One of the Clay Hotel’s most notorious claims to fame (and there are quite a few) is the presence here of the infamous gangster Al Capone in the early 1930s.  It is said he ran his gambling ring from here.  Al Capone was known to be a dangerous, violent gang lord, but he and his circle were so slick that he could never be charged with any of his crimes.  Finally, he was arrested for the only crime the authorities could prove: tax evasion.  He was sentenced to 11 years, was jailed in 1932 and released after 6 years for good behaviour.

When Al Capone was finally arrested, a film based loosely on his life was made, titled Scarface.  It began to be filmed right here in Miami, until the filmmakers received threats from the mafia.  The rest of the filming was moved back to Los Angeles, but parts of Miami can be seen in some scenes of the film.   Miami is in general a favourite spot of filmmakers, due to the weather, the architecture and the fact that it is so incredible photogenic.  It has been immortalised in many songs, a recent one of which is Will Smith’s “Miami”, the video of which fully incorporated Miami’s Latin vibe.