Capone’s Alleged Hide-Out in Tour

Romantics will think about hearts and flowers on Valentine’s Day, but others might recall something a little less heartwarming: the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. The man allegedly behind the machine guns was Al Capone. The mobster was also allegedly the man behind the wrought-iron “C” on the chimney of a Fontana house, a 1920s winter residence used by an unnamed Chicago snowbird and the feature of a six-house historic homes tour on Sunday.

Rumors still abound in town that the house was a hide-out for Capone, and old-timers swear to have spotted him in Fontana in the ‘20s, say members of the Fontana Historical Society, which is hosting the tour. The mysterious house has a chimney sticking out of the roof--above a hollow wall, not a fireplace--and several closets that could have been accessed from other closets, until a renovation altered that floor plan. There’s also a mysterious painting of a woman in a chair that has been hanging in the home for 50 years.

The house is a private residence now, and a tour of it and five other homes built between 1906 and 1938 will raise money for the historical society. The tour will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meet at 8863 Pepper, Fontana, two blocks west of Juniper. Pre-registration is $15; at the door, $20. For more information, call (909) 829-8678.