--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A crook is a crook, and there's something…" description: "\"A crook is a crook, and there's something healthy about his frankness in the matter. But any guy who pretends he is enforcing the law and steals on his..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90a/al-capone-12480_authority_a-crook-is-a-crook-and-there-s-something_2492108.png" --- # A crook is a crook, and there's something healthy about… ![“A crook is a crook, and there's something healthy about his frankness in the matter. But any guy who pretends he is enforcing the law and steals on his authority is a swell snake. The worst type of these punks is the big politician. You can only get a little of his time because he spends so much…” quote by Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90a/al-capone-12480_authority_a-crook-is-a-crook-and-there-s-something_2492108.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90a/al-capone-12480_authority_a-crook-is-a-crook-and-there-s-something_2492108.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90a/al-capone-12480_authority_a-crook-is-a-crook-and-there-s-something_2492108.png) > “A crook is a crook, and there's something healthy about his frankness in the matter. But any guy who pretends he is enforcing the law and steals on his authority is a swell snake. The worst type of these punks is the big politician. You can only get a little of his time because he spends so much time covering up that no one will know that he is a thief. A hard-working crook will-and can-get those birds by the dozen, but right down in his heart he won't depend on them-hates the sight of them.” [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts honest criminals with corrupt officials, highlighting that overt wrongdoing can be more transparent than hidden abuse of power by those in authority. **In simple terms:** Open wrongdoing is clearer than secret corruption. Key Takeaway Beware hidden abuse of power. Themes corruption honesty politics trust power Mood cynical critical skeptical Type political ethical observational When to use this quote - government oversight - journalism - whistleblowing - voting decisions - public advocacy Key Concepts ethical hypocrisy public perception political accountability Questions to Reflect On - What defines true integrity in leadership? - How can societies expose hidden corruption? A Different Perspective The quote assumes all crooks are equally immoral, ignoring nuances of intent and context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Covering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/covering/) [Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crook/) [Crooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crooks/) [Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depends/) [Dozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dozen/) [Frankness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frankness/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Healthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law Steals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-steals-976095/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Punk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punk/) [Sight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sight/) [Snakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snakes/) [Stealing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stealing/) [Steals Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steals-authority-976094/) [Thieves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thieves/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Type](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/type/) [Working Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-crook-976093/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) ## Related quotes > [A crook is a crook, and there's something healthy about his frankness in the matter. But any guy who pretends he is enforcing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/a-crook-is-a-crook-and-there-s-something-healthy-about-his-frankness/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [Ladies and Gentlemen, Hillary Clinton is a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/ladies-and-gentlemen-hillary-clinton-is-a-crook/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [Well, I'm not a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/well-i-m-not-a-crook/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [I just want you to know you aren't going to church with a crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-ebbers/i-just-want-you-to-know-you-aren-t-going-to-church-with-a-crook/) [Bernard Ebbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-ebbers/) > [ Thurst \[thrust\] out nature with a croche \[crook\], yet woll she styll runne back agayne. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-taverner/thurst-thrust-out-nature-with-a-croche-crook-yet-woll-she-styll-runne/) [Richard Taverner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-taverner/) > [You can't get rich in politics unless you're a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/you-can-t-get-rich-in-politics-unless-you-re-a-crook/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/the-cheaper-the-crook-the-gaudier-the-patter/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [I don't believe Spiro Agnew is a crook. If he was a crook, he'd still be in office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-corey/i-don-t-believe-spiro-agnew-is-a-crook-if-he-was-a-crook-he-d-still/) [Irwin Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-corey/) > [I'm not a crook. I've earned everything I've got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-m-not-a-crook-i-ve-earned-everything-i-ve-got/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [There are people who say, 'Oh, he's a crook.' But I'm not a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-m-brant/there-are-people-who-say-oh-he-s-a-crook-but-i-m-not-a-crook/) [Peter M. Brant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-m-brant/) > [Me? Well, I don't know, I must go to a dictionary and learn what a crook is. I've never been a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-zuma/me-well-i-don-t-know-i-must-go-to-a-dictionary-and-learn-what-a-crook/) [Jacob Zuma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-zuma/) > [Prince Charles has his foibles, but he is not a crook, not a bully, and not a hypocrite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-junor/prince-charles-has-his-foibles-but-he-is-not-a-crook-not-a-bully-and/) [Penny Junor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-junor/) > [You give me electric chair. I no afraid of that chair! You're one of capitalists. You is crook man too. Put me in electric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-zangara/you-give-me-electric-chair-i-no-afraid-of-that-chair-you-re-one-of/) [Giuseppe Zangara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuseppe-zangara/) > [It is not the crook in modern business that we fear, but the honest man who doesn't know what he is doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-d-young/it-is-not-the-crook-in-modern-business-that-we-fear-but-the-honest/) [Owen D. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-d-young/) > [It's very hard to uphold individual liberty when the person you're representing is often a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/it-s-very-hard-to-uphold-individual-liberty-when-the-person-you-re/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) ## More by Al Capone > [You can get farther with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/you-can-get-farther-with-a-kind-word-and-a-gun-than-with-a-kind-word/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [This American system of ours,call it Americanism,call it capitalism,call it what you will,gives each and every one of us a great opportunity if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/this-american-system-of-ours-call-it-americanism-call-it-capitalism/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [What? You talk to me like that in front of my son? Fuck you and your family!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/what-you-talk-to-me-like-that-in-front-of-my-son-fuck-you-and-your/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [Hell must be a pretty swell spot, because the guys that invented religion have sure been trying hard to keep everybody else out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/hell-must-be-a-pretty-swell-spot-because-the-guys-that-invented/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [Vote early and vote often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/vote-early-and-vote-often/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [I got nothing against the honest cop on the beat. You just have them transferred someplace where they can't do you any harm. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/i-got-nothing-against-the-honest-cop-on-the-beat-you-just-have-them/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [Some call it bootlegging. Some call it racketeering. I call it a business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/some-call-it-bootlegging-some-call-it-racketeering-i-call-it-a/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [I have spent the best years of my life giving people the lighter pleasures, helping them have a good time, and all I get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/i-have-spent-the-best-years-of-my-life-giving-people-the-lighter/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [All I ever did was supply a demand that was pretty popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/all-i-ever-did-was-supply-a-demand-that-was-pretty-popular/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [A crook is a crook, and there's something healthy about his frankness in the matter. But any guy who pretends he is enforcing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/a-crook-is-a-crook-and-there-s-something-healthy-about-his-frankness/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [When I sell liquor, it's bootlegging. When my patrons serve it on a silver tray on Lakeshore Drive, it's hospitality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/when-i-sell-liquor-it-s-bootlegging-when-my-patrons-serve-it-on-a/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [I am just a businessman, giving the people what they want,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/i-am-just-a-businessman-giving-the-people-what-they-want/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [These guys are not from the Iraqi army, ... These are not Iraqi soldiers. They are not members of any of the Iraqi armed forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/these-guys-are-not-from-the-iraqi-army-these-are-not-iraqi-soldiers/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [A smile can get you far, but a smile with a gun can get you further.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/a-smile-can-get-you-far-but-a-smile-with-a-gun-can-get-you-further/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [They've hung everything on me except the Chicago fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/they-ve-hung-everything-on-me-except-the-chicago-fire/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) [Explore all 54 Al Capone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) ## More Authority quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/) [Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/) > [At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/at-a-distance-we-cannot-conceive-of-the-authority-of-a-despot-who/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [“I'm of the age and immaturity level that I cannot give you my respect solely because you are older or ranked higher on an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-goros/i-m-of-the-age-and-immaturity-level-that-i-cannot-give-you-my-respect/) [Erica Goros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-goros/) > [In the end theologians are jealous of science, for they are aware that it has greater authority than do their own ways of finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/in-the-end-theologians-are-jealous-of-science-for-they-are-aware-that/) [Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [The victory of Hamas is not only based on the corruption of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has a vision and a program, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/the-victory-of-hamas-is-not-only-based-on-the-corruption-of-the/) [Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/) [Browse all 4,003 Authority quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A crook is a crook, and there's something healthy about his frankness in the matter. But any guy who pretends he is enforcing the law and steals on his authority is a swell snake. The worst type of these punks is the big politician. You can only get a little of his time because he spends so much time covering up that no one will know that he is a thief. 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