The movie is based on the true story and legend of Al Capone, who carried out the great massacre on Valentine’s Day. Prohibition-era America is portrayed as the Sodom and Gomorrah of modern times: cops take bribes, journalists are cynical sensation hunters, and gangsters are the only ones who are at least honest in their pursuit of money and power. Tony Camonte (Paul Moon) treats the murders as a job he does, but one day emotions come into play and they ruin him.
The image of the gangster was so positive and romanticized that the censors imposed on Scarface the transcription “Shame of the Nation” and imposed to provide the film with long opening credits explaining to the audience “what is good and what is bad”.