Located on an island in the San Francisco bay area, Alcatraz is one of the most famous prisons in the world, even though it has been closed since 1963. It rose to many people’s attention because it was reportedly impossible to escape from. Anyone who was clever enough to escape the prison’s walls would have to swim for their lives. And anyone who managed to get into the water would have to swim for a mile-and-a-half to the shore. And yet, three prisoners somehow escaped. How did they do it?
[post_page_title]Famous inmates[/post_page_title]
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was built to house the worst people America had to offer during the 20th century, and it was the home to several infamous criminals of the time.
From 1934 to 1963 it reportedly detained 1576 inmates in total. One of the most notorious criminals of all-time, Al Capone, was held at Alcatraz. Capone went by the nickname “Scarface” and was a mob boss who grew to fame through his involvement in bootlegging and organized crime during the prohibition era of the 1920s. Many bank robbers and gang leaders wound up in Alcatraz, and the formidable island fortress can boast famous criminal names as “Machine Gun Kelly,” Alvin Karpis, and Arthur “Doc” Barker.
