Here are some of Alcatraz’s most famous inmates! 11 - Al Capone
Al Capone doesn’t need an introduction. You know who this is. Legendary gangster and mafia boss Al Capone
entered Alcatraz just 10 days after it opened! He made millions of dollars selling illegal
liquor at the time, and police weren’t able to catch him doing any crimes….except for
one. He actually would find reporters to brag about
his exploits. At that time he was making an estimated 100
million dollars a year from all his different ventures! He was flashy in everything he did, from his
suits to his Cadillac that was protected by 3,000 pounds of steel armor and bulletproof
windows. Many people at that time saw him as a hero
because he would give back to the poor through various charities. He once even opened a soup kitchen in Chicago! Government officials knew all about the things
that he did. But they couldn't connect the crimes back
to him. But the one major crime they WERE able to
get him on was for tax evasion. Capone was first sent to the US Penitentiary
in Atlanta after his conviction. He served several years in Atlanta before
being transferred to Alcatraz. The reason he was transferred was because
Authorities discovered that he was bribing prison guards and other inmates. He had convinced many guards to work for him,
and his prison cell had plenty of expensive things that other prisoners didn’t have
access to. For example, he actually had carpet in his
cell! His friends and family lived full time in
a nearby hotel, and each day he had visitors. At Alcatraz, the warden and guards were immune
to his cash and influence. He received very little preferential treatment
and finally his prison term was actually just like a prison term. He was forced to maintain several jobs during
his time at Alcatraz. It was in Alcatraz that Al Capone finally
felt that he was in prison. The only privileges he was given was permission
to have a banjo and to play in the Alcatraz prison band. This was only after he had earned that privilege
from his good behavior! Apparently, playing the Banjo was the only
thing that he found joy in. His time at Alcatraz was filled with bad health
and he spent the last year in Alcatraz at the prison's hospital. Because of his poor health he was released,
but he only lived for another 8 years after. 10 - Mickey Cohen
Meyer Harris “Mickey” Cohen actually was first training to be a professional boxer
instead of a career criminal. He started by boxing in illegal boxing matches
in Los Angeles. His first professional boxing match was on
April 8, 1930, against Patsy Farr in Cleveland. His last fight was on May 14, 1933, against
Baby Arizmendi in Tijuana, Mexico. And that’s when he started his life of crime
in Chicago. His willingness to do whatever was necessary
made him indispensable to “Bugsy” Siegel’s Jewish mob. Under Siegel’s tutelage, he helped Las Vegas
gambling get off the ground. He rose up the ranks, privately eliminating
anyone who stood in his way while publicly hobnobbing with Hollywood movie stars and
running a string of “legitimate” businesses. He was highly successful in the underworld,
and his career as a criminal was quite long. Cohen’s financial indiscretions eventually
allowed the feds to indict him, and he was sent to Alcatraz. Alcatraz was almost close to closing when
Cohen made his two brief visits. Cohen actually served his time at Alcatraz
in two parts. He was bailed out for six months in the middle
of his prison term, being the only prisoner ever to be bailed out from Alcatraz. That fact is a testament to the far-reaching
sway that Mickey Cohen held in political circles. When the prison closed in early 1963, he was
transferred to Atlanta, where his luck finally ran out. 9 - Robert Stroud
Maybe the most famous of all Alcatraz inmates is Robert Stroud, who was nicknamed the Birdman
of Alcatraz. WHY was he nicknamed Birdman? Well, the answer is really straightforward. He became an ornithologist in prison because
he started studying birds after being put in solitary confinement! There was even a movie loosely based on his
life called “Birdman of Alcatraz” Despite his love for birds, Stroud was one
of the most dangerous inmates in Alcatraz. He frequently had outbursts that happened
out of nowhere. Stroud’s first stint in prison was at Leavenworth
Penitentiary. Over the course of Stroud's thirty years there,
he developed an interest in birds. He was initially allowed to breed birds and
maintain a lab inside two adjoining segregation cells. Authorities felt that it would be a productive
use of his time. As a result of this privilege, Stroud wrote
two books on canaries and their diseases, after having raised nearly 300 birds in prison! He carefully studied their habits and physiology. He even developed and marketed medicines for
various bird ailments. Stroud was able to make scientific observations
that would later benefit research on canaries. However, here’s a funny story. Prison officials discovered that some of the
equipment he had requested to study birds was actually being used to make alcohol! He was subsequently transferred to Alcatraz
in 1942 and he spent a total of 17 years there. At Alcatraz, he wasn’t allowed to keep birds,
but he instead wrote a book on the history of prisons and studied law. However, his nickname still stuck around in
Alcatraz. Prisoners and guards both feared and hated
Robert Stroud. The common knowledge was that quote “Stroud
loves birds and hates people.” And that makes sense, because he was diagnosed
as a psychopath! When the movie Birdman of Alcatraz came out,
many people begged for Stroud’s release. However, that of course didn’t happen. Former inmates of Alcatraz say that the real
Stroud was far more sinister and dangerous than the fictionalized version of Birdman
portrayed on film. 8 - Frank Morris
Frank Morris was arguably the mastermind behind the most famous escape attempt from Alcatraz!
Morris had a long history of being in and out of jail. He was abandoned by his parents as a kid so
he grew up in foster homes. He was convicted of his first crime at age
13, and by his late teens, he had already been arrested for armed robbery! However, it was his intelligence that made
him stand out. Morris was in the 98th percentile in intelligence,
with an IQ of 133. He served time in Florida and Georgia and
he was actually able to escape from the Louisiana State Penitentiary while serving time for
bank robbery. So the Alcatraz escape wasn’t his first
rodeo. But, police found him a year later while he
was committing a burglary. And THAT’S when he was sent to Alcatraz! At Alcatraz, he quickly began plotting the
elaborate escape with fellow inmates Allen West and brothers John and Clarence Anglin. They eventually attempted their escape in
1962, with all but Allen West successfully leaving Alcatraz. Allen West failed to escape because he got
stuck trying to remove his vent in order to get behind the wall. Of course, there are various conspiracies
on where any of them went after getting out of Alcatraz. No bodies were ever recovered. 7 - The Anglin Brothers
John and Clarence Anglin, OR better known as the Anglin brothers of THE famous escape
attempt, were born into a big family with thirteen children. Clarence was first caught breaking and entering
when he was just 14 years old . By the early 1950s, John and Clarence began robbing banks
and other businesses together as a team. Even though they did crime, the Anglin brothers
didn’t believe in hurting anyone. When they robbed a business, they chose a
time when the business was closed. They robbed banks with only toy guns only
for the effect. In 1958, John and Clarence robbed the Columbia
Savings Bank Building with fake guns. They both received 15 to 20 year sentences
for their role. They served their first few years at Leavenworth
Federal Penitentiary, and then they did time at Atlanta Penitentiary. The brothers were eventually transferred to
Alcatraz because of repeated failed attempts to escape from the Atlanta facility. Guards at Alcatraz were warned that they should
be kept separate because of their escape attempts. But because Alcatraz was believed to be so
secure, they were still placed next to one another. And they happened to be placed next to probably
the smartest guy in Alcatraz in Frank Morris! As part of their escape plan, they took on
whatever necessary jobs they could in Alcatraz in order to get materials they needed. For example, they worked in the prison barbershop
so that they could get hair for the fake heads. After years of planning, they successfully
escaped the prison with Frank Morris, and their bodies were never found. If you haven’t watched our take on their
escape attempt, be sure to watch this video! 6 - Roy Gardner
Roy Gardner was once America's most infamous prison escapee! He was the most famous escaped convict during
the Roaring Twenties. Alcatraz was rebuilt from a military prison
to a general federal prison in order to deal with criminal escapees exactly like Roy Gardner. Gardner is known as the last Great American
Train Robber. During his criminal career, he stole over
$350,000 thousand dollars in cash and securities! He was a one-man bandit operating in the midwest
by robbing passenger and mail trains. However, what he was most famous for was his
successful prison escape from McNeil Prison. \ THAT prison was supposedly the most secure
prison in America, before Alcatraz was built. He was able to escape by using two fellow
inmates as decoys. He had convinced them that he had paid off
the prison guards and they would be able to get away safely. Of course, that didn’t happen. Gardner just wanted to not get all the attention
himself during his escape attempt. He didn’t really care whether the other
two guys made it or not. Because of him being able to convince other
inmates to join in his escape attempt, Gardner was able to get away with only a minor injury
to his leg. He then swam to a neighboring island and stayed
free for the next few months. But, he became #1 on the Most Wanted list
at that time. He was recaptured several months later while
attempting to rob a mail train and he was sentenced to an additional 25 years in prison. He did time at two more prisons, both of which
he attempted to escape! This guy doesn’t know the definition of
quit! Finally, authorities smartened up. He was finally transferred to Alcatraz in
1934. At Alcatraz, he was feared as one of its most
hardened inmates. In his final year of prison, Gardner planned
an escape from Alcatraz with a fellow inmate. But he never saw it through because he was
released on parole in 1936! 5 - Alvin “Creepy” Karpis
Just like "Machine Gun" Kelly, Alvin Francis Karpis saw kidnapping as an easier way to
make money. At that time, Kidnapping wasn’t a federal
crime until after the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh’s baby. It was just more lucrative and safer to kidnap
rich people than robbing banks. Alvin came to be known as “Creepy” by
fellow gang members just because they thought he had a creepy grin. He was the brains behind the Barker-Karpis
gang because he supposedly had a photographic memory and was known as super-smart by other
criminals. The gang was known for their ruthlessness
and longevity during the early 1930s. In 1933 the gang kidnapped William Hamm, a
millionaire Minnesota brewer. His ransom netted them $100,000 dollars. Shortly afterwards, they also abducted Minnesota
banker Edward Bremer. That ransom brought them $200,000! But that kidnapping proved to be the beginning
of their end. The father of Edward Bremer was a friend of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The FBI and local police bureaus decided to
bring a stop to any type of kidnapping for ransom. The FBI organized a group of highly skilled
agents called the "flying squads" that specialized in hunting down the leading public enemies. In 1934 alone, many gangsters met their end,
such as John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, and Tommy Carroll. However, not Karpis. He escaped from the police more than once. He wasn’t arrested until 1936 when J. Edgar
Hoover personally took him into custody. He was THE last Public Enemy to be taken into
custody! Karpis also had the honor of being the longest-serving
inmate at Alcatraz, serving twenty-six years. He even outlasted the prison itself, which
closed in 1963. Karpis finished his time elsewhere and was
deported to his native Canada after ultimately getting released from prison in 1969. 4 - Henry Young
Henry Young was one of the most infamous inmates to occupy a cell at Alcatraz. He caused nothing but trouble for the guards
there and that’s what he wanted. For example, he had led a work strike and
he consistently threw items at guards from his cell. He also attempted to escape Alcatraz with
4 other inmates in 1939! His time at Alcatraz inspired a movie called
“Murder in the First”. However, what happened to the Movie Henry
was completely different with what actually happened to Henry in real life. He was held in the disciplinary segregation
unit in the main cellhouse for a few months as punishment for the escape attempt. NOT 3 years in solitary confinement as the
movie claimed. Around a year later, Young went ahead and
let’s call it, took care of one of the inmates who had tried to escape with him. Young's trial led to questions about how the
prison was run. While Young had always been considered unstable,
his behavior became more bizarre as time went on. He would do such things as refusing to eat. Or he would have intense bouts of laughing
or crying. He became a religious zealot, claiming that
the staff at Alcatraz were persecuting him. Prison authorities were baffled. Was he mentally disturbed or a genius at faking
mental disorders? In 1948, Young was transferred from Alcatraz
to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, Springfield, Missouri. He was later transferred to Washington State
Penitentiary at Walla Walla. Young "jumped parole" in 1972 and after being
released from Walla Walla. And since then no one has seen or heard from
him ever since! 3 - Arthur “Doc” Barker
Arthur Doc Barker was another member of the infamous Barker-Karpis gang, which was founded
by his brother Fred Barker and Alvin “Creepy” Karpis, someone you just heard us talk about! Generally known as "Doc", Arthur was typically
called on for the action, while Fred and Karpis were the brains of the gang's crimes. Remember the two wealthy St. Paul, business
men, William Hamm and Edward Bremer? Barker personally grabbed both Hamm and Bremer
during the kidnappings, intimidating them with his brutality. However, it was Barker who made a slip-up
that led to the gang's capture. Having collected the ransom for Bremer, Barker
was driving him to the drop-off point. Along the way, he stopped to refuel. He removed a glove while he was holding the
gas can. The discarded can was later recovered and
Barker's fingerprint was identified. He was arrested and convicted of kidnapping
in 1935 and by 1936, he was already sent to Alcatraz. Three years later, Barker was part of the
inmates with Henri Young that attempted an escape from Alcatraz. They sawed through four sets of prison bars
and concealed the cuts with putty. Eventually, they climbed over the high walls
of the prison on a foggy night and escaped to the beach. The guards spotted them and that's when things
didn’t go well for him. Barker didn’t make it. Barker was often described as "a dimwit and
a drunk". However, fellow Alcatraz inmate Henri Young
said that he was determined and ruthless, and that once he started doing something he
wanted to do, nothing could stop him. 2 - Machine Gun Kelly
Machine Gun Kelly was born George Kelly Barnes, Jr. But did you know that he attended college
and he studied agriculture? Yeah, Kelly came from a good family and he
started his life on the straight and narrow path. But his life quickly changed with a marriage. That sudden marriage led him to drop out of
school, and he got involved in bootlegging during Prohibition to make ends meet. Kelly didn’t really hit the big time in
crime until he met and married a more experienced criminal named Kathryn Thorne. Kathryn groomed her new husband for success
by buying him a Thompson machine gun. SHE was the one who encouraged him to learn
how to use it so he can make a bigger name for himself. His crimes and his nickname of “Machine
Gun Kelly” spread. Even the FBI’s wanted posters described
him as an “expert machine gunner”, and he became one of the most famous criminals
in the US! They were arrested after they made a mistake
during their kidnapping of an Oklahoma oil tycoon named Charles Urschel. They were able to successfully secure the
$200,000 ransom and return Urschel unharmed. However, Urschel had a great memory. Despite being blindfolded, he remembered vivid
details of his kidnapping. He had noticed the sound of oil pumps working
in a nearby field, and he also noticed that a twin-engine airplane had flown directly
overhead daily. That was valuable information that led police
to Kelly and Thorne. They were convicted and sentenced to life. Kelly didn’t make it any easier on himself
after he bragged that he would break himself and his wife out of prison in time for Christmas! The authorities took him seriously and decided
to ship him to Alcatraz where he’d spend a total of 17 years. The time that he served was the era of the
silence rule and considered the toughest years of the prison’s history. Even though he had a fearsome sounding nickname,
Kelly was actually a model inmate at Alcatraz. He was so well-behaved that other inmates
began to refer to him as “Pop Gun Kelly”! 1 - James “Whitey” Bulger
James “Whitey” Bulger is arguably the most famous Alcatraz inmate for today’s
generation because of portrayals of him in recent Hollywood movies. Bulger began his career as a gang member in
Boston in the early 1940s. Early in his criminal career, local police
gave Bulger the nickname "Whitey" because of his blond hair. He actually hated the name! He preferred to be called "Jim", "Jimmy",
or even "Boots". That last nickname came from his habit of
wearing cowboy boots and his habit for hiding a switchblade in the boots. However, the nickname "Whitey" stuck. Bulger served his first serious prison sentence
in Atlanta, the same prison where Capone and Gardner had also done time. He got to Alcatraz in 1959 only a few years
before it would shut down. Bulger had said that his stay there was one
of his best prison experiences. In a letter to Alcatraz historian Michael
Esslinger, he stated, quote “If I could choose my epitaph on my tombstone, it would
be ‘I’d rather be in Alcatraz.’” After he got out of Alcatraz, he became one
of Boston’s biggest crime bosses. He dominated the region in the 1970s and '80s
with his illegal operations. In 1994, under investigation, Bulger went
on the run. He remained free for another 16 years, as
he stayed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. In 2000, the FBI’s Boston branch established
a unit just to focus on finding Bulger. He ended up number 1 on the Most Wanted list
after Osama bin Laden was taken care of. After searches through Europe, South America,
and Asia, they found Bulger living under an alias in Santa Monica, California in 2011. He was 81 years old at the time of the arrest. He was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive
life terms in late 2013. In 2018, he was transferred to the Hazelton
federal penitentiary in West Virginia. But let’s just say, Bulger had a very unpleasant
welcome. He was 89 years old and in a wheelchair when
he went on to the next life! It was probably because of him being a Federal
informant in the past. Here’s what’s next!
