Famous Brothers Who Got Famous for Different Reasons

Our world is full of brothers who got famous doing the same thing -- just ask the Baldwins, Mannings, Bushes, Afflecks or Gallaghers (the musicians or the comedians). But once your older or, heaven forbid, younger brother is already famous, how hard can it be to follow in his footsteps? What's more interesting, and rare, are the brothers who make their notches in history on their own, in different fields.

It's less surprising that two brothers would excel at hockey or politics, since it's easy to see how one sibling's contacts and name recognition can help another, or how countless hours of practicing slap shots or speeches together can make the difference between obscurity and superstardom. But what of the family members who move in different circles, and excel at different areas?

Perhaps these brothers can shed some light on the question.

Al and James Capone

Al Capone needs no introduction, being one of the most infamous gangsters of the 20th century. But did you know he had siblings? Nine in fact: seven brothers in a row and two girls, born to parents Gabriel and Teresa. The oldest brother, James Vincenzo, left the family home in Brooklyn at the age of 16 in 1908. Young James served with distinction in World War I, and afterward became a Prohibition enforcement officer. That's right, he was on the front lines fighting the black market that fueled his brother's vast criminal empire.

For his impressive policing and show-stopping skill with firearms, James earned the moniker "Two-Gun Hart." Appearing in headlines like "Two-Gun Hart Gets his Man" James was a fixture in the press of the day, and even served as a bodyguard for President Calvin Coolidge. When Prohibition (thankfully) ended, James became a marshal in Nebraska. His younger brother became the idol of rappers and two-bit hustlers everywhere.

Henry and William James

Chances are good that your high school English teacher made you read Henry James. The 19th-century literary lion is remembered for such masterpieces as "The Portrait of a Lady," "Washington Square" and "The Bostonians." But have you heard of his brother William?

William James was an influential psychologist and philosopher, whose godfather was Ralph Waldo Emerson (another English teacher fave). In addition to advancing the field of modern psychology, William James was a respected Harvard lecturer who passed on his ideas to the likes of Theodore Roosevelt, Gertrude Stein and W.E.B. DuBois. He was also a founder of the American Society for Psychical Research and an early booster of alternative approaches to healing.

Kurt and Bernard Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut is remembered as the visionary and genre-bending author of "Slaughterhouse-Five," "Breakfast of Champions" and other beloved works. But his brother Bernard is also quite accomplished, having been credited with discovering the practice of cloud seeding (making it rain or snow on demand). Today cloud seeding is big business in Colorado and other places that depend on snowfall, and may take on a bigger role in the face of global warming.

Over his long academic career Bernard Vonnegut made numerous contributions to atmospheric science, and published more than 190 scientific papers.

John Wilkes and Edwin Booth

As the deranged assassin who shot President Abraham Lincoln in a Washington theater, John Wilkes Booth is one of the most notorious villains in American history. As some might recall from eighth-grade history, Booth was a famous actor at the time, which partly explains why he enjoyed such easy access to the POTUS. But while John Wilkes had acting chops, he was overshadowed by his brother Edwin.

Edwin Booth was an extremely popular stage actor, and some critics have labeled him among the greatest American performers ever. He was called the "Hamlet of the 19th Century," and was also a successful theater owner. So basically Lincoln's murder would be something along the lines of Obama getting murdered by Stephen Baldwin today.

Barack and George Obama

Speaking of Obama, the president's half-brother George made international headlines earlier this year when he was picked up by police in the Nairobi slum he called home. George was booked for being with associates that were carrying marijuana, and for resisting arrest, although all charges against him were eventually dropped. Still, the story was a sensation, and it shined a light on the hardscrabble life of the world's "other half," symbolized by the destitute half-brother of the leader of the free world.

George and Barack Obama have long been estranged, and they hardly know each other (they share the same Kenyan father). The president has described meeting George as a "painful affair."

Joseph and Dan Gordon-Levitt

Known for eccentric indie movies and his role in "3rd Rock From the Sun," Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been both a respected actor and a pin-up boy. But did you know his brother Dan is also accomplished? "Burning Dan" is a photographer and fire dancer, who writes that he "endeavors to espouse and inspire enthusiastic novelty."

Dan also describes himself as a world traveler and a swashbuckler. He promotes fire dancing as a sort of meditative exercise.

Ted and David Kaczynski

The target of one of the FBI's largest and most expensive manhunts, Ted Kaczynski is known to history as the Unabomber (University and Airline Bomber) -- the former math professor who moved to a tiny cabin in the woods and went postal on human symbols of technological progress. Despite years of police work, including 1,000 phoned tips a day, the Unabomber was actually caught by his estranged brother David, who recognized the writing style in the Unabomber Manifesto as well as the geographical pattern of the attacks.

Not getting a timely response from an overwhelmed FBI, David hired a private investigator and attorney, who helped lead authorities to Ted's Montana cabin hideout. David donated the $1 million reward money to victims of his brother, minus his search expenses. David has remained close with some of the victims' families, and today he is a campaigner for reform of our justice system, often appearing on talk TV. He is also Executive Director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty.