Derived from the name of notorious mobster Al Capone and the official title applied to men’s perfume, the term describes career criminals who place more emphasis on their image than their actual role in the underworld.
It intends to signify the individual is weak, because of their feminine characteristics and because of their questionable dedicated to the actual work involved.
Although, it originally referred to the flashy aura that many young Italian-American mobsters sought after during the disco era, it can also be applied to those attempting to emulate the ghetto fabulous image associated with a lot of Hip-Hop music (specifically the crunk genre).
The term was coined by Mickey Featherstone, notorious member of the Westies, a dangerous Irish-American racketeering association based in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood on Manhattan’s West Side. They were declared “the most savage organization in the long history of New York street gangs,” by former Mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani.
It intends to signify the individual is weak, because of their feminine characteristics and because of their questionable dedicated to the actual work involved.
Although, it originally referred to the flashy aura that many young Italian-American mobsters sought after during the disco era, it can also be applied to those attempting to emulate the ghetto fabulous image associated with a lot of Hip-Hop music (specifically the crunk genre).
The term was coined by Mickey Featherstone, notorious member of the Westies, a dangerous Irish-American racketeering association based in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood on Manhattan’s West Side. They were declared “the most savage organization in the long history of New York street gangs,” by former Mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani.
“If you want to see an Al Cologne watch Saturday Night Fever and ATL.” There isn't a scene without a dozen of them.
by Bobby Cusack January 15, 2007