Richard Larsen, who says he has always held an interest in the gangster's life is selling what he believes are the last known irtifacts connected to Capone's life in the Windy City -- bathroom tiles.

Larsen, with the help of 17-year-old son Chris, chiseled the tiles form suite 530 of the Lexington Hotel at Michigan Avenue and Cermak Road before is was demolished.

Larsen said it was from this hotel room that Capone ran his bootlegging and vice operations during the prohibition years of the 1920's.

The pale green and royal purple tiles range in price from $175 to $750. Larsen has sold 35 tiles.

But Larsen's interest in the gangster's life didn't stop with the bathroom artifacts. The 45-year-old now is writing a book entitled 'The Capone we loved and why.'

While doing research, he found that most books written about the gangster were filled with violence.

Larsen will not mention violence in his book, which he hopes to have published in October. 'We have enough good content about Capone to fill the book,' Larsen said.

'I will show people that Capone was human and did have a heart,' He Said.

For example, the author found that Capone set up numerous soup kitchens in Chicago. And Capone is the reason why expiration dates were printed on milk cartons. Larsen explained that many of Capone's friends became sick from spoiled milk and he worked to have the dates marked on the cartons.

Richard Larsen, front, sits with pieces of tile from the Lexington Hotel, which was the hangout of Al Capone. His partners in crime are Chris and Jim Larsen. Daily Herald Photo/Mark Welsh