During its history as a federal prison, Alcatraz housed some of the most infamous and dangerous offenders in American history. From America's top gangster, Al Capone, to the more obscure, yet similarly brutal, Alvin Karpis, the roster of infamous inmates reads as a veritable Who's Who of Depression and bootlegging-era gangsters and bad guys.
Al Capone
Alphonse Capone is likely the most well-known gangster of all ti me. His life of crime began at a young age — well before most boys even start growing facial hair. Capone quickly advanced in the criminal world and was involved in multiple rackets. He was, at one point, believed to be bringing in more than $100,000 per week. In addition to his criminal know-how, Capone was also very crafty at politics. Despite the fact that many of his illegitimate business dealings were no secret, he was often glamorized by the public and took on the persona of a modern-day Robin Hood.
Capone quickly amassed great wealth; however, he was not immune to greed and eventually decided to take out his competition, a rival mob boss named George "Bugs" Moran.
While Capone was vacationing in Florida, he had his henchmen lure Moran and his men to a warehouse on Chicago's North Side. Capone's gunmen, donned in stolen police uniforms, then ordered Moran's men up against a wall and gunned them down. Unfortunately for Capone, Moran had spotted the stolen patrol car and fled the area. Although Moran himself escaped death, the bloody killings went down in history as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
Capone's greed and power drew much unwanted attention, causing President Herbert Hoover to order an investigation into his illegal dealings. After a five-year investigation, Al Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison and fined $50,000 for his crimes plus an additional $30,000 for court fees.
Capone began his prison term in Atlanta, where he quickly learned to manipulate the system. His large supply of cash made it easy for him to "tip" the guards for certain perks. He also had almost unlimited access to the warden. When word of this reached the U.S. attorney general, the decision was made to transfer Capone to a place where his power would mean nothing. That place was Alcatraz.
Once on "The Rock," Capone tried desperately to manipulate the system, offering bribes and requesting an audience with the warden, but he quickly figured out that he held no power at Alcatraz. In fact, the warden would later say he considered it a great compliment when Capone finally admitted that Alcatraz "has got me licked."
Capone served more than four years in Alcatraz. During his stay, he became symptomatic for syphilis and was transferred to Terminal Island Prison for the remainder of his sentence. Capone was released in 1939 and died of complications of syphilis on Jan. 25, 1947.
George "Machine Gun" Kelly Barnes
George Kelly Barnes was born July 18, 1895, to a wealthy Memphis family. His childhood was uneventful, and his troubles did not begin until he enrolled in Mississippi State University. His grades were never good, and when he met a young lady named Geneva Ramsey, he decided to drop out and get married. Unfortunately, his job as a cab driver did not provide enough money to keep his growing family comfortable, and his wife eventually left him. It was then that Barnes turned his attention to more profitable, albeit highly illegal activities.
Barnes quickly earned a reputation as a hard-core gangster, later changing his name to George R. Kelly. Around this time he met Kathryn Thorne, a woman who was developing into quite a criminal in her own right. The two were married in 1930. Kelly soon escalated from petty crimes to more serious offenses. Kathryn supposedly bought her husband his first machine gun and pressured him to use it. She is also credited with creating the "Machine Gun" Kelly nickname.
With their move to the big time, the couple decided to target wealthy oil tycoon Charles Urschel. Kelly, along with two other men, stormed the Urschels' mansion, kidnapped Urschel and then demanded a $200,000 ransom. After receiving the money, Kelly and his wife started to move from state to state, hoping to stay ahead of the law. However, unbeknownst to them, Urschel remembered many of his kidnappers' physical attributes — details that helped investigators track down the members of the Kelly gang.
Kelly and Kathryn were later found in Memphis and quickly apprehended. They were then flown to Oklahoma for their trial, where they both received life sentences for their crimes. Kelly started serving his term in Leavenworth, but after making threats to escape he was transferred to Alcatraz in 1934. He was later transferred back to Leavenworth in 1951, dying there in 1954 from a heart attack.
