Alcatraz is the most famous prison in the world. It has existed for about 30 years, and in its cells lay the most notorious American criminals of all time. The area of the island on which the prison was located is 90,000 square meters, the prison was abolished in 1963, and since then, it has been an unavoidable tourist destination.
One of the first prisoners was Al Capone. He was arrested in 1931 for tax evasion. He was forbidden any contact with people from the outside world in prison. He played banjo in a prison band. He had syphilis and was sent to the hospital for home treatment. He died in 1947. Another name for Al Capone in prison was Prisoner No. 85.
There is no evidence that anyone managed to escape from Alcatraz. There were 36 attempts, of which 23 were initially thwarted, 6 people were killed and two were drowned. The first escape, ie. an attempt to escape occurred on April 27, 1936. After one of the escape attempts, the famous film Escape from Alcatraz was made, with Clint Eastwood.
Robert Straud, known as the Birdman of Alcatraz, spent his time in Orvenology during his stay in Levenworth Prison. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the murder of a bartender and the assault of a prostitute, and otherwise he was a pimp from Alaska. He was sentenced to be hanged in prison for killing a guard, but was pardoned and sentenced to life in prison in Alcatraz. The film Birdman of Alcatraz was made about him in 1962, and his character was played by the American actor Bert Lancaster.
After Alcatraz was closed, only five years later, a group of 100 Indians, who occupied the island, wanted to buy it for $ 24, and founded a college.
Since 1980, a sports event has been held in San Francisco, which brings together competitors from all over the world. The triathlon, called Escape from Alcatraz, consists of three disciplines (swimming, cycling and running).
Alcatraz never filled all the places destined for prisoners, the average number of prisoners was 260.
Alcatraz's first warden, James Johnson, was aware that there were riots in the prison due to poor nutrition. He gave the prisoners to eat as many portions as they wanted. Also, the prisoners had a library at their disposal and could watch movies.
The managers of Alcatraz thought that swimming in cold water, carried by strong currents, was simply not feasible, but for years one of the prisoners managed to swim across the bay, but the police caught him exhausted on the shore.
Alcatraz is considered to be haunted. There was an Indian cemetery. After being released from prison, many inmates went insane and claimed to have seen strange things in prison, such as red eyes. The entire D-block was considered paranormal, and as many as 42 were considered haunted cells.
It is one of America's most enduring mysteries, troubling investigators for decades and inspiring Hollywood cinema.
Now a letter has emerged which appears to shed light on the fate of three prisoners who escaped from Alcatraz in 1962.
Authorities have never determined whether brothers John and Clarence Anglin and fellow inmate Frank Morris survived the daring jail break.
The F.B.I closed its case in 1979, concluding the men were unlikely to have survived the 1.5-mile journey across San Francisco Bay’s frigid waters from the island prison to the mainland.
The island and the prison tell scary stories about notorious criminals, ie their ghosts, as well as various eerie stories that have been circulating for decades.