracy, meaning that anyone who successfully killed Tracy could collect the money. Several attempts were made on Tracy’s life, one of which claimed the life of Moon Maid, Tracy’s daughter-in-law. When Tracy announced to Wendy Wichel that he would assume command of the Organized Crime Unit to respond this threat, the other leaders of the Apparatus took action (as Tracy had assumed that they would). The Apparatus leaders confronted Big Boy about how irrational and counter-productive his vendetta against a police officer was, and counteracted his open contract by issuing a one million dollar bounty on anyone who made any further attempt on Tracy’s life.
Big Boy, angry and desperate, contacted Johnny Snow, aka The Iceman, a killer for hire. Big Boy believed that Snow would be persuaded with the promise of a luxurious home abroad to avoid the Apparatus' reprisal (in addition to the million dollars), and would also want to kill Tracy for the challenge and the chance at glory. Snow took the contract, but failed to kill Tracy and was shot and killed in the attempt. Before Snow died, he revealed to Tracy who had hired him.
Tracy and Sam Catchem arrived at Big Boy’s home with a warrant for his arrest. At that news that his hated enemy had come to bring him in, Big Boy flew into an impotent rage that caused a fatal heart attack. Apparently unaware that it was Big Boy's anguished frustration at Tracy that killed him, Sam observed the irony that the man who had fostered so much violence during his life finally died at home in bed.
Big Boy's Legacy[]
Many years later, Dick Tracy encountered a young criminal who went by the name Little Boy and claimed to be Big Boy's grandson. It was eventually revealed that this claim was untrue and that no familial connection actually existed between the pair.
Appearances in Other Media[]
1940s Feature Films[]
Big Boy does not appear in any of the Dick Tracy feature films released during the 1940s. He is referred to in the film Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome, in which the character Melody implies that Big Boy's approval is required for any significant crime taking place in the city.
Archie's TV Funnies[]
Big Boy was a character in the "Dick Tracy" segments of the 1971 animated television series Archie's TV Funnies, produced by Filmation Associates. Big Boy's appearance somewhat resembled his depiction in the comic strip. He was portrayed as part of a large, international criminal organization, and had arranged several daring jailbreaks.
1990 Feature Film Continuity[]
Alphonse “Big Boy” Caprice was the primary antagonist in the 1990 Dick Tracy feature film. He was played by actor Al Pacino. Pacino received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance (though he did not win that year). Big Boy's appearance in the film incorporates a hunched back, large chin, hands and ears in place of being overweight.
In the film, Big Boy was an ambitious former enforcer for Lips Manlis, a crime boss. Big Boy took over Lips' territory, including the Club Ritz and then murdered Lips by encasing him alive in cement and dropping him into the river. Because of his keen intellect, Big Boy was able to avoid prosecution for his crimes.
Big Boy attracted the attention of Dick Tracy, who became determined to put an end to Big Boy’s operation. Big Boy united the various gang lords under his leadership, and attempted to bribe Tracy. Tracy refused, and escaped the death-trap in which Big Boy and his lieutenants (Flattop and Itchy) had left him. Big Boy’s conference room was later bugged by Tracy, who then managed to counter all of Big Boy’s activities.
Desperate, Big Boy agreed to pay the mysterious figure called “The Blank” to remove Tracy as an opponent. Once Tracy was framed for murder, Big Boy enjoyed unprecedented success.
On New Year’s Eve, The Blank kidnapped Tess Trueheart and planted her in the Club Ritz, intending to frame Big Boy himself for kidnapping, a federal offense from which Big Boy could not possibly escape. Big Boy learned of this and, fearing reprisal from Tracy, took Tess through a series of secret escape passages. Tracy, who had been released from jail, tracked Big Boy to the control room of a lift bridge, where the two men and the Blank had a final confrontation. Big Boy shot the Blank, who was revealed to be the singer Breathless Mahoney. Tracy and Big Boy struggled, and Big Boy fell to his death into the gears of the lift bridge. Tracy rescued Tess.
Tie-In Video Games[]
Appearing in the Sega Genesis game
Nintendo Entertainment System- Big Boy appears in cut scenes throughout the game in which he exchanges barbs with Tracy. He is arrested at the completion of the final level.
Sega Genesis- Big Boy is the final boss of the game. Tracy must fight him in the gearhouse of the bridge, with Big Boy attacking from behind various cover (i.e. doors, large gears) while rapidly moving to shoot at Tracy, as well as shooting various gears above to fall down onto the detective.
Game Boy- The Brow frees Big Boy from a maximum security prison. A mini-game within the game involves putting together pictures depicting Big Boy's various crimes, taken from the various bosses. The battle with Big Boy at the harbor consists of multiple phases each with different weapons: tires, tommy gun, grenades, and fists. In the games ending, Dick Tracy punches Big Boy off the harbor and into the sea.
IDW Comics[]
Dick Tracy: Dead or Alive[]
Big Boy was a villain in the 4-issue miniseries Dick Tracy: Dead or Alive published by IDW. In it, Big Boy was the head of organized crime in Chicago. He conspired with several high-ranking members of local government (whom he controls) to bring Dick Tracy to the city, in an attempt to appease the anti-corruption sentiment that has grown. This plan backfired and Tracy arrested the rest of the conspirators and Big Boy himself. He was soon sent to the electric chair for his crimes, but he arranged to have the execution not proceed properly. Big Boy survived, but was badly burned.
Big Boy later resurfaced as "Yesterday Knewes" (a pun on the term "Yesterday's news"), and set about reclaiming his position as the city's top crime boss. He was challenged by the up-and-coming mobster "Shark" Moran after Tracy arrested all of the competition. It was later revealed that Big Boy, because of the failed execution, lost the use of his voice (in addition to being nearly brain-dead) and recruited The Mole as a caretaker. The Mole also acted as Big Boy's "voice" and relayed his orders via a microphone on Big Boy.
Notes[]
The real-life criminal Al Capone was sometimes referred to as "The Big Fellow".
In W.R. Burnett's 1929 novel Little Caesar (as well as in the 1931 film adaptation), the shadowy Capone-like figure who runs all of organized crime in Chicago is never referred to by name but only as "Big Boy." Chester Gould was known to incorporate elements of popular culture in his Tracy stories, and was likely to have been familiar with either the novel or the movie. This may have influenced Gould's choice of the name "Big Boy" for his Capone figure.
In the "Plainclothes Tracy" audition strips, the gangster kingpin was referred to as "The Cleaver," and was depicted as being identical to the character who would eventually be referred to as "The Big Boy." Though these original audition strips were never used in the strip, the basic situation, the villain hidden in Texie Garcia's apartment, cornered by Tracy and his men, escapes through a secret passage, leaving Texie to hold the bag, was reused by Gould in newly drawn strips that were published from November 30, 1931, through December 4, 1931.
For roughly the first six or seven months of the strip's existence, the daily strips and the Sunday strips were run separately, rather than being part of the daily continuity. Big Boy was the featured villain for five of these self-contained Sunday stories, on October 4th, 1931 (his first appearance in the strip), on October 11th, 1931, on May 29th, 1932, on June 5th, 1932, and on June 26th, 1932. This makes Big Boy Gould's most frequently used villain, outstripping Stooge Viller (originally hired by Big Boy's Outfit) and Steve the Tramp.
Aside from stories in which he was the featured villain, the Big Boy was the "grey eminence" behind almost every bit of criminal activity Tracy encountered during the first three of four years of the strip, even when he was in jail.
In the prose short story "Murder is My Hobby" by Sgt. Jim Doherty (which was available to read on the PLAINCLOTHES website), Big Boy was said to be the half-brother of the Famon brothers - Cut and Muscle. In "The Occam's Razor Case" Minit Mystery written by Doherty, Big Boy's name of "Gabe Famoni" was established, as well as the sibling relationship between him and Famons. An additional brother named Sal Famoni (modeled on Frank Capone), who died in a shootout with Dick Tracy and Pat Patton, was was also introduced.
It was stated that Big Boy and the Famons share the same father, and that Big Boy and his brother Sal were the children of Alberto Famoni's first wife. It was not established if Alberto and/or his first wife are still living.
Big Boy’s physical appearance in the 1990 Dick Tracy feature film bears little resemblance to his appearance in the comic strip (looking more like Sketch Paree than Big Boy as drawn by Chester Gould). Al Pacino reportedly had some input in designing the character’s look, which supposedly influenced his acting choices, and it has been suggested that he based the look partially on fellow actor Robert DeNiro. Because the makeup made him nigh-unrecognizable (even to other cast members during filming) he initially opted to work under a pseudonym. Because of this, Topps' official souvenir magazine credited him as "Guido Frascatti".
In the film, Big Boy’s given name of Alphonse Caprice was inspired by real-life mobster Al Capone. In Max Allan Collins' novelization, Caprice was born "Alphonse Capricio," eventually choosing to shorten his surname.
"Caprice" can also refer to the experience of rapid and sudden mood swings. In the film, Big Boy is frequently shown having such episodes, especially in the finale.
There is no apparent connection between Big Boy and the popular real-world restaurant franchise of the same name.
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