Who said “You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.”?

Misattributed

Not Al Capone. It's commonly credited to them, but the evidence shows it isn't theirs.

What the research foundNot by Al Capone. Earliest known source: Comedian Professor Irwin Corey, Variety (29 July 1953).

Evidence: Quote Investigator · Wikiquote · How we check

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Authors A–Z
“You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.”
— Al Capone
MisattributedNot by Al Capone. Earliest known source: Comedian Professor Irwin Corey, Variety (29 July 1953). · evidencePower

Cite this quote

APA

“You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.” [Quotation attributed to Al Capone]. (n.d.). Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/22539-you-can-get-more-with-a-kind-word/

MLA

“You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.” Attributed to Al Capone. Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/22539-you-can-get-more-with-a-kind-word/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

“You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.” Attributed to Al Capone. Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/22539-you-can-get-more-with-a-kind-word/.

Related quotes

“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”
— Theodore Roosevelt
VerifiedLetter to Henry L. Sprague (26 January 1900); this is the first known use of this phrase, which became a signature motto of Roosevelt's after he used it in a speech as vice president at the Minnesota State Fair · evidenceDetails & citePower

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