Timesuck with Dan Cummins - 264 - Alcatraz: Prison Escapes, Infamous Inmates, and More

Episode Date: October 4, 2021

Today we head to The Rock, America's Devil Island - Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. So much prison-related info and history to go over today! I'll share the history of Alcatraz Island - how it was discovered by a Spanish explorer, then went from a lighthouse and US military fort, to a US military prison, to the end of the line for the most unruly prisoners in the United States federal penitentiary system, to a national park. I'll share brief bios on some of its most infamous inmates, like Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly, share what a day on The Rock was like, and go over some pretty incredible escape attempts. I personally think at least three inmates - maybe five - actually did escape from America's most inescapable prison. Curious if you'll agree with me. Enjoy and Hail Nimrod! Thanks to Bad Magic Patreon supporters, we'll be donating somewhere around $15,400 this month (exact figure TBD) to RAINN - the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network - America's largest anti-sexual violence organization. Call 1-800 656-HOPE if you've been sexually assaulted or to report a sexual assault. The call is confidential. To learn more: https://www.rainn.org/ Watch the Suck on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HL05d-fhKHsMerch - https://badmagicmerch.com/ Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89v Want to join the Cult of the Curious private Facebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" in order to locate whatever current page hasn't been put in FB Jail :) For all merch related questions/problems: [e-mail] (copy and paste) Please rate and subscribe on iTunes and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcast Wanna become a Space Lizard? We're over 10,000 strong! Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcast Sign up through Patreon and for $5 a month you get to listen to the Secret Suck, which will drop Thursdays at Noon, PST. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch. You get to vote on two Monday topics each month via the app. And you get the download link for my new comedy album, Feel the Heat. Check the Patreon posts to find out how to download the new album and take advantage of other benefits.

What do you do with the prisoner who just doesn't care about following prison rules? A prisoner who refuses to show respect for the warden or the guards or other inmates. Someone who keeps running criminal activities from the inside, someone who won't stop trying to escape someone who attacks and or kills other inmates and guards. What if your prison doesn't have the room to always keep a prisoner like that isolated? What if even an isolation they still cause problems? From August of 1934 to March of 1963, what America did with those prisoners

was send them to Alcatraz. For just under three decades, the rock, as it was commonly known, was the end of the line for especially unruly and or dangerous inmates and for escape risks. Also known as America's Devil Island, Alcatraz was designed to break your spirit to make you think there was zero chance that you could escape.

To make you believe that if you didn't conform, that if you didn't behave, that if you didn't fall in line and do exactly what was being asked of you by prison officials, your life was going to be utterly miserable. There was no tolerance for troublemakers on the rock. Alcatraz was best known for taking America's most notorious trouble makers, men like Mafia boss Al Capone and infamous bank robber and kidnapper George machine gun Kelly, the first public enemy number one and turning them into just another inmate, just another number. On Alcatraz, these men would learn there would be no chance of them ever running the joint, getting preferential treatment, or of them ever having their underworld associates

help break them out. They would follow the warden's rules, or they would be punished. Period. The rock had the reputation of being a cold, impenetrable, concrete fortress. Small island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay initially served as the first lighthouse of the American West, then as a military fortification, then as a military prison followed by a maximum security federal prison until it was closed in 1963 And now it's a park or people like me can get a tour of what life used to be like for some of America's most hardened criminals

Today, I'll take you on a tour of what life was like for the average inmate on Alcatraz We'll meet some of the most colorful characters who once called the rock home We'll examine all 14 of the escape attempts made from Alcatraz and trying to determine if anyone actually ever lived once they broke free. And we'll learn a little about life on Alcatraz before and after it was America's most infamous prison. Today, we suck the rock, the prison, not the actor and former raster Dwayne Johnson, on this infamous notorious, inescapable true crime addition of Time Suck. This is Michael McDonald and you're listening to Time Suck.

You're listening to Time Suck. Happy Monday, Midsack. Welcome to this weekly meeting of the Cold for the Curious. Thanks for stepping into the S sucked dungeon for a little listen. Hail all of our gods Nimrod, Lusufina, Bojangles, and Triple M. Talking about the San Francisco Bay today and doing stand-up shows at Cobb's Comedy Club in San Francisco this weekend.

October eighth and ninth, looking forward to laughing again in San Francisco. And then again, the following weekend in Spoke, Ken Washington, October 15, 16, and 17, then Kansas City, October 22 to the 24th. I think all the Kansas City shows are already sold out. If there's any tickets left, it's just a few on Sunday. Gonna be wild.

More sympathy even sanity tour dates at Dancomas.tv. Minimalist retro time suck T-shirt and coffee mug in the store at badmagicmerch.com right now. Logan Keith, the art warlock, the merch wizard always brood up something new. For the October bad magic charity the month, we don't need in somewhere around 15,400. I'll know the exact amount next week to rain with two ends. The rape abused and incest national network America's largest anti sexual violence organization. Rain created and operates the national sexual assaultault Hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week,

1-800-656-HOP, also runs a 24-7 chatroom, online.rain2ens.org. Also, rain.org slash ES for Rain Services in Espanol. In partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country to help abuse victims in a variety of ways and they do so much more go to Rain R.A.I.N.N.N.N. dot org to learn more proud to help these fine meat sacks help so many others now Let's and now let's hop aboard triple M's yacht and boat on out to the rock Alcatraz are subject today thanks to it being another patron space lizard topic vote winner. Yeah, yeah.

Thank you, space lizards for your interactive wisdom for steering the will of Nimrod towards this interesting subject. Alcatraz has to be overall America's most famous 20th century prison, right? I think the most famous slash infamous prison in America's history. Pre-COVID for many years at average, roughly 1.4 million visitors a year. On prisonhistory.net, under the submenu of the world's most famous prisons, it's listed as number one. Right ahead of Devil's Island, a nickname tossed around for Alcatraz a bit because of the two prisons similarities.

That Devil's Island is established by French emperor Napoleon III government in 1852 was a small penal colony little island in French Guyana right off the coast that remained in use for a full century I'll talk a little bit about that other devil's island later since it closed in 1963 the island prison of Alcatraz's Mithos has only grown the American English pronunciation of Mithos right there by the way It plays, it plays. Well, Ocatraz has often been described as a place built to house America's most violent, most dangerous criminals.

That's not exactly true, not the way it's portrayed. A number of those criminals did stay there, but that's not why it was built. Most of the almost 1600 inmates that made the rock their home were simply prisoners, prisoners who just refused to conform to the rules and regulations of other federal prisons. They weren't necessarily violent or dangerous men, or there were

prisoners who kept trying to escape from other prisoners, from other prisons. Maybe sometimes you know, they were prisoners who were especially violent towards other inmates or prison officials while in prison. It soon became known as the prison system's last resort, by the place where the hardest to deal with prisoners were sent to be harshly reformed, that we brought in line, to be put in place where they could cause the least amount of trouble. But it wasn't like, if you were, say, a serial killer,

you automatically had to be sent to the rock because you were just so dangerous and so violent, that's where you had to go. No, you might get sent to another big federal prison and stay there for your whole sentence, like Atlanta or a lot of Alcatraz inmates will be transferred in from the US penitentiary in Atlanta. Medium security prison now,

but it used to be a high security federal penitentiary. If you got sent there or some other big federal prison, like the 111 Wreath Kansas or McNeill, Island and Washington State, and you behaved if you didn't try to escape killer inmates or try to kill the guards and or always make their lives miserable, well, then you got to remain there for the duration of your sentence. But if you just couldn't stop fucking up, if you just couldn't stop causing problems and trying to break out, if you're not a naughty, naughty boy, well, then you got sent to the

rock. And it was always boy, male inmates only, rock never a woman's prison. The rock broke down a lot of prisoners, no one ever escaped and lived or did they? Couple inmates might have pulled that off. Talk about that today as well. Here's how we're going to break down the rock this week. Start. I'm going to share firsthand account of what life was like there in 1938. An article sent to readers digest of all places. I would never guess that my favorite source for any weekly episode would be readers digest. Unless I do like a topic, I'm like, you know, casserole recipes, but no, it's a great,

great account. It's one former inmate assessment, slash opinion, so take it with a grain of salt, but he did for sure stay there for almost two years. And he was a fed and he was, yeah, and he was in federal prison before that for an additional 10 years. Next, I'll share some basic facts about Alcatraz. So we can properly wrap our minds around how it was set up, how big the cells are, what the rules were, what the daily routine was for inmates, why it was so especially hard to escape, et cetera, et cetera. Then we'll meet a few of its most infamous prisoners, Al Capone, machine gun Kelly, the one who did not sell a lot of records,

but was actually gangster. Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz, and Roy Gardner. My favorite this week, perhaps the name you've never heard of, but not because his criminal exploits weren't as legendary as the other guys I just named, if not more so. He might be one of the world's greatest escape artists ever. Maybe the greatest. Dude, put drug lord and master tunneler, previous suck subject, Joaquin Elchapo, Guzman, to shame in many ways.

And then it'll be timeline time, a little baby timeline today where we learn about the history of Alcatraz Island, what it was before being a prison, what it is now, a layout some of the major events that have happened there over the years, including going into more detail on the escape attempts. And then I'll wrap up today's show and we'll learn one more piece of interesting trivia in the fifth takeaway. Let's get started with that old Reader's Digest 1938 submission. It appeared in the April issue of that year written by former Alcatraz inmate number 293,

Ryan Conway. T.H. Alexander the author and Reader's Digest editor, who transcribed Conway's account, made a point of giving credibility to this ex-prisoner, saying, I who transcribed Conway's account, made a point of giving credibility to this ex-prisoner, saying, I know that Brian Conway comes from an excellent family, and that his army record in France was good. Some of his comrades in AEF Base told me in the AEF Base told me Conway's reputation was a dangerous man, but not a liar.

Allow me to play an old classic tune, provide, you know, the proper background music for Brian's first hand, first hand account of life on the rock. My first day on the island, the baby handled my belongings. I cared about on the outside, I don't want my big red curly wig. Bulletin pins for drylin', my makeup kit, mostly white face men. My blue pop size seven to the reaches! Rainbow suspenders, tiny bowler's hat, a huge bow tie, wide gloves, red squeaky nose, a sunflower water squirre, hand buzzer!

Ha-ha! 45 anchor teams all tied together, four former ag- restraint zip ties! Ha-ha! 13 inch surgical blade duct tape, silver j- silver j-

silver j- jewelry case for my trophy teeth! Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha! Aw, that's just- no, it's fucking not. Ah, gas tank, that's that. That's not what he's talking about. No, maybe he was a clown, maybe he wasn't.

Here's the real letter written in 1938 by Brian Conway. With background music, that's not as obnoxious. And you know, suits the story much, much better. One who has just finished his eye half a 12 year stretch for murder generally tries to soften the facts in his record. Personally, I have no alibi to advance. I killed an army sergeant to protect my own life. I served 10 years in Atlanta, federal penitentiary,

which was bad enough in 20 months in Alcatraz prison, which was worse. Huh, funny how he opens with his tone of, I have nothing to hide, I killed him, Huh, funny how he opens with his tone of, I have nothing to hide, I killed him, I could try and make you think that I'm not some kind of cold-blooded murderer, like a lot of guys would do, not gonna grovel,

but then immediately I killed him to protect my life, I mean, I'm innocent. Yeah, not a bad guy, sure, I'm a murderer. Then he writes, By comparison with Alcatraz prison, life was soft in Atlanta. The routine was not so deadly and the man had a chance to make a few dollars in the mills with which to buy candy and cigarettes.

If they had more money, they could get other privileges too. Al Capone, for instance, lived like a king in Atlanta. And it was reported among us that he had money brought in from Chicago by the suitcase full. I saw several hundred dollar bills which Convics told me Capone had given them for favors. And I know that he had a bodyguard composed of Convics. It was right comical to see Capone exercising in the yard, surrounded by his guard. Every one of whom had a long knife or a blackjack. Such weapons were plentiful in Atlanta at that time. Blackjack's some type of club by the way. Bludgeoning object,

basically a real dense thumpin' stick. It's gonna leave a nice lump on someone's head who doesn't, get it! Maybe cracks their skull open like a pinata. Brian continues. Oh, my friends, warm me against Capone. He is as unpopular at Alcatraz as he was at Atlanta. Not because of the crimes with which he was charged, but because he is a weakling. And can't take it.

Holy shit, a weakling who can't take it. 1938 was a rough ass year for Capone. He had just gotten diagnosed with advanced syphilis two months before this article was published. He'd been on the rocks since 1934. His mind was starting to deteriorate. Now the most famous gangster, the 20th century, is getting basically called out for being a whiny little bitch. A massive publication with a circulation of roughly 20 million at that time. And if 20 million households were getting readers die deaths that means it was being read by what? 50 maybe 60 million people at least. Guessing Capone was a little bit furious.

A little bit sad. That issue showed up in prison. Big Al! Scarface! Got a nice shout out from your old buddy Brian! Read his digest! He pays his respects! You fucking snively, syphilis dick-eye baby!

Brian continues. Some sentimental people like to think that kidnappers and murderers are looked down on by other prisoners. This simply isn't true. Some of the most popular prisoners that Alcatraz are kidnappers, Alvin Carface, Doc Barker, Machine Gun Kelly, for example. Old-time warden say that murderers are the aristocrats of crime.

Speaking by and large, there is no grading of prisoners by any social caste system set up by themselves with one notable exception. In any American prison, the men committed for sex crimes are not accepted in the company of the so-called decent element of criminals. Fuck yeah. The reason, however, is not that they have committed revolting crimes, but they are unstable, unreliable, and often actually insane. Interesting.

From all I can learn, I was transferred from Atlanta because I would not testify as the government wanted me to, at the trial of a convict, would stab another to death. See him a good guy! All the reason I got sent there is, you know, because I wouldn't snitch. Alright. The first glimpse of Alcatraz prison fills a convict with grim foreboding. That bear rock rising out of San Francisco Bay has little vegetation. It is subject to fogs and damp winds.

I've seen guards wearing overcoats in mid-summer. Well, that is San Francisco for you. I love San Fran. Been traveling to San Francisco for standup shows for years. When I first started coming, I remember being so surprised by how chilly it could be in the summer. It's not that far north of LA. It never gets that cold in San Francisco, but it also rarely gets hot.

Average high in August, hottest month of the year, only 72 degrees. Surprisingly cold, I think. Only 15 degrees warmer than January to coldest month of of the year, average low in August, 57 degrees, at a cool breeze coming off the bay. And well, that's, that gets bitnippy, it's chilly. I feel like it's a damn near always hoodie in jeans weather, in San Francisco. Rank continues.

I am certain that part of the convict's dread of Alcatraz, prison is due to the adroit propaganda regarding the terrors of the rock. In my cell block, I was given a warm welcome by the convicts who seemed Alcatraz, prison is due to the adroit propaganda regarding the terrors of the rock. In my cell block, I was given a warm welcome by the convicts who seemed to know all about me. When I expressed amazement at their accurate knowledge of convict in a cell near me whispered, I knew you were coming last week, and I knew you were a right guy, because you wouldn't squeal in a pow.

The mysterious grapevine telegraph, which does so many queer things in prisons, works almost entirely through bribery of guards or of convicts who have privileges. At Alcatraz, despite the lack of radio and newspapers, we followed the wars in China and Spain. We learned sometimes of news and changes in American prisons even before they were officially announced. First Bill rang at 6am. If it was your day to shave, you laid a matchbox outside the cell grill, and a guard put a razor blade on it. A man had to shave in two or three minutes, but the blade had to be back on the little shelf when the guard returned. The 620 bell was the signal for the count of prisoners, a really serious business which

is done every 30 minutes. Breakfast at 630 usually consists of coffee, coffee cake and cereal. Food at Alcatraz is much better than usual prison fare. For dinner there's meat, beans, coffee, bread, celery, for supper, chili, tomatoes, and apples with hot tea. Seated at the same table with me, where machine gun Kelly, Albert Bates, and others well-known to the front page. And although talking to meals is prohibited, the men do manage to speak in a grumbling monotone out of the corners of their mouths.

We'll cover this whole no-talking policy. Didn't last for the entirety of Alcatraz's existence a bit later. There Alcatraz's existence a bit later. There are alcatraz's first warden, a real no nonsense guy. Doesn't sound like someone that you'd probably enjoy having a stiff drink with. Sounds like a real hard-ass. Brian then writes, when I reported for duty. Al Capone remembered me from Atlanta, but I didn't encourage him. When he tried to give me a magazine, I refused it

and said, dummy up, ow, dummy up. This is prison slang, meaning don't speak to me. Capone looked at me for a second and replied as he turned away, okay, pal. Capone gets loansome because he doesn't come in contact with many other men. He has lost weight. He's said to be immortal fear for his life

and is deprived of all the privileges he used to purchase at Atlanta. God damn! Kippon getting fucking hammered! This article, old civilist did cry baby, just getting continually kicked. All he's down, prime really, is it out for Kippon? My first day on counter the electric device commonly known as the Snitchbox, which was designed to detect any metal on the person of prisoners as they passed through it.

The only time I ever saw men laughing at Alcatraz prison was over these snitch boxes. One day the snitch box sounded in alarm on every man who came from the laundry. The guards jerked each man out of line, searched him and found nothing. The hours allocate to trouble, which was merely that the machine was so finally adjusted, it was detecting the metal eyelets and the men's shoes. A few days later it was silent when two men passed through with their knives and their pockets. When the guards did not trust the electric eye, they searched every 12 men whether the alarm has sounded or not. After we adjusted it a little too much, after we were locked in our cells in the evening

until lights out at about 9 o'clock, I wouldn't swear to the exact time, because there are no clocks for prisoners at Alcatraz. There was plenty of time for reading. Some magazines are admitted some are not. The convicts would prefer daily newspapers and detective magazines, which are never allowed. The most prized possessions in Alcatraz prison are newspaper clippings, which are passed from hand to hand until worn out. Most of them concern prison breaks and crimes.

We were permitted to write only one letter of not more than two pages each week. They had to be to a blood relative. No inmate could write to a sweetheart. We never saw the incoming letters, just copies or rewrites typed at the prison office. Man, that would mess with my head. Only seeing copies or rewrites of letters my family had sent me. I always wondered, like, how much was rewritten? Or parts were faked, you know, just to fuck with my head.

Like, what if a letter rewwriter just really had it out for you, just really didn't like you? You know, you get a real letter that your mom has just passed away, you know, and they just fucking throw it away. And then type up a letter supposedly from your mom telling you, she's fine, but she hates you, you know, and that your dad isn't your real father.

You know, she had an affair with your grandpa and you're an inses baby. Just weird shit like that, just a fucking ruin your week. Get a letter from your wife telling you that she loves you more than anything and she just can't wait until you're home when you're released in a year and then the re-writer just tosses it.

You know, now you get a negative letter, supposedly from your wife telling you that she loves your best friend's dick more than anything and that she never wants to fucking see you again. I highly doubt any letters were altered anywhere to that degree, but I mean, who knows? Piss off the wrong person at the prison. Brian continues.

Visiting to was drastically regulated. No visitors permitted to shake hands with the prisoner or to touch him. Between prisoner and visitor is a screen and glass and conversation is carried on by shouting through a tube. One guard standing behind the visitor, another behind the convict. God of' sucks.

No touching. Just shouting back and forth through a fucking tube. I love you very much, Mildred. And are you, Donald? You are my whole heart. I think about you every day, Mildred. I will not feel complete until I'm in your loving embrace again. What?

Well, what was that? I couldn't hear the last part. I think about you every day and will not feel complete until I am in your loving embrace again. What, sorry Donald, it's really noisy on this side. You want me to get you a rubbing brace? God damn it, Miljord, I think about you and shit. I'm so horny.

Then cue the guard dragging him away for fucking cursing and throwing him in solitary. All military cries. Uh, Brian continues, this next bit's fucking crazy. Why do men dread alcatraz? Because the discipline is as severe as it can possibly be. Literally, you leave all hope behind. For clemency is all but unknown.

Only a few short timers get out. Men go slowly insane under the exquisite torture of restricted and undiviating routine. And not so slowly after that Or at that because out of a total of 317 prisoners 14 went violently insane during my last year on the rock and any number of others were what we call stir crazy Joined about their familiar routine like punch drunk boxers. I saw one instance of violent insan- a violent insanity I saw one instance of violent insanity. A convict working on the doc detail suddenly picked up an axe, laid his left hand on the block and chopped off every finger.

Then he laid his right hand on the block. How's he holding the axe? Oh, and begged the guard to cut it off, laughing like a demon all the while. This man was still in the hospital when I left. What the shit? I could try to find this guy so many fucking cut his fingers off and then beg the guard to cut his other fingers off. Feels like a scene from a horror movie. Now Brian talks about the guards.

Next to routine one of the worst forms of mental torture is the target practice of the guards carried out right outside the cell house. This is an almost nightly occurrence after the men are locked in their cells. Men cannot sleep with these bombardments going on. The guards always shot at dummies, made in human likeness, and these were left sprawled along the walkway with bullet holes in vital spots, as silent object lessons to cons who might think of making a break. Men cannot be held in check always and trouble began to brew an alcatraz in February 1936 and as continued intermittently to the present day. The mutiny last September was preceded by a demand for the same privileges accorded in other federal prisons.

The leaders spent weeks picking their men for the outbreak. You can't trust everybody. And sometimes even the strong weekend and revealed the secrets of their crowd. But almost half the prison population finally joined in. When the work call was sounded on September 15th, five men refused to come out of their cells to work. They were hustled off to solitary confinement. On the following day, ten men refused to work after they had reached the match-up,

sitting idle at their machines, and thirty men struck in the laundry. By Sunday, 139 men were mutiny, and had been locked up on a diet of bread and water. The men in the solitary confinement cells groaned and shrieked, officials who asked them to return to work were howled down. Then the officials cut off the water in those cells and conditions due to the lack of sanitation were frightful. The place was a perfect bedlam, since the howling, creaking and cursing never abated from night to morning. They say in stir that anyone who lives in solitary longer than the time-tried limit of 19 days is tempting death, but dozens of them stuck it out longer. The officials were desperately anxious to end the mutiny because at any moment a bloody

revolt might break out. One day Warden Johnson was standing in the dining room talking to us while we ate lunch. As the prisoner started marching out of the mess hall, Widey Phillips, a kidnapper, darted over to the Warden, knocked him down, and kicked him in the face breaking his nose. If this was a signal for a general uprising, it misfired. At once the guards were on Phillips and as the prisoners milled about a confusion, an outside guard broke the window glass, and stuck his machine gun into the room. The prisoner screaming broke out of line and scurried to cover under tables and chairs, thus subdued, they were lined up and marched quietly to their cells. Man, it gave the warden a beat down.

I guess he might have gotten a beat down later for that, maybe in solitary. Why he was 24 years old when he did that, the warden was 63. Why he had been transferred from Levenworth to Alcatraz, October 26, 1935, after having been in Levenworth just a few months. He robbed Chandler Bank in a little city of Lyons, Kansas, in February that year. Surely after being incarcerated, somebody read it on him for planning to commit a violent escape to rob that same bank again. When you robbed it, the first time he'd taken two hostages, uh, hostages and fled and stolen car, seen obviously as an escape risk and addition to being highly violent. He went, he was sent to the rock and he beat the wardens ass in 1936.

After all that, he would make parole in 1952 when he was just 40. Live the rest of his life just outside the little town of Yates Center, Kansas, keeping to himself and his trailer reading a lot, dying in 1999 at the age of 87. Apparently no one in Yates Center knew he'd spent time in prison until after his death. Back to Brian's account now of life on the rock. Shortly after that, solitary confinement effectively broke the mutiny. One by one, the men began to abandon the strike, driven out by hunger, despair, and the terrible stench.

Although when I left the prison in November 5, stout souls were still holding out in solitary. The plan for the next mutiny is clever. The men have decided that the vulnerable spot and Alcatraz prison is the shops, especially those having contact work, which must meet a delivery schedule or contract work. Hence, they will begin by suddenly wrecking the machinery. They think they can gain concessions by this, and they figure they have nothing to lose. What, for instance, has a man got to look forward to when he has three or more life sentences hanging over him? Most of them felt as I did. Had I known 11 years ago what I know now about prisons I'd have insisted on the death sentence.

Ah, he read it on them. The end there. A little bit dramatic at the end, I mean, he just got released from prison for 12 years. How was that worse than the death penalty? But interesting account. Maybe the editor out of that cute little cautionary tale ending. Now after hearing about what Brian thought about life on the rock, let's look into some specs of the rock, other Alcatraz facts.

Very small island located just one and a quarter mile offshore from San Francisco, California. According to a 1971 documentary on the history of Alcatraz, it measures 16 or 1,675 feet, roughly 511 meters along by 590 feet, roughly 180 meters wide. It is 135 feet, slash 41 meters high at its highest point during mean tide. Not a real big island. Little over 5.5 football fields long, almost exactly two football fields wide.

Not a perfect rectangle, but pretty close, kind of like a stretched out oval, a little skinnier on the north side. Total area of the island, just over 22 acres. Small island unpopulated when Spanish explorers first encountered it, has had a lot of people live around it for the better part, better part of two centuries now.

For many centuries before that, various tribes lived in the San Francisco Bay area like the Oloni peoples, also various bands of Wapo, Miwok and Pomo peoples. So in the last run of Alcatraz as an actual working president in the early 1960s, there were between 2.6 and 3.5 million residents in theomo peoples. So in the last run of Alcatraz, as an actual working prison in the early 1960s, there were between 2.6 and 3.5 million residents in the Bay Area.

So strange for me to think about being on an island in prison, looking out from the wreck yard, seeing this great big city, less than a mile and a half away, seeing the downtown or a great big city where if you could just make it there, you could disappear into the crowd. It seems like it would add to the suffering in a way that, you know, being in a prison out in the middle of nowhere would not. Like I imagine you could hear the city sounds at that distance. You can see people on their boat sipping by. You could see and hear so much life being lived by people who were free. Today, there are over 8.7 million in the region, which includes San Jose and Oakland, 4.6 million in the San Francisco Metro area alone. The city of San Francisco itself has about 883,000 folks living within it.

Under a million for the city proper is less than I expected, but only because geographically is not that big. It's the second most densely populated large city in the country behind New York City. Also random, did you know the official name for San Francisco, Spanish for St. Francis, is the city and county of San Francisco. I did not. It's the only consolidated city county in California, the city and county, one of the same boundaries and one government for both city and county, very unusual structure.

We're not talking about local government structure today. We're talking about prison. As a federal prison, Alcatraz only has ever housed a tiny fraction of the nation's criminals. The highest number of inmates ever recorded at once there are just 302. Lowest number 222. Average number of inmates during the 29 years of service around 260. In 1960 alone, there were more than 212,000 federally incarcerated inmates in all of America.

There were approximately, yeah, 1,545 total men in prison there over the years. I say approximately because the National Park Service, which controls the remains of Alcatraz now, has indicated that while 1,576 different numbers were issued only or over 30 convicts returned to Alcatraz with different numbers. To illustrate how small that prison population is back in 2019, another famous and still operating California prison. San Quentin had around 3,500 inmates. And that's the prison where last week sucked, subject William, the freeway killer, Bonon

was executed. Oh, Billy Gutterbals, son of Bingo Hustlers. The largest correctional facility in the US by population is the Louisiana State Penitentiary, currently housing over 5,000 inmates. Alcatraz had several different layouts over time as many construction projects were done, the labor often coming from the inmates themselves. The prison was still is by far the biggest building on the island. Built mostly at a concrete.

The 500-foot-long concrete main building was the largest concrete building in the world upon its completion. Construction expert, Major Ruben B. Turner rebuilt the prison on the foundation of a former military prison for $250,000. Built as a 600 cell blocks surrounded by a 500 foot long concrete structure, no cell walls on the edge, we're on the edge of the prison to help prevent escapes. Like if you chisel through your cell wall somehow, you are just going to pop out into the beach. Alcatraz cells didn't have individual doors. This was a big innovative feature that added to the lore of Alcatraz's inescapability,

making the rocks so much harder to break out of. Prison cell bars were built out of toolproof steel, no hacksawing through those bars. And they switched the orientation of, yeah, the cell doors from swinging outward to sliding shut with a pull of a big lever that would open and close just a big row of cells all at once. Garber, pull that lever, open about a dozen cells at a time, push it back, big clank, lock it shut to shut all of them in one moment. Out in Kansas, 11 Worth had one inmate, Basil Benghart, who escaped from there three different

times. One guy escaped from 11 Worth three different times. Alcatraz, excuse me, would never have an equivalent. Not with its keyless doors, toolproofproof steel bars, concrete outer shell, islands surrounded by cold, powerful current, possessing water. Yeah, that big sliding mechanism for the multiple doors is pretty damn clever. I saw it when my wife, Lindsey and I, the Queen of the Suck went on a tour of Alcatraz back in the fall of 2012, just a few months after we started dating.

San Francisco was our first weekend. Get away together. I had shows in San Francisco and one day we took the ferry out to the rock. Very cool. Check it all out. Alcatraz's three story cell house had four cell blocks, A, B, C, and D. Among all the cells, he tallway, given like a street name, like the sunset strip. That was D block, Park Avenue, Broadway, Times Square, Michigan Ave, Sunrise Alley. Pretty funny. Sunset strip and Alcatraz, a Ave, Sunrise Alley, pretty funny. Sunset stripping out the dress, a little bit less fun than the one in LA.

The cells in A-block were only used a few times for short-term lockup periods when an inmate did not require full solitary confinement's occlusion, but it needed to be fully isolated from other inmates. Otherwise, A-block was used for non-meat sack storage. A-block was never modernized. So it retained its flat strap iron bars, key locks and spiral staircases from its original use as the original military prison. Most new inmates and alcatraz were assigned to the second tier of B block. They had quarantine

status for the first three months in confinement and alcatraz, not permitted visitors for a minimum of 90 days. The overwhelming majority of prisoners kept in B and C blocks, 336 cells in B and C block. They're originally 348, but 12 were removed when stairways were installed at the end of each cell block. Two cells on the end of C block were used as restrooms for the guard staff. Each standard cell in B and C blocks, just five feet by nine feet. So small, five feet by nine feet, 45 square feet, which includes your bathroom. At the average bedroom is according to Google currently about 132 nine feet, 45 square feet, which includes your bathroom.

At the average bedroom is according to Google, currently about 132 square feet, spending year after year in a space about a third the size of the average bedroom, holy shit. Go fucking stir crazy. As a six foot one is dude, if I stand in the middle of that cell, I can reach out and touch both side walls easily at the same time with my palms flat on each wall.

I got to do that inside one of those cells in the tour. So small with the bed, there's barely enough room to do like pushups, barely enough room to do jumping jacks. Luckily, at Alcatraz, you were alone in these tiny cells. Alcatraz had a strict one inmate per cell rule, which was unusual for federal prison helped cut down on escape attempts. And you know, I'm guessing cut way down on butt rate attempts. Guess there are roughly a hundred percent less butt rate butt rates and a single inmate cell than there would be a double inmate cell. Willie Radke, a great, a great depression air gangster who despite being shot eight times overall by police and multiple shootouts

lived at the age of 95. Some of those bullets still in his body when he died. He passed away in 2006. He shared a sell out contracts next to machine gun Kelly, old pal and associate of his. And he indicated pointed it out in an interview that he never got by ripped at Alcatraz, at least not a sell. He said that having your own sell reduced the chances of being sexually violated tremendously. A small man, this was a Willie's favorite part of Alcatraz, which to me indicates that he had to deal with that in other prisons. Poor Willie's poo-pull, maybe getting loophole by some rough rumies, like 11 worth somewhere.

Cells are still tiny today. The typical prison cell today in the US is 8 feet by 6 feet. God dang. Just three square feet bigger than the Alcatraz cell. Due to chronic overcrowding, you also have to typically share that cell with another prisoner, so it's even worse. My loopholes just really tighten. I actually just heard a deadbolt lock in my poop hole loophole.

I didn't even know I had there. To allow the cell to accommodate both people, prison officials just have a second bunk bed, you know, put above the existing bed. They certainly don't remodel the cell to make it, you know, roomier. Fuck. Imagine spending more than half of every day when you include the hours of sleep in a six by eight-foot cell with another person.

The average six-foot to all person, yeah, can reach up above their heads to eight feet. So if you're around six foot, you know, lay down the floor, put your arms out above your head. That's how long this cell is. Then rotate, you know, 90 degrees and don't put your your head. That's how long this cell is. Then rotate, you know, 90 degrees and don't put your arms out and that's how wide the cell is.

And there's fucking two of you in there. If you're cellmate farts, you cannot move far enough away to not smell it. When your cellmate shits, you know, if it's lockdown time, they're gonna shit no more than a few feet away from you and full view of you. If they jerk off, you're probably gonna fucking see it

and hear it. Unless you have headphones on and your eyes closed. And what do they do, sounds really annoying. I just whistle all the time or make a repetitive, just a little click and sound with their tongue. Or just, just chew gum with their mouth open. My mesiphonia might turn like a two or three year sentence into fucking life for snapping and murdering my cell mate.

Cause you won't chew this fucking mouth close or his nose whistles when he exhales or something. Yeah, luckily today in general population cell blocks prisoners are allowed to roam outside of their cells most of the time. But an alcatraz for a long stretch of time at least their the inmate schedule wasn't exactly the same for his entire history. Most prisoners locked in their cells after working some kind of prison job by 4.50 pm So by 5 o'clock They're in for the night and they're not let out until 7 a.m. The following morning Just over a 14 hour stretch each day

Stuck in a five foot by nine foot cell and if your behavior is not great You have an earned a job you might only get a you know three meals and an hour of rec time a day out of your cell Listen three hours total so 21 hours a day in that cell. And maybe the dude in the cell directly next to you, maybe his nose whistles, hell on earth. This all makes me want to really not commit felonies. That's what I was dying to before. I was in jail for one night after DUI back in 2010

and I wasn't holding tank alone. It was fairly roomy and I was annoyed the whole time because it was cold. They kept waking me up when I tried to sleep. I couldn't have my phone. I was just fucking one night and sucked. Quote, unquote, hard time would truly be so fucking hard to get through.

Remember that the next time you had a punch, some strange, if you were to doosh back at the bar, maybe they said something shitted you. Well, being insulted, you know, maybe better than punching him, having him fall, crack his head on something and a freak accident, then you go to prison for manslaughter and you end up in one type of, you know maybe better than punching him having him fall crack his head on something in a freak accident And you go to prison for manslaughter and you end up in one type of these you know some type of cell like this for for years You know bunking with old fucking whistle notes. No, thank you

Maybe try saying that to the judge your sentencing trial if you do get caught. No, thank you. You're honor. I know. I don't want to No, it sounds horrible. I said no, thank you Another solitary Not two. No, it sounds horrible. I said, no, thank you. And then they're solitary. And Alcatraz and solitary are in a cell with windowless walls, big steel door, tiny window that shut most of the time instead of bars. You're in there 24 hours a day. It's fucking dark. You can't talk to anyone else. Can't see anything.

A few sources claim that, you know, yeah, they just leave you in there in the dark and then sometimes I put a hose to the slot to just spray you down with cold water. Then you just stay in there drenched in the cool damp San Francisco Bay climate, only let out once a week for an hour or so of rec time. And even then not allowed to socialize or playing any games with any other prisoners, you just get to be outside, exercise if you want to, maybe sit in the sun for a second or rain, if I can gray and cloudy there all the time, then back to your isolation cell to stew with your thoughts, not even a book to keep you company.

Alcatraz solitary cells were in, yeah, cell block D. You could spend anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. 19 days was the federal legal limit. There are stories of guys being left in there longer. Former inmate Jim Quillin once said a day in the hole felt like an eternity. Number 36 segregation cells, six solitary confinement cells in D block. The segregation cells were basically solitary cells without complete sensory deprivation. All of that, any of that, would be enough to drive a man insane.

And apparently solitary did drive some prisoners insane. Normal being C block cells as Alcatraz had a small sink with only cold running water, small sleeping cot with what one former inmate described as a dirty lumpy pillow, and a nasty ass toilet with no seat. Home sweet home, make yourself comfortable. Until the 1950s, when prison regulations would change a bit, new inmates could bring nothing with them, and the prison didn't have a goody shop. So life in these tiny ass cells pretty damn spartan. You know, you don't get smokes though, but not much else. Beginning in the 50s inmates could purchase certain items like textbooks, correspondence courses, smokes though, but not much else. Beginning in the 50s inmates could purchase certain items like text books, correspondence,

courses, musical instruments, magazine subscriptions, etc. And of course, still those smokes. Many inmates apparently smoked around three packs a day to help pass the time. New inmates once arrived by boat or strip search, given a medical exam in a prison uniform, a blue shirt and gray pants, blue and white and later years, cotton long underwear, socks and a blue hankerchief, the wearing of caps forbidden in the cellhouse. It was also a dentist, psychiatrist and doctor, small infirmary. Some prisoners would spend the majority of their sense in that infirmary, like the

bird man of Alcatraz, but kidney problems. He spent 11 of his 17 years there. Yes, you know, nicer than a cell. One of the nicest things Alcatraz had for inmates was a large library. To check out books, It was a privilege. It could be taken away if you fucked up. If you were following the rules, books would be delivered to yourself based on a request card you filled out earlier.

When a prisoner working in the library walked by yourself, gave you a request card. You could request taking high school, college courses this way. You could learn to paint, sketch, et cetera. Occupy your mind, all crime-related content. That's off-limits. Could not order any true detective type shit. They don't want you to get inspired, reading about true crime. Inmates could make money to buy stuff like this, working various prison jobs.

Your behavior had to be good to have most of these jobs. A good behavior could also earn you family visits and access to stuff like plain chess or softball in the wreck area. Also starting in the 50s, you could earn a headset to listen to the radio with. Now, you can drown out that nose whistler. The cell next to you. You can watch movies once a week in the small auditorium. There was even a prison band for most of the time.

Alcatraz was a prison called the rock islanders. Noice. A position in this band was highly coveted because it got you out of your cell a bit more for practices and some performances. According to former guard George Gregory the band was only a cut above the fourth or fifth grade band, but it did wonders for their self-esteem. I like his brutally honest assessment. Are they good? To listen to oh god no. No, it was good for their self-esteem, but not for anyone's ears. It's not like a bunch of ten year olds Fallen the lead of a band director who had a degree in physical education,

chemistry, anything but music. The warden like Lettenham play because he figured it added to the punishment of the other inmates. The rock islanders played on holidays, special events, Sundays and the dining hall. They could only practice between 5, 30 and 7, 30 PM, play outside those hours

and your musical instrument would be confiscated. That rule went into effect in 1956, wasn't there at the beginning. So you know some fucking idiot ruined it for everyone else. I just being an asshole and playing super early in the morning, a really late at night. Apparently Al Capone begged for a long time to join this band and eventually was allowed in.

I guess he did not play in the band with Brian Conway, our readers digest buddy. Or maybe that's why Brian really hated him. Maybe Brian was really into music and Capone just couldn't keep time. He kept embarrassing him or something. Come on out. Let's fucking three, four, not four, four. Got to him. Scarface once wrote to his son, he learned to play the guitar and the banjo in Alcatraz. You can actually find a picture of him with a banjo online. Pretty funny to see Al Capone, hold the banjo in a little prison cell. Also before he was transferred out, he was

learning to play the mandala. Eventually, he learned how to a little prison cell. Also, before he was transferred down, he was learning to play the Mandela. Eventually, he learned how to play over 500 songs. Old, syphilist Dick, Crybaby Capone. He probably could have learned to play a couple thousand songs. If you would have just focused all of his musical energy on the Air Banjo, check out this old-timey jail song. I learned how to play along with, you know, play along with on the Air Banjo.

After taking the A-hole Air Banjo academy prison songs of days gone by This is a great deal for just 99 99 Which I paid in three easy installments. I got six hours worth of lessons on laser discs So I got how I can solo now over over lightning long john I like to I like to feel it for a second and then I will join in Okay Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink time suck recurring joke, 99% sure that started in the drunk as fuck suck the act of New Orleans. Of course it did.

Of course it started during the drunk suck, the air banjo best played wind drunk. Back to the day to day of Alcatraz, although I could do that all day, I'm not gonna lie to you, I did have fun do that. You got three meals a day at Alcatraz, breakfast, 6.45 a.m. lunch, 11.40 a.m. dinner at 4.25 p.m. That, 11.40 a.m. dinner at 4.25 p.m. that's an early-ass dinner. Suppose you the best food in the federal prison system. It does look pretty good by looks the menus, some former chefs ended up getting locked up there.

Remember Brian was talking about that, our readers digest buddy. According to a menu from 1946, meals included stewed fruits, split pea soup, apple pie, mashed potatoes, orange rolls, bread and coffee, rose shoulder, etc. One lunch I found on an old menu was vegetable soup, boiled corn beef, steamed potatoes, quick cook cabbage, with mustard, bread and tea, another was vegetable soups, spaghetti, salad, bread and coffee. I don't think I ever had lunches that nice growing up.

I remember being super excited for pigs in a blanket day. In my school taught lunch, right? Little smokies. Little processed sausages wrapped in cheap flour, dipped in ketchup, with tater tots and cream corn, and some shitty-ass milk, and a little cardboard box of drink. Delicious! In addition to getting out of your cell for meals, which only lasted 20 to 30 minutes each,

prisoners not on solitary could work a variety of jobs. Yeah, that allowed them to get out of their cells for most of the day. Jobs, of course, allowed them to make money for books, smokes, air banjo tutorials, you know, you get you work in laundry, kitchen, woodworking plant, docks, few other places. Inmates would head to work directly after breakfast, be done for the working day by dinner and back in their cells quickly after dinner. Working prisoners could earn two days off their sins for each month,

worked during the first year, then four days off each month worked for years two through four, then five days per month for years, five and forward. To help make sure prison didn't smuggle dangerous contrabrand from their jobs into their cells, you know, the prison had those three metal detectors, those snitch boxes, Brian talked about lots of rules, very strict at the rock. Prisoners can send and receive personal letters, but to blood relatives and only letters were heavily monitored. Like I mentioned earlier, they could also send legal correspondence.

No check out their attorney, as a governor for clemency, that sort of thing. Inmates were granted one visit per month. Each visitation had to be approved directly by the warden, no physical contact allowed between inmates and their visitors. As I talked about, there's that shitty fucking tube that the yell back and forth from them,

they got to intercom a little bit later. Guards and force rules, even small ones, more than another prison since Alcatraz was used primarily as a prison to break inmates down. So that they would follow the rules. And they could be transferred to another prison where they would now behave. The average Alcatraz stay was around eight years.

Interestingly, numerous sources claim that no one was ever sentenced directly to Alcatraz. You know, you got sent somewhere else first and you caused problems, then you got transferred to Alcatraz. And then almost always you got transferred to another prison eventually at some point when you would leave the rock. Only two men ever paroled directly from Alcatraz to the free world. How did inmates learn about all these rules?

The introduction, the introduction to all the rules and regulations, expectations for conduct began with a booklet when prisoners arrived in Alcatraz orientation book, essentially, they were to keep in their cells. The rules were changed a bit over time, of course. I'm going to share a list put out by Alcatraz Warden Paul J. Madigan by his administration between 1955, 1961. Warden Madigan, only Alcatraz Warden who worked his way up from the bottom.

He's very popular with prisoners, Lisa's as far as Warden's went, who's considered a fair man. He started off as a corrections officer in 1930s. Also 1941 Madigan, important in quashing and escape attempt after being held hostage in the model industry's building. Some of Warden Madigan's rules were as follows. This is by no means a comprehensive list. Good conduct. Making the most of your Ocatrass experience all starts with what the Warden calls good conduct, which is pretty self-explanatory.

It means conducting yourself in a quiet and orderly manner and keeping yourself neat, clean, and free from contraband. It meant obeying the rules, the institution, and displaying a cooperative attitude. Also meant obeying orders of officials, officers and other employees without delay or argument. Do what you're told when you're told with a fucking smile on your face, it's going to be trouble. This policy alone, I got to say, would be hard for me to deal with psychologically. I mean, even if you never quit, doesn't it feel good at just any job, any job you work to know that if you really really want to you can quit? What if you could not quit your job like you literally were not allowed? If you tried to your boss would send a couple fucking goons to run you down, rattle you to the ground,

literally fucking shoot you if you won't stop resisting or if you make it out the office doors and then these goons drag you to like a janitor's closet Well, you fucking lock you inside for a week as punishment for trying to escape your job That's prison You know and it's a job you hate the job where you have to eat the one and only thing they're serving in the prison cafeteria You know that way that day or you go hungry and it's a job not an alcatraz But in most prisons where you have to share a cubicle with the coworker, there's a good chance you can't stand. Ugh.

The next rule section is good work record. This means that the reputation, you know, you establish as a willing, capable workman, doing your best at whatever work you're told to do will help your standing at the prison. Both good conduct and good work records constantly are reviewed. When changes are made to work assignments, cell changes or disciplinary actions,

you know, come up, guards take notes, these notes are gonna be reviewed, and determine how fucking shitty or not your next job is gonna be, or if you have to sit in your cell all day instead of being able to go to work, the better your conduct and work record is, the better you qualify, or the more likely you'll qualify for a better job, less harshly,

you'll be punished for rule infractions. It paid to be nice in Alcatraz, literally. Next, prisoners read about statutory time, maritorious good time, and industrial good time. Part of Alcatraz's program were incentives for good behavior. You could earn reductions in sentencing by establishing and keeping a good conduct record and a good work record. Right? Smart. Give people incentive to not be a fucking problem.

That's story good time, and that just by not causing trouble, you can get some time knocked off your sentence. You don't be a fucking dick. We'll put that in your file and recommend that to the parole board that they go a little easier on you. Recommendation for time off your sentence

could also be taken away if you fuck up and break the rules. All right, they can tell you in one month, okay, we're gonna knock some time off your sentence. And you fuck up bad enough, you're like, nah, nah, nah, now you just got put back on. Then there was industrial good time, industrial good time, automatically awarded beginning on the first day of employment, continuing as long as inmate is employed by federal prison industries. Now, this means that, you know, you show up, you do your job, you get X amount of days knocked off your sense, you know, a month as I went

over earlier. And then there's meritorious good time, you know, getting your sentence reduced further by just going above and beyond what you've been asked to do. From meritorious good time, the rulebook stated that the staff are responsible for recommending meritorious good time based upon work performance. You know, it's like basically you get a fucking gold star if you're doing a really good job. All very behaviorist. Be a good rat, move to the cage like we want you to and you get some cheese Don't behave like we'd prefer well then you can fucking shocked

Okay, positive and negative reinforcement next the rulebook goes over privileges. Basically you don't have many Says all inmates are entitled to food clothing shelter and medical attention nothing more Everything else is earned through meritocracy Now let's go over discipline which we already touchedcipline was the name of the game on the island. Any type of disciplinary action may result in loss of some or all of a prisoner's privileges and or confinement in the treatment unit. Oh, the treatment unit, aka solitary aka the whole. If you lose your job, you could have time added to your sense.

You could be put in segregation or isolation. The warden or associate warden could punish a prisoner by taking away privileges like the privilege of sending and receiving mail, having visitors, going in the yard and joining books, eating the dining hall with other inmates. All that shit can be taken away. In the hole, you can expect to see no light here, no sounds, you know, person, except for a brief glimpse of a guard twice a day as I went over earlier, inmates given this treatment claim to have experienced fucking hallucinations, extreme sensory disorientation. Some of them lost their fucking minds, had to be, you know, sent to the infirmary for a while afterwards to be treated by a psychiatrist because the whole fuck them up so bad.

First, prisoners in isolation will receive only bread and water. They'd only get it twice a day, a full meal every third day. Later, you know, the rules were amended, so prisoners could get a bowl of soup each day with a full meal every second day in addition to bread and water. After 1936 General Strike, Brian talked about it, was claimed that prisoners marched into isolation, that prisoners who were marched into isolation would not receive any food for two days. I mean, if I can worse after that. Federal law did mandate that no prisoner could spend more than 19 days in solitary confinement. Man, think about how that would drive spend more than 19 days in solitary confinement. Man, think about how that would drive you mad. Always cold in there supposedly.

You couldn't get comfortable. There's no soft bed to lay down on when you just sleep a lot of it away. Just a stone, just a fucking concrete room with a toilet and the dark, living on a little bit of bread and water. No idea how long you've been in there when you're going to get out. Even worse than the whole with the dungeons, this may just be a myth, but it comes up in enough sources. I should share it with you. There are rumors that some inmates were locked in some kind of fucking primitive dungeons

on the island for punishment. The prison had been built on the top of a 19th century military fortress. Now, it used to protect the Bay below a block before the prison was built was a set of cells used during the prison, uh, or a military prison area known as the Spanish dungeon. In the late 1930s, it is prison area, known as the Spanish dungeon. In the late 1930s, it is alleged that the dungeon cells were occasionally used for unmanageable inmates. Allegedly, some former correctional officers have said that they heard or that they were

aware that some, uh, extremely unmanageable inmates were handcuffed to the bars in the dungeons for extended periods of time. Not sure I believe that, but maybe who knows? If you fuck up bad enough and say, beat the warden down like Widy Phillips did, you can of course also be prosecuted in court for more crimes while incarcerated. There's the transfer to other federal institutions,

section of this orientation book. Book made it clear that you had to stay in good standing for more than a few weeks if you wanted to get the fuck off the rock as well. Now, a transfer required better than average behavior, like good behavior for several consecutive years. You fuck up at enough, you go back to zero, and the good boy clock starts all over. And what were the rules about contraband?

Anything found on an inmate or in their cell or at their workplace, which was not officially issued to them or officially approved and purchased by the inmate and officially listed on their property card was classified as contraband possession of contraband of any sort was a serious offense would result in disciplinary action. See the whole stealing anything from other inmates or from employees or from the institution also quote severely punished. So was bribing employees and threatening ridiculing or attempting to assault officers, officials, employees or

visitors. Other serious offenses including trading, gambling, selling, giving or loading personal property, or government issue items or services or contra-ragnet of any kind. A recreation privileges had specific rules as well. As a general rule in mates would work eight hours a day,

five days a week, Saturday, Sundays and holidays devoted to recreation, movie shown twice a month, exercise yard activities, included baseball, handball, and various table games. New, you know, and then new inmates, you know, kept in quarantine. You know, when they first get there, not allowed in the recreation area for, you know, it was 30 days for, it went part of the prisons, you know, history, 90 days for another. Your orientation book also let you know that Alcatraz made room for constructive suggestions

and legitimate complaints. They had a sort of complaint box. If these were made by an inmate to proper officials, the rules stated that each complaint would receive careful consideration. However, if an inmate made groundless complaints for the purpose of creating dissatisfaction and or stirring up trouble, pretty subjective. Or if they agitate or rib themselves or others into trouble, more subjective, they were subject to disciplinary actions. So they didn't like your complaint. They can punish you. Interview request slips were

the way to ask an official for information or to make a complaint. I doubt many of these complaints were taken very seriously. I picture some guards saying stuff like Mr. Compone, Mr. Compone, we received your complaints about recreation time not being long enough and your pillow being too lumpy. And I send both of your complaints along to the treatment plant. What kind of treatment plant? The sewage treatment plant. I flush another toilet.

You syphilis decry, baby. Shut the fuck up and enjoy the whole. New inmates were also informed they had a prisoner's trust fund operating like a savings account in the bank, except that it did not draw interest with the approval of the associate warden and inmate could authorize the withdrawal of funds from their account for legitimate purposes, you know, like buying smokes or educational materials. Saviour money was required by the prison and funds were allowed to be given to dependents, so you know, that's pretty cool, not your wife and or kids fault that you're in prison. I like that they can still get some money from you while you, you know, when you're working

in there. There are other rules too. Rules about everything from what inmates could wear, what they could own, what they could bring into the bathrooms, you know, when they weren't themselves running, you know, not allowed anywhere in the prison, which makes sense. Probably wouldn't want to see inmates training to get faster. Just like you wouldn't want to see them, you know, working on their fucking swim, swim strokes and some kind of prison pool, uh, loud talking, loitering, visiting on the galleries, stairs or aisles, not permitted, uh, never permitted to enter another inmate cell at any time, singing, whistling, shouting, even loud talking, not permitted either, unless you're, uh, rehearsing with the island rockers, no singing is pretty funny.

No singing rules seem, seem needlessly cruel when I first read it, but those cells were so close to so many other cells. You know, you get enough people singing, different songs and not well. That's a fucking cacophony of this terror, the nightmare for other inmates and guards. Well, like imagine if like to do in the cell next door to you was a source family co-leader father yo singing like this. All the power never was. Is still there. For you. Oh, stand it.

Are you. I mean, how much of that could you take before a riot breaks out. Everything was meant to be kept clean and orderly in a prisoner cell. Diagrams to show how one was expected to store their personal items on a shelf. Nothing allowed to be pasted or tacked onto the walls or shelves either. Wasn't like Shawshank Redemption

where you had a fucking poster on the wall, not allowed. Only a few things were allowed to be on the floor, which included shoes, trash cans, musical instruments, right? Another advantage of the air banjo. Don't have to worry about stored anywhere, it doesn't take any space. Another advantage of that top shelf musical instrument. Don't tank, don't tank, don't tank, don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank,

mind don't tank, don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank, mind don't tank So always subject to search anything out of place or extra would be bad for the inmate So what we're in mates allowed to have that was listed specifically in the wardens rulebook They can have two shelves two sheets of stationery and they're selling anytime two envelopes One can of cleanser three pencils one radio headset one sink stopper 175 watt light bulb four wall pegs one whisk, one lamp shade, one roll of toilet paper, one drinking cup, one asterisk, two cleaning rags and one waste basket. Also a maximum of two mattresses, two sheets, two pillows, one to four blankets, two pillow cases, man, two pillows.

Whew, I must have given some job as witnesses, a lot of anxiety in there, you know, a lot of sexual temptation. So easily let him to sing him with that second pillow. What's that for? To put in between your knees? Tell yourself that it's gonna help with your back pain, but you know, you know that lumpy ass prison pillow down there rubbing against your Satan hose?

Hey, I'm a Saphina. As for the bathroom inmates, we're allowed to have one shaving cup, two razor blades, one safety razor, one bar of soap, one comb, one shaving brush, one pair of nail clippers, one mirror, one can of tooth powder. That's how it's written. I love it. I'm not even, you know, you get toothpaste. No, you don't get toothpaste. That's for free people. You get some tooth powder, one face towel, one toothbrush, one cake of shaving soap. Right, when prisoners arrived, they were issued one pair of black and white pants, one cap,

one wool coat, one blue shirt, one belt, one pair of black and white pants one cap one wool coat one blue shirt one belt One pair of shorts one bathrobe Okay, three pairs of socks two hanger chips one raincoat two pairs of shoes one wool under shirt one pair of slippers and a light Under shirt Everything had to be clearly marked on the inmates property card, which you had to keep on your cell door So much regulation so much incentive to not fuck up again. Once you're out, they are the routines so highly regimented, right? Wake up bell goes off at 6.30 a.m. on the weekdays, 7.15 on the weekends and holidays. I get to sleep in for another 45 minutes.

Not to be fucking care. Just wake up and you're still there. The bells heard inmates are expected to get dressed, clean up their space, make their beds. Next item is the account bell, 20 minutes after the wake up bell. It's supposed to be, you know, the cell doors open, you go outside your door, you stand there for like a roll call. Then you go straight to the dining room for breakfast by 7 a.m. Very a lot of specific rules about how to act in the dining room, which included not wasting food, not taking extra portions, not taking food out of the dining room. For many years, shut the fuck up while you eat by 7 20 a.m. on a weekdays. Time to go to work in the laundry, tater shop, cobbler shop, model shop, garden under labor details or any other shops on the island.

Throughout the day, just lines and bells, lines for the yard, for lunch, for the library, for religious services, for showering, 450 p.m. return to their cells, right? That's where prisons go for final lockup by 930 lights are out. And the first three years of the prison's operation, there was one more horrible rule. The first warden was a no nonsense guy. James A. Johnston and Warden Johnson, Johnson, excuse me, had a silence rule.

Prisoners could speak at meals or recreation time and that was it. Desperate for communication interaction with other humans, some inmates empty out water from their toilets and create some kind of primitive communication system through sewage piping where they could apparently whisper to one another how terrible and just sad and weird Picture two dudes, you know whisper to each other, you know the next day in line for breakfast is hey, what happened you last night? You said you said you're gonna wait for your toilet right after lights out. I was I didn't hear anything Come on. I was whispered

into my toilet for at least 10 minutes. Are you are you sure you call the right toilet? Well, I'm not to die on my toilet. You got flushed twice real quick. They got to do four slow flushes and that's how you get connected to my toilet. The choir role is apparently taken very seriously and made to a discipline for even minor violations of this code. Previously, John's had been awarded first full-sum prison for two years and Stan Quentin for a decade, very strict disciplinarian, devout reformist. He first employed that silence rule at Stan Quentin. He's the guy why he fill up beat down in the dining hall, right? When he was 63, previous to the beat down, he was known to sit down, eat with the prisoners, unguarded. After that beat down,

he did immediately go right back to doing that. And never got his ass whipped again. Tough old dude. He also got rid of that silence rule in 1937. Maybe he's worried about keeping shit so strict that prisoners were going to get so tense he was going to get his ass whipped again. He would continue to act as ward until 1948, retire at the age of 73. Alcatraz created to be highly structured monotonous to teach unruly inmates how to behave. Johnson was apparently very good at that. So how did inmates feel about being incarcerated the rock? Overall, they fucking, they loved it.

You know, so many amenities I forgot to mention, a badminton courts, day spa, pool hall, brothel, massage parlor, sushi bar, in-and-out burgers, Starbucks, 18-hole putt-putt, go carts, small water park with a lazy river, pooled wave machine. Not if fucking can hate it. Uh, may they want to behave? So get the fuck out of there. Uh, let's get into some of the rest of the layout of Alcatraz now. Talk about the lives of civilians on the island before getting into some pretty crazy escape

attempts. Some famous inmates and then the timeline after response or break. Thanks for listening, Midsaxx. Now back to the rock we go. Learn more about how it was laid out and who lived there. Besides the president's self, there were several other buildings, including the Social Hall, known as the Officers Club. The club was a social venue for the federal penitentiary workers and their families placed in the island unwind after a hard week's work,

dealing with hard and criminals after they've been locked up for the night. The club had a small bar, a library, large dining, and dance floor, billiards table, ping pong table, two lane bow and alley. Bingo was played there. Fucking two weeks and a row of bingo on the suck. What's the universe trying to tell me that I should abandon my family and hit America's lucrative underground bingo hustler circuit? Maybe I'll consider it. The social club regularly hosted dinners and from the 1940s onwards, showed movies every Sunday night after they've been shown to the inmates during the day on Saturday and Sunday, Halloween parties, Christmas parties, all that stuff. It was also a powerhouse, a water tower, a model industries building where laundry was done, a new industries building

where they created clothing, furniture and brushes. It was the warden's house, a three floor, 15 by 17 room mansion built in either 1921 according to some sources or 1926 or maybe 1929. Also living quarters for other non-prisoners. We go with the prison population at any given time. There were about 300 civilians living on Alcatraz that included both women and children. The primary living areas for families were building number 64, three apartment buildings, one large duplex, and four large wooden houses for senior officers

and their families. What a weird thing to live on the island, to grow up there. How odd to be able to wave to prisoners, that you guard, you know, wave to them from your fucking yard in front of your house or apartment in your days off. Guess you got off the island a lot, but you know, what if you wanted to relax at home?

And if there was an escape in the middle of the night, how terrifying for you and your family. To live right next to the place Where you've been telling murders and rapists, you know to shut the fuck up and do what they're told last couple years It's suck to have them know exactly where you live There was an alarm system and it would sound if you know somebody got out and all the civilians were told to run in their homes and locked their doors The island has surprising amount of amenities for you know a little space Families enjoyed in addition to the social club, a small convenience store, even had a soda

fountain, a little malt shop for the kids. So Larry's to me hanging out at the Alcatraz malt shop. Good times. Sippin' on a chocolate malt, staring out a window, it's some barbed wire and guard towers. Families that are most are shopping on the mainland since, you know, the prison boat would make 12 scheduled runs to Van Ness Street, peer each day. So that's good. Just a few more details now than an overview of escape attempts and then meet some famous former prisoners. What about death on the prison island? Alcatraz had no facilities for capital punishment.

The death penalty process left to state institutions normally. Alcatraz inmates who had been served a desense, it would be transferred to San Quentin for execution of the gas chamber there. Eight people were murdered by inmates on Alcatraz, a desense of a different kind, plus five men committed suicide, 15 others died from natural illnesses. The island did boast its own morgue for these desks. No autopsies were performed there. The deceased inmates brought back to the mainland and released the San Francisco County

corner. Now, what about escaping the rock? We'll dig deeper into some of this during the timeline, but the national prisoner statistics records indicates that 36 prisoners were involved in various escape attempts during the over 28 year history of Alcatraz operating as a federal prison. Many seem to think that despite a few inmates never being seen again, none of them actually escaped. Not sure I agree. I'll spell out why later. The island was famous mostly for being the hardest prison for America to escape from. Why was it so hard to escape from?

Larger because of the chilly waters of the Bay around it. Plus rumors of man eating sharks. The water average is 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit year round, raising up to an average of 59 degrees in the hottest part of the summer, briefly, expected survival time for a person to merge and water between 50 to 60 degrees, is anywhere from one to six hours. But a person will probably only stay conscious for one or two hours of that. Plenty of time to swim a mile and a quarter though, right? Well, yes, in easy conditions. But then there's the current. The current can be very strong depending on the tide,

currents in San Francisco Bay generated by the tides, they can be as strong as six knots. Now, how fast is six knots? Surprisingly, it's approximately 1,000 miles an hour. Yeah, you heard me. 1,000 miles per fucking hour. You know, many people slip into the bay and are whisked out to the open ocean

of 1,000 miles per hour, 45,000 people a year. Still to this day, they don't tell you about that in the brochures. You gotta be very fucking careful on the docs around San Francisco. It's terrifying, especially, you know, when you know that those currents lead directly to sea monsters, the Pacific Ocean just off the coast of San Francisco, as I've tried to warn people about my whole life has the highest concentration of crackings in the world. Of course that's nonsense. Imagine somebody building the city on the bay

that dangerous, that's fucking terrifying. Well there's a thousand mile per hour current takes you directly to sea monsters. That's nightmare. No, six knots is about seven miles an hour, which doesn't sound like much, but that's actually a pretty strong current. A recreational kayak paddler, according to a kayak paddling website I found, says that,

you know, they paddle about three knots, maybe four if they're terrified or racing. If you're a guy now, Katrina, as was been swimming in years, probably not going to be able to paddle a lot faster than that. And I have to follow the current for a lot longer than, you know, a little over a mile before you can reach the shore. But, you know, if you're a strong athlete, you can swim from the rock to the shore. In 2019, a 76-year-old man from Burbank, Jim Zinger, swam from Alcatraz Island to St. Francis Beach, just east of Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and under an hour and about 54 minutes. 2016, a nine-year-old

boy, James Savage, a fourth grader from Los Banyos, California, swam from the shore to Alcatraz, then swam back. Articles didn't say how long it took him, but he fucking did it. Today hundreds, you know, complete the one and a half mile swim. That's, you know, the way they do it there.

Annually during the escape from Alcatraz triathlon, you know, they wear wetsuits, but still they do it. Prior to the federal institution, opening in 1934, a teenage girl swam out to the island to prove it was possible. Fitness guru Jack Lane, once swam to the island pulling a rowboat.

So very possible to do that, to survive the cold waters and fast currents. However, for prisoners who had no control over their diet, no access to many forms of exercise other than, you know, sit up some pushups, no knowledge of high and low tide. That's the big one. Odds for success, still not great. And what about those sharks, man eating sharks, prisoners often told it's the waters of the bay were infested with sharks. And there are sharks in the bay, but historically, not a lot of man anyone's.

There is actually not a single documented case of literally anyone ever be attacked by shark anywhere fucking near Alcatraz. So lies and propaganda. In addition, the water making it hard to escape, you know, the rock guards also trained to be a little extra vigilant. Guards made a total of 13 official counts every 24 hours. In addition, shop format made an additional six verification counts daily of the 36 men who tried to escape in 14 separate escape attempts, including two who tried to escape twice, 23 recon six were shot and two drown, five went missing, best case, five men escaped. Two of the men who were caught were

later executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin for their role in the death of a correctional officer. During the infamous battle of Alcatraz escape attempt, we'll go over the timeline. Before we hop into that timeline, let's meet some of the more famous or infamous inmates. Most of the, you know, little over 1500, little under 1600 actually, prisoners incarcerated at the rock were not well-known gangsters. Just random dudes, cousin probs at other prisons. The famous guys, the names who, whose time spent on the island,

you know, went a long way to build up the Alcatraz mythos. Let's me a few of these cats. The island's most famous prisoner behind Capone anyway, probably Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz. It's meant 54 of his 73 years behind bars. And Karst raided for more than twice as long as he was free. And most of those free years, his childhood, yee, a life. Interestingly, the Birdman of Alcatraz never had a bird on the rock,

like fucking not one. Also not the grandfatherly type person up were traded by Bert Lancaster in the well-known 1962 movie Birdman of Alcatraz. Born in Seattle in 1890 ran away at the age of 13, soon made it to Alaska territory where he became a Pimp in Juneau. 1909 Stroud was convicted of manslaughter after brutally murdering a bartender who allegedly failed to pay a prostitute Stroud was pimping out and also romantically involved with. Then while serving in 12-year prison sends on McNeil Island in Washington State, another

federal prison, he viciously attacked another inmate with a knife that resulted in a transfer to 11-worth that inmate lived. There in 1916 he stabbed a guard to death in the Chowhall, convicted a first degree murder received a death sentence. His mother played it for his life in 1920 President Woodrow Wilson commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment. During his 30 years at Levinworth, almost all those years spent in solitary confinement holy shit, developed an interest in birds, which he was allowed to breed and study.

Eventually, he wrote two books about canaries in their diseases, so fucking random. Strouds Digest on the diseases of birds, published in 1943, is actually an important work in the field of ornithology. He would raise nearly 300 birds in a cell. Initially, prison officials allowed Strouds birds studies because you know, it's seen as a constructive use of his time, better use his time and say,

plan it on how he was gonna fucking stab the next guard. However, eventually contraband items found hidden in his bird cages. And prison officials discovered the equipment stride had requested for some scientific studies. We're actually used for constructing a home brew still. He's a brew-nupsome beer in there, or maybe some hard alcohol. You know, for brew-nup is his prison liquor. Stride was transferred to Alcatraz in 1942, where he'd spend the next 17 years.

Six of those years in segregation and deep lock, 11 years in the prison hospital. He wrote two books in Alcatraz, Bobby, an autobiography, and looking outward, a history of the US prison system from colonial times to the formation of the Bureau of Prisons. And that was a, yeah, a history of, you know, US prisons up until the 30s. Smart dude, also a guy diagnosed as a psychopath by a prison psychiatrist in 1943. In 1959, after suffering from kidney problems for years, transferred to the medical center for federal prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, where he died November 21st, 1963.

Now let's talk about, you know, one of Alcatraz's more famous prisoners, not a component level, but pretty famous. James Jimmy two tone regetti. Jimmy two tones. Excuse me. Jimmy two tones was a prohibition error gangster who ran the Bambino Mafia crime family in Nashville, Tennessee in 1920s and 30s born in Naples in 1895.

His family settled in Brooklyn in 1903. He was running with local small time gangs by 1908 at the age of just 13. Jimmy two tones got his nickname as a teenager. He was a big kid known for normally having a deep tougher sounding voice, you know, so he'd usually talk like, uh, I know it was you, Tony. You dropped a dime on Mickey, you finger big, Lenny, you're a stool pigeon. He screwed like a pig. Now, I mean the chopper squad ahead of put you in a Chicago,

overcoat, but if you got startled like a car. Now I mean the chopper squad, I had to put you in a Chicago overcoat. But if you got startled, like a car backfired, his voice would suddenly kick up into a much higher, much less intimidating tone. Yeah, you're gonna join me. If you don't, you know what I'm scammed to me, you're working. You see what I mean? There was like the one tougher tone getting to the struggle bunny, Vinnie, you're big cat, mall squawked. Now we're gonna, we're gonna put you in a, we knew you put Fat Johnny in bracelets. And then there'd be the other,

less intimidating tone. Ah, don't stick it up like a sneaky pin now. That's what the butt meant. One of these three thumbs goons. And that's how James Regatta became, you know, Jimmy two tones. JK, gosh dang. Jimmy two tones never spent time in Alcatraz

because he never existed. That was just some weird shit to amuse myself with. I wish he fucking did, so that'd be a funny origin story for a probationary gangsters nickname, you know? No, Alcatraz is most famous prisoner Al Capone scar face cooler nickname than two tones. Featured a bit on episode 22 of the suck way back in February 13, 2017 Al Capone's Valentine day massacre. Capone is still the most famous of the rocks residents. In a memoir written by Warden James Johnson, actually I think it is Johnston. I keep wanting to keep going back to Fourth of the T. He reminisced about the intensity

of public interest around Capone's imprisonment. Stating there was continually barrage with questions about big out. The after-day early Capone sentence, newspapers and press flooded his office with phone calls wanting to know everything from how Capone liked the weather on the rock to what job assignment he was currently holding before arriving in Alcatraz. Capone had been a master of manipulating the environment around him in prison at the like at the federal penitentiary in Atlanta. In Atlanta, he convinced many of the guards to essentially work for him like he'd done previously

during the Cook County, at the Cook County Jail. His cell boasts the expensive furnishings, which included personal bedding, along with a lot of other amenities, not extended to other inmates. His cell had carpet. Before other prisoners would be allowed to have one as well, yet a radio, he had the guard would sit in there, listen to his favorite radio shows.

Some of his friends and family stayed at a hotel nearby and they'd come by and visit him every single day. He'd be flooded with visitors. Reminds me a bit of the prison situation that drug lords like Pablo Escobar and Joaquin El Chapo Guzman had at different points. Capone was a drug lord too, you know, prohibition era alcohol instead of cocaine, like Pablo and El Chapo. So much money for bribes. By 1924 a decade before getting shipped to Alcatraz, Capone had his hand in various rackets, including prostitution rings, boot legging, gambling houses, believed to bear earning over a hundred thousand a week, which is one point six million in today's dollar per week.

A cool 83 million dollars a year. It wasn't paying taxes on it. So yeah, it gives him a lot of bribe money. Need to suck him properly someday. His biography is fascinating. Alfonz Gabriel Capone, born January 27th, 1899 in Brooklyn to working class parents who had immigrated to America from Naples. Smart big strong brutal kid who stopped going to Catholic school the age of 14 despite

being a promising student after he hit a nun who had hit him. So he didn't exactly stop going to school. He was kicked the fuck out for smackin' a nun. Big Al never stood for any disrespect. At least not before, you know, you went to the rock. Alcatraz inmate number two ninety three Brian Conway's to be believed. Well, he he lost his intimidation abilities once he was on Alcatraz Island. Before leaving school, Capone and Cautie I have neighborhood gangster Johnitorio. John

in two tone story. No, just Johnitorio, who was running the local numbers in gambling operation. Lucky Luciano, another notorious prohibition area gangster also ran with torio torio left brooklyn for chicago nineteen oh nine compomas is ten but wouldn't forget him seventeen years older than componed torio would bounce back and forth in brooklyn chicago for many years

out of school uh... couple became involved with several small time gangs in the area like the junior forty thieves the bowlery boys the brooklyn r, and then eventually the powerful five points gang based in lower Manhattan. With them, he'd get his Scarface nickname. 1917 when Capone is 18, Torio introduces him to fellow gangster Frankie Yale, who uses

Capone as a bartender and balancer on Coney Island at the Harvard Inn, working the doors of Tough Guy one night. He says something indecent to a woman at the bar, supposedly, honey, you, you got a nice ass. And I mean that as a compliment. Believe me. And her brother, another gangster, John in two tones. Uh, no, Frank Galuchio took enough offense to slashing across the face three times with a pocket knife. After that, he got the nickname Scarface. And nickname apparently he hated. And uh, Frank sounds like a real tough mother fucker. Capone never avenged the slashing. Frank had mob ties and was protected. He was a made man.

And instead, he would later hire Frank as his own bodyguard. And a few pictures I've found in this dude online. Frank is fucking terrifying looking. Very dead in the eyes. Just looks formidable. Around 1920, at Torio's invitation, Capone Jones, Torio in Chicago or Johnny,

had become an influential lieutenant in the Colossi Mo, Mafia family, working for Big Jim, Big Jim Colossi Mo, aka Diamond Jim. You got kids to ring, it's Diamond Jim's ring. He built a criminal empire in Chicago on prostitution, gambling and racketeering. Prohibition began in 1920 and there was a lot of new money to be made, selling booze, illegal brewing, distilling, distribution of beer and liquor. You know, viewed as growth industries by Johnny Torio. We're going to send enforcer for big gym.

He tells big gym, we got to move in on this alcohol. Come on, big gym, we got to, we got to make this alcohol money. And you know, big gym's like, ah, that's not what Diamond Gym does. Diamond Gym likes the girls, not the booze. There's a few months later on his way to a meeting with Torio, big gym gets whacked, gunned down by unknown assailant, by unknown assailant, excuse me, a lot of people think it was Capone. And then Torio called to hit.

Now, Torio put in charge of Chicago's mob enterprises. Oppones is right hand man. One of the managers of popular mafia ran nightclub for a walk called the Ford Duces. Let's go out of the Ford Duces. Now, see scoff face. Torio and Capone quickly expand their enterprises, develop interest in legitimate businesses,

cleaning and dine. It'll land to that money somewhere. A Torio and Capone quickly expand their enterprises, develop interest in legitimate businesses, cleaning and dying. It'll launder that money somewhere. They cultivate influence with a variety of receptive public officials, labor unions, employees associations, a lot of bribe money going, getting tossed around. And then in 1925, after Torio gets shot up in an assassination attempt and barely lives, he's done being a target as a crime syndicate leader. He's semi-retired to Brooklyn, hands the keys to the castle over to Capone.

Over the next few years, Capone builds a fearsome reputation in the ruthless Chicago gang rivalries of the period, struggling to acquire, dominate, you know, racketeering rights to several areas of Chicago. Various rival gangs are eliminated or nullified in the suburb of Cicero, actually soon becomes basically a little fiefdom for the Capone mob. Unlike most gangsters who hidden the shadows Capone, very public. They can daily trips to Chicago City Hall, open up soup kitchens to feed the poor lobbying for milk bottle dating to ensure the safety of the city's children.

I'm a nice guy. City officials often embarrassed by the political strength of Capone early on the public glamorized Capone's activities. They saw him kind of as a modern day robin hood, but then he's got a bit too bloody for the public's taste. Public sentiment started to turn against him when it was believed that he ordered the death of famed local prosecutor Billy McSwiggan. The young prosecutor never tried to pin Capone.

Oh, I'm sorry, the young prosecutor had before had tried to pin Capone with the violent murder of a rival gang member. He had a reputation for going after bootleggers in 1926. McSwiggen, two of his friends, gunned down with machine gunfire as he walked to a park car. Capone quickly goes into hiding, fearing he's going to be tried for McSwiggen's murder. The public assumes he did it. He remains at a site for nearly three months.

Then realizing he can't live the rest of his life underground. He negotiates his surrender to the Chicago police. They think he did it, but they don't have enough evidence and they have to let him go and the public is outraged. Big, I would become the most powerful crimes aren't Chicago's history. Seem like he was above the law. Rumors abounded that many of Chicago's police officers, judges, other people, prosecutors on his payroll, more powerful than the mayor himself.

By 1929, his empire estimated to be worth over $62 million. Also in 1929 he wages war and his most prominent bootlegging rival George Bugs Moran working with Johnny two tons were getting. No, Bugs was also Chicago's principal gangsters. He was known to publicly speak out against Capone, maintain a sense of spiteful arrogance that was said to anger Capone so much Moran became one of Alice routine topics and discussion. He was in his head. They had to go down the hill and they had to go down the hill and they had to go down the hill and they had to go down the hill and they had to go down the hill and they had to go down the hill and they had to go down the hill and they had to go down the hill and they had to go down the hill and they had to go down the hill and they had to go down the hill

and they had to go down the hill and they had to go down the hill and they had to go down Capone, now he starts splitting time between Chicago and Florida, living lavishly in Palm Beach. And then he's believed to have assigned a 1929, one of his top associates, machine gun McGurne. Nice. The mastermind to hit. McGurne had one of his bootleggers, lure members of the Moran gang into a garage to buy liquor at an unreasonably cheap price. The deal is made, delivery is scheduled to take place on Valentine's Day, McGurne is

man-to-wait await them installing police uniforms when they arrive. Maggerns gang pretends to be a police making a bust order all of Moran's men to stand facing the wall. Think they just got caught by the police seven members of the Moran gang turn to the wall, a way to rest, and the Maggernas men open fire with machine guns. Just fucking mow them down. Bugs who saw the police car before stopping and thought it was a raid. He fled the scene, lives.

Capone would actually never kill Bugs. Capone was credited with what would be deemed the most famous mass murder in American history at that time to St. Valentine's Day massacre. St. Valentine's Day massacre receives national attention. Capone is glamorized in books, newspapers across the country or trade as a high class family oriented self-made gangster millionaire who would show no mercy to rival gangsters, but would never heard the general public. Now he has the attention of everybody, including law enforcement nationwide. The extra publicity backfires attracts the attention of President Herbert Hoover.

Having just started his presidential term, he demands Capone be brought to justice. Andrew Mellon, secretary of the treasury, pressured by Hoover to spearhead the government's battle against Capone. Mellon begins collecting as much evidence as he can against big Al, but it's hard trying to bring to public attention is gang affiliations, bootlegging, prostitution rings, flagrant evasion of taxes. Despite all the attention, it would take almost five years in an intense undercover operation before Capone was finally put away in a lengthy prison sentence.

After the Valentine's Day mask, he really pissed off FBI, we're already investigating him. Investigating him, they call him into testify. When he's reluctant to appear before federal grand jury on March 12, 1929, in response to a subpoena, subpoena, they prioritize taking him down. They can't get him on racketeering charges. So they start hitting him with just whatever they can get to stick with his attorneys or when his attorneys say he's too sick to travel to Chicago for that questioning, Bureau agents obtained statements to the effect that Capone had recently been at the race tracks. Miami made a plane trip to Bermini, a cruise to NASA appeared on good health or appeared to be in good health on those occasions.

They get him for contempt of court and offense for which the penalty could be a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. He post $5,000 bond. He's released. Then May 17th, 1929, Capone in in his bodyguard, arrested in Philadelphia for carrying concealed deadly weapons. I was trying to bust him for anything. Within 16 hours, he sends to, you know, a year in jail. He serves this time in luxury. Cook County Jail released nine months later for good behavior. March 17, 1930, then February 28, 1931. He's found guilty in federal

court on the contempt of court charge and sends the six months in Cook County jail. So he goes there, sorry, the previous one was Philly, now he's in Cook County jail. Now while in jail, the US Treasury Department is developing evidence on tax evasion charges. And on June 16th, 1931, they get him on tax evasion and prohibition charges. He boasts to the press, they'd struck a deal, was only going to get two and a half years, but he fucked up. And the presiding judge informed him that the judge was not bound by the deal. Componed then changes, completed not guilty. And then October 18th, 1931, he's convicted. November 24th sentenced to 11 years in federal prison. They'll take them all these years,

if there's just how many of them are basically like, you know, the federal government's criminal priority and all they can get on him is tax evasion. That's the best of feds could stick on him. And that puts him into the federal prison system, send it to Atlanta in 1932 on May 4th. He's initially given unlimited access to the warden, was said to maintain large reserves of cash hidden in his cell so we could generously tip guards who would assist him by yielding the special requests. This is nicest way I've ever heard a bribe describe.

No, I'm not bribe with you. Come on. Get out of here. I'm just, I'm tipping you. Well, I can't get a tip anymore. Staying at Lanna, pretty cushy. Like I went over earlier, the feds don't care for that. So in 1934, attorney general, Homer Cummings, along with Sanford Bates, the head of federal prisons, they make arrangements to send him to Alcatraz. Basically, they made up a bullshit claim that they heard he was trying to break out, which apparently he was not. And they do that to send him to Alcatraz. Basically, they made up a bullshit claim that they heard he was trying to break out, which apparently he was not, and they do that to send him to Alcatraz. On August of 34, with no formal notice, he's put on a railroad car with 52 other inmates

and shipped to America's devil island. The original devil's island, I said I talked about a little bit, sounds a lot worse than Alcatraz. This place, we'll have to properly suck it someday. Little bigger, 35 acres instead of 22 and a half, located nine miles, 14 kilometers out the coast of French Guyana in South America. When it first opened as a prison in 1852,

it just quickly became a dumping ground for anyone emperor Napoleon III wanted to get out of France. And he's not that Napoleon, by the way, Napoleon's nephew. Besides political prisoners, Devils Island became a home to hardened criminals, fostered a community of 80,000 murderers, thieves and other hardened criminals that had to speak. Man, way more prisoners, not to dress. And it quickly became notorious for hellish conditions.

Pristers were detained in dark cells, forbidden to talk, smoke, read, even sit before nightfall. They were locked up alone in tiny cells with openings in the ceilings. Gards could keep a close eye in them from a raised footbridge above them. Hot, humid, dreadful living conditions. One in three inmates center would die from disease, hunger or violence. 1938, the French government stopped sending prisoners to Devil's Island.

1953, the prison system there closed entirely. And again, we'll have to suck that hellhole. That makes Alcatraz look like a fucking time sure condo someday. Back to Alcatraz now, Capone's rival in 1934 when he first shows up, Capone immediately tries to manipulate the system like he'd done in Atlanta. Warden Johnson, it is Johnston with a T had a custom of meeting the new fish when they first arrived at Alcatraz, usually participated in their brief orientation. Johnson wrote in a later memoir, he had little trouble recognizing Capone.

He saw him grinning, making smug comments out the side of his mouth to other inmates as he comes in. When he became his turn to approach Warden Johnson, it appeared he wanted to show off to the other inmates, asking questions on their behalf and a leader type role. Johnson not having it, he quickly hands him his prison, ignore all his questions, orders him to get back in line with the other convicts.

Capone wouldn't lead shit on the rock. And along with syphilis, being stripped of power appeared to break him. During Capone's time on Alcatraz, he made several attempts to con Johnson into allowing him a special privileges to try and give him money. All were denied. Johnson maintained the Capone would never be given special treatments and would just follow the rules like any other inmate. Capone eventually conceded one day apparently commented to Johnson, looks like Alcatraz has

got me licked. He spent four and a half years in Alcatraz held a variety of jobs there. It's time they're not easy. He got into a fight with another inmate in the wreck yard, placed an isolation for eight days early on. We'll work in the prison basement a little bit later. Another inmate fucking stabbed him with a pair of shears. He was put in the prison hospital released a few days later with a little bit later. Another inmate, fucking stabbed him with a pair of shears. He was put in the prison hospital,

released a few days later with a minor wound. A wound eventually became symptomatic with syphilis, as we went over. In 1938 he was transferred to Terminal Island Prison in Southern California to serve out the remainder of a sentence, released in November of 1939. Anyone to Florida to live out the rest of his days where it was said his mental state

had deteriorated to that of a 12 year old child. He died January 25th, 1947, and his palm island mansion from complications of syphilis. Next up, George machine gun Kelly, one of the most famous gangsters from the prohibition era, one of the highest profile criminals ever be locked up in Alcatraz. Also arguably tougher than current emo and hip hop artist, Colson Baker, aka machinegun Kelly as well. Like a lot of his music, I think super talented, kudos to his success for real, but his tough guy persona fucking cracks me up.

Come on. He looks like he weighs about 30 pounds. He looks like his arm would break if he shook his hand too hard, like he would legitimately have a hard time punching his way out of a paperback. Uh, today's machine gun was born George Kelly Barnes July 18 to 1895 to a wealthy family living in Memphis, Tennessee. Kelly's early years as a child essentially uneventful. His family raised him in a traditional household. I like a pretty good household. His parents didn't be college. He enrolled Mississippi State University

to study agriculture in 1917. Wasn't the best student. Highest grade was the C plus and basically PE. He was awarded for good physical hygiene. Wasn't a noted troublemaker either. I mean, you've got in trouble with faculty. Spent much of his academic career attempting to work off some demerits, but not that bad of a bad boy. But then he met a girl, Geneva Ramsey. Kelly quickly fell in love, made the abrupt decision to quit school,

get married and start fucking. He'd father two children with Geneva over the next few years without much of a plan for how to take care of his family. Make ends meet, you took a job as a cab driver in Memphis, work at long hours, not making a lot of money. Him and Geneva's struggling. Kelly leaves his job with a cab company to try and make money somewhere else, pursues other avenues, which all are dead ends.

Just 19, he finds himself without steady work, separates from his wife for a bit, takes up work as a small time gangster. It's a bootleger. He just 19. He finds himself without steady work separates from his wife for a bit. Takes up works the small time gangster as a bootlegger. And what do you know? Sometimes crime pays begins to enjoy the financial rewards of his new trade along with his growing notoriety, but Geneva doesn't care for it. You don't want to be poor.

Also, did not want to be married to a gangster. I'd be arrested on several occasions for illegal trafficking. Geneva leaves Kelly or maybe Kelly, you know, leaves Geneva. And he decides to leave Memphis with his new girlfriend and head west. He adopts the alias of George R Kelly to help preserve the respect and name of his obtaining family back home. By 1927, Kelly's the season gangster having weathered several arrests served various GL sentences. 1928, he's caught smugged and liquor into a reservation in the sense of three years and 11 worth. When he gets out, he makes it Oklahoma City where he hooks up with a small time bootlegger named Steve named Steve Anderson. And he falls in love with Anderson's sexy mistress, Catherine Thorn, a seasoned criminal herself.

Thorn came from a family of outlaws and arrested for various charges ranging from robbery to prostitution. Thorn was twice divorced her second husband had been bit of bootlegger, who would later been found shot to death under very suspicious circumstances. A lot of historians think that Thorn either shot him or hired someone else to up until his relationship with Thorn. Kelly had been a relatively small time criminal. Catherine's influence would help change that and he eventually would become the FBI's public enemy number one actually became the first FBI public enemy number one.

And became then later the first one caught in 1933. Here's what led to all that Catherine purchased a machine gun for Kelly like a good girlfriend does Oh actually was after they're married and then pressured her husband to practice with it She didn't fuck around a lot of Lucifer in her She marketed Kelly to her underground contacts then as a bad mother fucker not to be trifled with She was known to take spent machine gun cartridges, pass them around to acquaintances at some underground drinking clubs,

introducing them as souvenirs from her husband, machine gun Kelly. She loved a bad boy. She was like a gangster's agent. To many, it was Catherine that started the entire machine gun Kelly persona. Investigators believe she was the big brain behind of all the successful bank robberies.

They would pull off in Texas and Mississippi, starting in Minnesota. They went on a little bank rob in spray before hitting Texas, Mississippi. They also hit like Washington, Iowa, elsewhere. August of 1933, the FBI publishes wanted posters describing Kelly as an expert machine gunner. And they create a public frenzy that will later place Kelly into the history books. So before the FBI's posters are put out in July of 1933, Catherine and they create a public frenzy that will later place Kelly into the history books. So before the FBI's posters are put out in July of 1933, Catherine and Kelly plot a scheme

to kidnap wealthy oil tycoon and businessman Charles Urschel Kelly Karen is trademark Tommy gun two other men carrying pistols and Urschel's mansion Oklahoma city. The Urschel's playing a game of bridge with some friends and Kelly never storm in threatening to blow everyone's head off. Urschel's taken into hiding on a rural ranch in Texas and the Kelly gang makes demands for a $200,000 ransom. Urshals family friend E. E. Cropactric makes drops made drop arrangements. Delivers the ransom in denominations of $20 bills delivered to the Lassal hotel in Kansas

city, July 30th ending an eight day or deal the following day. Urshals is released in their Norman, Oklahoma. Kazoo walks into a restaurant and calls for a cab. Helly had done it. Pulled off the ransom. Also, he had left a trail for investigators to follow right back to him. Urshal was sharp and though blindfolded throughout your deal, he made sure his fingerprints were spread out everywhere,

counted his footsteps to various areas when blindfolded. Audible sounds of his surroundings were mentally catalogued and they gave all that info to the FBI's investigation. Nice. I just put in the ransom money with their accomplices. Cancer and a machine gun start a state hoppin' try to stay two steps ahead of law officials. From the several clues that Urschel was able to provide the FBI quickly tracks down when a Kelly's conspirators, the bills that had been used for a payment that ransom had traceable serial records in the center bureau of investigation now.

The FBI started a nationwide search for machine gun Kelly and all the papers. George and Catherine keep bouncing around in different states. Chicago's their main hub that you coming back there. They die their hair. They enjoy a lavish lifestyle for a few weeks. And then the couple when they're in Memphis, staying with a longtime friend, John Tishner on the morning of September 26, 1933, Memphis police, along with FBI agents, raid the Tinscher House.

Kelly yells out, G-Man, please don't shoot, an agent's Russian news bedroom. He's found badly hung over from party than I before, still in his pajamas, Catherine still asleep when agents rush in or pass out. A couple quickly flown to Oklahoma where they stand trial, both received life sentences. Eventually, all the accomplices are apprehended. And six of them also get life sentences. Damn. Kelly transferred to 11 worth in Kansas.

Catherine transferred to a federal president in Cincinnati. Kelly dumb enough to brag to the press. He's going to fucking get out by Christmas. He's going to break his wife out and then his cocky ass to send Alcatraz. In August 1934 Kelly along with two of his accomplices Albert Bates and Harvey Bailey transferred from Levinworth by trained Alcatraz. Dumb move. Maybe don't tell everyone you're gonna break out if you actually plan on breaking out.

Arriving on September 4th, 1934, they'd be among the first groups of the islands prisoners. Kelly would become inmate 117. And Alcatraz, Kelly became known as a guy who was pretty full of shit. They'd be among the first groups of the islands prisoners. Kelly would become inmate 117. And Alcatraz, Kelly became known as a guy who was pretty full of shit. Apparently, he liked to brag about robberies and murders that he didn't commit. Although this was an apparent point of frustration for several fellow prisoners, Warden Johnson, considered him a model inmate. He talked a lot of shit, but he followed the rules.

Kelly's life at Alcatraz pretty uneventfully. Took a job as an alter boy in the prison chapel, worked in a laundry, held an administrative role in the industry's office for a long period of time, and generally served out of time pretty quietly. He seemed to feel remorse for his crimes, always felt that his wife, Catherine and the accomplices were treated too harshly given those life sentences. Kelly was returned to 11 worth 1951, died of a heart attack July 18thth 1954 on his 59th birthday. His wife, co-conspirator, Catherine Kelly, previously Catherine Thorne released from a prison

a few years later for good behavior in 1958, took a job at an Oklahoma hospital as a bookkeeper. Despite her husband's violent nickname, machine gun Kelly never actually thought to have killed anybody. And interesting footnote to this story, Charles Urschel, the guy Kelly and Catherine abducted and held for ransom, he would anonymously fund the college education of Catherine's daughter, Pauline. That wouldn't become public knowledge until 2003, 33 years after Urschel's death, when

a book came out called Machine Gun Kelly's Last Stand. Okay, one more famous Alcatraz residents talk about. This guy actually fascinated me the most. Jimmy Tutones, Reggetti, come on. Sometimes you talk like this. You gonna beef with me? You gonna bring that bean shooter? You think you can blow one down a Bruno like me?

And sometimes you talk like this. Oh, when you're able to back up a tent, I thought I heard you got the light, he's got the element. Classic Jimmy Tutones. That's nonsense, you know what Jimmy now? No, the dude who fascinating me the most was Roy G Gardner born on January 5th, 1884. Largely forgotten now.

I fucking love this. I was talking to Kair about this. I want to drive him to school this morning. He grew up to grow up to be America's most infamous prison escapee. And for a time, the most celebrated outlaw escaped convict during the roaring 20s, known as the last great American train robber. During his criminal career, he stole over hundred fifty thousand dollars in cash and securities once had a five thousand dollar reward put on his head three separate times less than a

year. It's the most dangerous inmate in the history of Atlanta prison dubbed by newspapers across the west with names like the smiling bandit the male train bandit and king of the escape artists. One of the most notorious offenders of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, one of the most notorious inmates of Alcatraz, one of the most ruthless criminals in all of American history. He was the most wanted criminal in America 1921, now largely forgotten. Why?

Well, he was active during an era, not really celebrated for famous criminals. He was just a little early. He never lived as a outlaw on the Western frontier either, right? A little bit late. He was like in between Western out He never lived as an outlaw on the Western frontier either, right? A little bit late. He was like in between Western outlaws and depressionary gangsters. Roy Gardner was also alone bandit, never in a famous gang. Born in Trenton, Missouri, one time world's largest producer of Vienna sausages. I think he's been thinking about those little smokies again, not even kidding.

Back when the little town was around, you know, of around 6,000 now, had less than 1,000 people in it. Back in Trenton's early days, raising Colorado Springs of around 6,000 now, had less than 1,000 people in it. Back in Trenton's early days, Raising Colorado Springs, Colorado, a city that, to my knowledge, has never produced any Vienna sausages, so how cool could it be? Actually, I've heard it's pretty cool. Roy Hansom, Charming Real Ladies Man, just under six feet tall, short curly, oburn hair, blue eyes, spent his early manhood years as a drifter in the Southwest, learning the trades of fairier due to trims and, you know, she was horses hooves and as a minor.

Supposed to join the US Army on the age of 19 or 20 to escape the dangerous world of petty crime and the mining business then deserted 1906, drifted down to Mexico. He began his true criminal profession as a gun runner during the Mexican Revolution, smuggled and traded arms and ammo to Venus Tus Tiano carons his forces until he was captured by soldiers from a victoriano where does army and we send the death by firing squad. But he escaped the first of many many times March 29th 1909 the 25 year old tough guy breaks out of a Mexican jail Mexico city jail, along with three other American prisoners with a daring attack on the soldiers slash guards, makes it back to the U.S. becomes a prize fighter in the American Southwest.

Good enough that a bear buck is a bear knuckle boxer that became the sparring partner for heavyweight champion J.J. Jeffries. Jeffries takes him to his training camp in Northern California. Somebody write this dude's fucking screenplay already. Handsome, charismatic, becomes a drifter, joins the army, deserts, runs guns for Mexican revolutionaries, overpowers guards to escape a firing squad. Mexico City becomes a bare-knuckle boxer, right? And we're just getting started.

The dude was a fucking walking can of whipple. Gardner's boxing took him to San Francisco, where he got really into gambling, unfortunately better at boxing than poker. And he drank and gambled all of his boxing money away. To get more money for gambling, he robs jewelry store and market street. He's arrested, spends a little time in San Quentin, where he is then paroled for saving a guard's life during a violent riot, put it in the movie. Next lens of job is a welder at Mayor Island Navy Yard.

It's married, father's a daughter, opens his own welding company, doing great, but then gambling calls. Gambling's all of his welding money away during a business trip in Tijuana at the horse track. Fuckin' love this guy, he's a fuckin' wreck by the, the dude was an adrenaline junkie. This could not live a quiet steady life.

On the night of April 16th, 1920, outside of San Diego, the now 36 year old gardener, right, he wants more, more gambling money, Bob's US mail truck takes about $80,000 in cash and securities. He pulls it off, but then gets caught three days later, he's spotted trying to bury his loot.

Now he's sentenced to 25 years in McNeil Island, Federal Penitentiary for arm robbery. Publicly vows, tells the papers he wants to never serve the sentence. And he won't, this is so fucking great. On June 5th, 1920 the papers he was never served the sentence. And he won't. This is so fucking great. On June 5th, 1920, as he's being transported to prison to train with two deputy US marshals, Kavanaugh and Hague.

Somewhere outside of Portland, Oregon, he appears out of window and simply yells, look at that deer! And they fucking fall for it. Both marshals look. And then Karnagrab's marshall Hague's gun from his holster disarms Marshall Kavanaugh at gunpoint handcuffs the two humiliated Laman together Takes 200 bucks off him jumps off of the fucking train and makes his way to Canada Holy shit and yeah

And now because it naturally popped up into my head every time I looked into this dude's story I'd like to play a little bit of this from the duke's of hazard. Let's just a little bit more. Gardner was an OG duke of hazard. The very next year Gardner slips back into the state, starts Robin Banks and mail trains. May 19, 19th 21 gardeners back in California ties up mail clerk, uh, the mail clerk to train number 10 Eastbound from the Sacramento Rob is the express car of $187,000. That's just under $3 million in today's money. The next morning gardener holds up another train because fuck it.

Why not? Train number 20 tells the engineer to throw up his hands or blows fucking head off when the train reaches the overland limited in Roseville, California, the loose abandoned races down those tracks with an armful of his loot. Someone recognizes him as Roy Gardner, the notorious outlaw with a $5,000 reward in his head. And a little bit later while he's standing at the Porter House hotel, a convoy of police arrived and arrest Gardner while he's playing a game of poker. Fucking gambling.

He loved it. He loved the rush. Now he gets sent to another 25 years in McTill McNeill Island for, you know, more on robbery. Trying to reduce his sentence, he tells Southern Pacific Railroad detectives he'll lead him to the spot where he buried the $187,000. He'll give the money back. Officers find nothing and then Gardner announces, I guess I forgot, I bear that money.

Clearly he was just hoping he could figure out an escape while he was leading them in fucking nowhere. Transported again to McNeil Island, this time he's heavily shackled. They add an Oregon boot to him. The Oregon boot consisted of a heavy iron or lead band that locked around his ankle. To the band was bolted a heavy iron support strap that attached the heel of a heavy boot. This whole contraption weighed about 30 pounds. It was just put on one leg to throw off his balance, you know, to keep him off balance

all the time. He shackled. He has this fucking Oregon boot on. He's again on a train headed to McNeil Island. This time guarded by two other US marshals, Mohal and Wrinkle, two fast shooting veterans. During the journey, he asked to use the bathroom in which he had earlier fucking bribed somebody to hide a 32 caliber pistol form and they did that. Comes out of the bathroom with his pistol, points to gun at Mulhall, orders another prisoner

to handcuff him and the other marshal to their seats which they fucking do. He fucking escapes again. Oh my god. What the fuck? He relieves the officers of their weapons and cash, takes off his shackles that Oregon boot, then hops onto another moving train, like this is a movie, right? Outside Castle Rock, Washington, this movie writes itself, largest man hunt, Pacific Coast history now begins.

Another $5,000, what I said. The event she shows up in Centrelia, Washington, he tries to hide his identity by plaster his face with bandages leaving just one eye, kind of, you know, a little slit for it open, tells Yoxford staff hotel and he checks any, you know, he burned himself pretty bad and near Tacoma. For pride or girtroot, howl local officer, Lewis sunny, they become suspicious of the bandage mystery man. And then when howl finds a firearm in gardeners hotel room, uh, accuses him of being a smiling bandit. Gardener fights back, but it's overpowered by multiple

men. Pile into the room gets arrested. Once in handcuffs, the doctor removes the bandages, like a fucking Scooby Doo movie reveals like, ha ha, the notorious train robber sends to another 25 years. Heavily ironed again, finally actually makes it to McNeil Island. They bring him there. Six weeks into his sense. He convinces two unlikeable prisoners, lawardess Bogart, Everett Impin, that he's paid off the guards in the towers. Should they want to escape? Labor Day September 5th, 1921, at a prison baseball game, Gardner tells these two other dudes

who think the people won't shoot at him now. During the fifth inning, when someone hits a fly ball in the center field, as the guards in the tower, you know, have their eyes on the ball and the runners. Gardener, Bogart and Infant run 300 yards to a tall barbed wire fence where Gardener has fucking cut a hole somehow. And the three men make it to the pasture on the other side, bullets, fucking whizzing past their heads, but then Gardener gets shot in the leg, but then limps into the woods. Bogart gets shot at the same moment, badly wounded,

and then Imping gets shot dead. Supposedly his dying words were, Gardner told us those fellows in the towers couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Bogart later said that Gardner tricked them and used them as decoys to better his chances of escape, which he fucking did again. Gardner's got the beaches confiscated everybody in the shoreline no trace of the dangerous outlaw What the fuck Just just boat loot duken it on out of there

Making out chopper looks like the average chump with all these crazy ass escapes Uh, making out chopper. Looks like the average chump with all these crazy ass escapes. Uh, average escape, uh, after escaping this crafty son of a bitch hides in the prison barn for a bit, drinks some cow's milk, swims a choppy water, snarled by a fox island where he eats some fucking fruit in the orchards to power up and then he's off to Oregon. I'm telling Kair about this and he's like, he's like, it's like red dead redemption. It's like he was a fucking video game character and he's had to go power up with some milk and he gets more health points with fruit fruit milk and then he's fine.

Just he heals his bullet wound. Then this maniac, Tom Marshall's in detectives. He sends a letter to a Seattle newspaper saying, come on and get me. Come on and get me. He's now America's most wanted man makes all the way down to Arizona where he commits several more robberies before being captured by a male clerk during a train robbery in Phoenix in the fall of 1921. Man, he had a busy ass 1921. He sends to another 25 years like he gives a fuck at this point.

Sent to 11 worth. Headline scream gangster, gardener, brags, 11 worth, 11 worth will never hold me. It does, but still he caused enough problems to get transferred. Gardener now known as the King of Escape artist transferred to Atlanta, federal prison known as the toughest prison in the country in 1925 1926 he tries to tunnel under the wall He's sold to the bars at the shoe shop against cobblet times Following year he leads a prison break and an attempted escape with two revolvers He holds a captain in two guards hostage, but he fails again. They put him in solitary confinement for 20 straight months

After that long of a stretch in the hole, he's a little unhinged. And he's transferred again to a psychiatric hospital in Washington DC to get his brain unscramble. Then it's back to Atlanta. 1929, the warden describes Gardner as the most dangerous inmate in the history of Atlanta prison. That year begins a hunger strike.

He protests prison food. He fucking threatened suicide. He's transferred to Levenworth again in 1930, causes more problems. 1934, he's transferred to Alcatraz. One of the first hard and criminals during the prison's hardest years. He would describe Alcatraz as the toughest, hardest place in the world. In Alcatraz, his wife finally divorced them tired of all his shenanigans. He works and supervises at the match shop. Let's fellow inmate Ralph Rowe. It's rumored that they

planned an escape, which Rowe would achieve with Ted Columns December of 1937, but Rowe then disappeared in the turbulent waters of San Francisco Bay, presumed to have drowned. Then after all that, after all these escape attempts and robberies and numerous 25-year sentences, he gets released on June 17, 1938. He applied for clemency and the governor gave it to him, unreal. He quickly, his first year out of prison, publishes an autobiography called Hellcatress. Interesting book that contains descriptions of his inner-seen life and, you know, stories about Capone, machine gun Kelly, others.

Gardner writes much of the manuscript or wrote it while he was in prison Alcatress. He sells this book then at a booth at the Golden Gate International Expo. It's San Francisco's treasure island 1939. this book then at a booth at the Golden Gate International Expo. The San Francisco's treasure island in 1939. A 1939 movie called I Stole a Billion based on his life. The movie's a failure. Gardener's life inspires into destitution. He can't control his gambling. On January 10th, 1940, please find the one-time most wanted gangster in Western outlaw,

dead at 56 by suicide from cyanide fumes and tear gas at the hotel governor in San Francisco. It makes it harder for a new movie to be made. That ending. I don't have to leave that part out. Maybe replace it with him pulling off one more bank heist. Come on. This is driving the general Lee over fucking river or something. Garner meticulously noted his final wishes in a heartfelt plea, not to mention the name

of his daughter in an effort to give her a fresh start, break the negative connotations. You believe we continue to follow her after his death. United Press public publicized details of his tragic death, writing the last of the train robbers, a 20th century Jesse James, who cashed in on his chips with neatness and dispatch with malice towards no one and the hope of forgiveness of the heart. All right, well, that quote makes this ending a little bit less sad now. So crazy he was able to escape so many times, but he never escaped from Alcatraz. Now after all that, let's learn a little more about the prison's history and dig in further

with some escape attempts in today's time suck timeline. Shrap on those boots, soldier. We're marching down a time suck timeline. It was known as a place to be avoided by Native Americans who believed he contained evil spirits. These Americans called the Olone, me walk word meaning Western people often utilize the island the same way it would be used later by the US as a place of isolation or banishment for members violating tribal laws Island was destined to be an infamous prison despite the legends of evil spirits Alcatraz also used by tribes sometimes as an area for gathering food, especially bird eggs and sea life. Took a bit for European explorers to find Alcatraz Island.

It's unique position leaves it hidden inside the entrance to the bay from a distance. It appears to be part of the coastline. And that plus natural fog, let it to, you know, not being discovered for many years. Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who led the first European expedition that explored what is now the west coast of the US in 1542 and 1543 passed right on by. 1579 English explorer Sir Francis Drake fails to notice it. Portuguese explorer Sebastian Rodriguez Sermio, who indirectly named San Francisco, even though he also failed to find the bay, went right by it in either 1595 or 1596. Finally, Spanish explorer, Guaspar de Portola, who sailed to California to establish colonies discovered the Bay on Halloween of 1769, incorrectly identified it as the Bay

that Sermillo had named San Francisco, which is how its name came to be. St. Francis, first Europeans to visit Alcatraz Island with the Spanish when they showed up in 1769, not long after another Spanish explorer won manual. They are a yala set out to chart and explore San Francisco Bay and on August 11, 1775 gave the island its name writing. I named this island La Isla de los Alcatrazas because of their being so plentiful there. And that's talking about pelicans. This name translates to Isle of the Pelicans. And then later shortened to just pelicans, Alcatraz. The earliest recorded private owner of the island of Alcatraz is Hulean Workman, to whom

it was given by Mexican governor, Pio PICO, and June of 1846, with the understanding that workman would build a lighthouse on it. He would not, he would sell it. In 1846, John C. Fremont would buy the island for $5,000, and then in 1848, after the end of the Mexican-American War, California along with the island come under the control of the U.S. gold discovered along the American River and the California Gold Rush begins. Not long before the US Army realizes the strategic position of the island as a defensive site for San Francisco Bay and they began the work of building a fortress atop the sandstone

outcropping in 1853. Instruction began with a temporary wharf, shops, barracks and offices incorporating the land's ruggedness into the defense plan. The laborers blast the rock, lay brick and stone to create steep walls around the island by an 1854, a lighthouse also completed an 11 cannons mounted. The first lighthouse erected on the Pacific coast. More buildings would soon be built. The first permanent armoured detachment, Garrison there, 1859, Captain Joseph Stewart, 86

men of company H, third US artillery, take command of Alcatraz. 11 soldiers arrive on the island for confinement shortly thereafter, the US government's first prisoners there during the Civil War air alcatraz used to imprison soldiers accused of desertion and other crimes. 1861, the island designated a residence for military offenders. 1863, J.M. Chapman, a Confederate privateer ship, seized its crew, arrested and imprisoned on Alcatraz. It's promised more construction on the island.

The lower prison is built. Soon other structures are added and it's on its way to become in the rock. 1895, 19 members of the Hopi tribe imprisoned on Alcatraz for resisting the policy of forced education of their children and land allotment programs that they thought were shit. Obviously very unfortunate. 1898, the Spanish-American war results in a surplus of prisoners and prison overcrowding at Alcatraz time to build more prison space.

1900, the upper prison Alcatraz's second prison built on what was called the parade ground. 1907 Alcatraz designated as the Pacific Branch U.S. military prison. It's essentially decommissioned by the Army as a fortification remains a, you know, prison. By 1908, the Army had begun a major rebuilding campaign erecting a massive concrete cellhouse. The new cellhouse Alcatraz's third prison, one that still stands today, built by the convicts themselves, is completed in prisoners move in in 1912. Alcatraz is renamed the US disciplinary barracks in 1915 for the next decade and a half houses exclusively military criminals.

Then in 1933, administration of Alcatraz transferred to the federal Bureau of Prisons and the true legend begins. While there's now open to civilian prisoners, 32 of the worst military prisoners will remain on the island in civilian custody now. The citizens of San Francisco not not overjoyed. They have a federal penitentiary near them. will remain on the island in civilian custody now. The citizens of San Francisco not overjoyed, to have a federal penitentiary near them. Throughout October 1933,

the San Francisco Chronicle lists local group after local group after group who opposes it, chief of police, William J. Quinn, the police commission, the San Francisco board of supervisors, all speak out against it. In editorial in the Chronicle, argues it alcatraz too close to the city,

professional gangers, professional gangers, professional gangsters, it said, would have outside friends nearby who could help them escape. It recounted that over the years, 17 military prisoners had successfully escaped by swimming or by stealing boats, and another six had gotten away by one ruser or another. The Federation of Women's Clubs joins the uproar of protests to prove that you could definitely escape two young women, Doris McLeod and Gloria Cicliano, make separate and successful swims out to the island, but the feds don't care. And a new prison is built. November of 1933, the attorney general selects James A. Johnston of San Francisco to be the

first warden. The guy whity punched out. The guy who didn't fuck around who still wasn't afraid of inmates though after getting punched. The guy with that heart on for total silence. And he takes office as Warden, January 2, 1934. And then on August 11th, that year, the first group of federal prisoners arrive at the island.

By June 30th, 1935, the Bureau of Prisons considers their new prison a success. They write the establishment of this institution, not only provided a secure place for the detention of the more difficult type of criminal, but has had a good effect upon discipline and our other penitentiaries also. No serious disturbance of any kind has been reported during the year, but then the very next year the escape attempts began. April 27th, 1936. We'll work in his job, burden trash at the incinerator, inmate Joe Bowers serving time for

arm robbery begins climbing up and over the chain link fence at the island's edge So it wasn't a real thought out of tempt just in full view of the guards. He's like I was fucking climb up the fence You know, they're like hey man, don't do that and he's like nah, fuck you and so they shoot him and he follows any dice so over one The next year December 16th 1937 24 year old Ted Cole 31 year old Ralph Rowe decide to give it a try do what Bowers couldn't 27, 24 year old Ted Cole, 31 year old Ralph Rowe decided to give it a try, do what Bowers couldn't. Cole, the career criminal, had been sentenced to 30 years in prison in 1936 after a failed bank robbery in Oklahoma that involved a shootout with police, also stabbed a cellmate to death in another

prison. Escape from prison before, committed some other crimes, row another career criminal from Oklahoma, serve at a 99 year sentence for robbery. They worked in the match shop in the model industry's building. Over a period of time, while working there. They filed their way through the flat iron bars of a window. Bars, they are not made out of the same toolproof steel as cell bars. After climbing to the window, they make their way down to the water's edge and disappear into San Francisco Bay. And it's believed that once the pair reached the shore, they used either old tires or oil barrels to construct a raft. This was after the sun went down. There are thought to have drowned, but their bodies were never found. Officials said the swift evtides the time

and estimated seven to nine knots would have swept even an expert swimmer out of the bay into the Pacific Ocean and into that gaggle of crackings. Maybe not the cracking part. Also said the fog was so thick, it made it impossible for someone trying to help them to find them. Nor could the swimmers know whether or not they were swimming towards shore. A lot of people believe row and call swept out to open sea. But could they have survived? Yeah, it's possible. Over the next few years, tips would come in that the FBI that the pair were spotted here or there in 1941, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the pair were living in South America. And maybe they were. Yes, and they aren't there now since both would be well over 100 years old.

America and maybe they were. Guess in the aren't there now since both would be well over 100 years old. There would be of course more escape attempts. So those two guys might have gotten away. There's a better one coming up later, but those two guys also might have gotten away. May 23rd, 1938, escape attempt number three. All that work in the woodworking shop in the model industry is building. Inemaged James Limerick, Jimmy Lucas, Rufus Franklin, attack unarmed correctional officer royal client with a fucking hammer.

And he dies from his injuries, Jesus Christ. They then climb under the roof and attempt to disarm a correctional officer there on the roof tower, and that does not go as well for them. Officer Harold Stites shoots both Limerick and Franklin, and then Jimmy Lucas begs for his fucking life. Limerick dies from his wounds, both Lucas and Franklin received life sentences for Client's murder. They both would still later make parole though and be freed in later years. For the first three attempts, we have one hard fail, do a shot to death, maybe two dudes get out, another fails, another fail, or one in make a shot to death, the other two get life sentences. Fourth attempt is happening January 13th, 1939. Group of five inmates give it a shot.

Arthur Doc Barker. I believe we talked about him and the old Barker gang suck, uh, Dale Stamphill, William Martin, Henry Young and Rufus McCain, all escape from the isolation unit by sawing through their individual flat iron cell bars and by then bending toolproof bars on a window and crawling out to that window and down to the water's edge. Correctional officers spot the men at the shoreline on the west side of the island. Martin, young, McCain, surrender rather than be shot. Barker and Stampill are shot when they refuse to surrender, barker dies from his injuries.

Less than two years later, in December of 1940, young will kill McCain in the prison, allegedly in self-defense. Young will explain at his later trial that animosity developed between the two from that failed escape attempt. When he finally got a prison 1972, Henry Young would jump parole and then disappear. Martin and Stamphill eventually get out of prison, fade into civilian obscurity. They'll be in 1940s, busy decade for correctional officers trying to keep the baddest of the bad on the island. May 21, 1941, fifth escape attempt.

This one got shut down real quick. For and mate, Joe Kreitzer, Sham Shockley, Arnold Kyle Lloyd, Barkdale, take several correction officers hostage. We'll work in the industries area, but then the officers, including future, you know, a warden, Paul Madigan, are like, what are you fucking doing? You guys are going to get shot to death. They're like, okay, and then they surrender. September 15, 1941. while on garbage to tail, John Bayless attempts to escape, attempt number six, another quick fail.

I love this one. He didn't realize how fun cold the water was and he just tried to swim and then he was like, no, this is too cold and he just gave up and he just waited to be caught. If this was, it was just foggy, he snuck away from his work detail. He dipped in the water for a second and he's like, whoa, ah, fuck that.

And he's surrendered peacefully. Later while appearing in federal court in San Francisco, you would try again to escape, try to sneak out of the courtroom, they catch him, not sure what ended up happening to him. He doesn't seem to have lived a life of particular interest to historians. April 14th, 1943, escape attempt number seven, four men. James Bournemann, Harold Breast, Floyd Hamilton and Fred Hunter take two officers hostage while at work in the industry's area. They climb out of window, make their way down to the water's edge. Also doesn't go well.

One of the hostages able to alert other officers shots are fired at Borman, Breast, and Hamilton while they try swim away from the island. Hunter and Breast are apprehended. Borman hit by gunfire and just sinks below the water and drowns. Hamilton initially presumed to have drowned, however, after hiding out for two days in a little cave on the shoreline, he makes his way back to the industry's area where he's caught. Damn, he hit out for two days, they got caught. He would swim away at night.

Maybe he was hoping to get some wood or something, maybe float across the bay. All three of the guys who survived this attempt would make it out of prison eventually. Hunter only had two years left on his sense when he tried to escape. No easy task to get off the rock. So far, seven attempts, only two possible survivors. August 7th, 1943, attempt number eight. Herring Ted Wal This appears from the prison laundry building and then is caught at the shoreline before he even attempt to enter the bay. Fail.

July 31st, 1945, attempt number nine and one of the most ingenious attempts to get the fuck off the island inmate John Giles able to take advantage of his job working to loading dock. He unloads army laundry, you know, send to the island to be cleaned. And over time, he had stolen for himself an entire army uniform. And then he puts uniform on, walks aboard, an army launch, you know, to what he thinks is freedom. Unfortunately, he was discovered missing almost immediately.

And the boat he got on was the wrong fucking boat. It was headed for Angel Island, not San Francisco like he thought. And as soon as he set foot on Angel Island, you know, there were some people waiting for him and they just taken back. Sounds like he didn't have a lot to lose for trying who's 50 years old when he tried, he was serving life. And he later dies in a prison in Oregon.

Next up, escape number 10, and this is the big one. This would happen May 2nd through the 4th, 1946, called both the Battle of Alcatraz and the Alcatraz Blastout. Started when six prisoners were able to overpower cell house officers gain access to weapons and cell house keys in effect taking control to cell house. Their plan started off strong, but then began to fall apart when they realized they did not have the key to unlock the recreation yard door to actually get fucking outside. So they got out of their cells, they got some guns, but then they're still locked in

the building. God damn it. Instead of giving up Bernard Koei, John Krezzitzer, Marvin Hubbard, Sam Shockley, Mirin Thompson and Clarence Carnes decided to fight. Eventually three of them Shockley, Thompson and Carnes returned to their cells, but now before officers are taken hostage and shot at point blank range by Kreitzer, reportedly encouraged by Shockley and Thompson. One officer, William Miller dies from his injuries, a second officer, Harold Stites, the guy who shot James Limerick and Rufus Franklin back in that other escape

attempt. Number three in 1938, the guy who killed Limerick, he now gets shot and killed attempting to regain control to sell house. One of two officers who would, you know, would die in this battle, or I'm sorry, yeah, huge, he is one of two. Two officers would die in this battle. And 14 others would be wounded. The US Marines are called out to assist.

And on May 4th, the uprising ends with the discovery of the bodies of Koei Kretser Hubbard when shot by either log guards or lofcers or, you know, Marines. Shockley Thompson Karns stood trial for the death of two officers. Shockley and Thompson received the death penalty and are executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin, December 1948. Karns age 19 receives a second life sentence. penalty and are executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin, December 1948. Carnes age 19 receives a second life sentence.

Despite having originally been given a life sentence in Oklahoma for murder before this battle, as well as a sentence of an additional 203 years on federal charges, Carnes will be paroled 27 years later at the age of 46 in 1973. Known as the Chok-Tok kid, Boston gangster, Wadi Bulger, befriend him and Alcatraz, and will later pay for his funeral casket. He will violate his parole twice and end up dying in prison. Escape attempt number 11, not nearly his dynamic.

July 23rd, 1956, inmate Floyd Wilson disappears from his job at the dock. This was a funny one to me. He hides for several hours behind some rocks on the shoreline, and then they find him. Oh Floyd. Doesn't sound like you really thought this one out. He's just going to hide behind some rocks on a tiny island and hopefully don't find

him. I feel like Floyd wasn't really good at hiding sea because he kid. You know, I bet he heard fairly often. Floyd, we can see you. You're behind the tree. It's because you can't see us. I mean, we can't see you. Tempt 12.

September 29th, 1958. We'll work on the garbage detail inmates, Aaron Burget and Clyde Johnson overpower a correctional officer attempt to swim from the island. Johnson gets caught in the water. Burget disappears. Did he make it? Definitely no. Now his body would be found, found later, float in the bay two weeks later. Attempt 13. This is my favorite. On June 11th, 1962, the most famous of the 14 escape attempts occurs. An attempt made famous by Clint Eastwood in the 1979 movie Escape from Alcatraz. Sad to say I haven't seen it.

It's a badass escape. Three inmates Frank Morris and two brothers John and Clarence Anglin vanished from their cells overnight, never seen again. A fourth man Alan West, believed by some, do have been the mastermind, but he didn't leave his cell. An investigation reveals an intricate escape plot that involved homemade drills to enlarge vent holes, false wall segments, realistic dummy heads with human hair, placed in their beds of inmates would not be missed

during the nighttime counts. The three men exited through vent holes located in the rear walls of their cells after lights out, after bed check, right, they enlarged through vent holes located in the rear walls of their cells after lights out after bed check Right, they enlarged their vent holes made false wall segments to conceal it Behind the real rear wall of their cells was the utility corridor that locked sealed doors at either end The three men climbed the utility pipes to the top of the cell block in access to the roof through an air vent The men had previously bent the iron bars of the blocked it. They've worked on this one for a while.

They climbed down a drain pipe on the northern end of the cellhouse, made their way to the water where they had a fucking raft left that they had made. They used prison-issued raincoats, right, to make lifefests and to make this raft. A cellhouse search later turned up drills, heads, wall segments, other tools. A water search found two lifefests, one in the Bay, the other near the Golden Gate Bridge, also found ores, letters and photographs belonging to the anglin that have been carefully wrapped to be watertight, no

sign of the men. Several weeks later, a man's body dressed in blue clothing similar to the prison uniform found a short distance up to coast from San Francisco, but the body too badly deteriorated to be identified, most familiar with the escape attempt, don't think that body belonged to an inmate.

Morris and the England's officially listed as missing and presumed drowned, but did they drown? Or do more or one of them live? We'll never know for 100% certain, many though, including San Francisco, get writer Andrew Charmines, who's also written for Atlantic, or the Atlantic and vice, thinks they made it. And I do too.

He points out that his kids, John and Clarence Anglin became strong swimmers in the frigid waters of Lake Michigan. And that he believes Frank Moore is to be smart enough to physically ready himself for just over one mile of swimming over the six months or more he spent preparing for his bid for freedom. Or didn't need to swim because they had a fucking raft,

a raft built over months with 50 raincoats, glued together in the secret workshop, also had oars, and it wasn't stormy out. The Mythbusters guys successfully and pretty easily recreated this raft escape excursion in 2003, and it also points out that two and three bodies from suicides from nearby Golden Gate Bridge are recovered, but none of their corpses were ever found. And evidence of a long-presumed FBI cover-up was confirmed in a National Geographic documentary in 2012.

A US Marshal reveals that contrary to the original version of events, a previously unseen FBI report, states that the escapees raft was found on Angel Island, and a car was stolen in Marin County, a blue 1955 Chevy near that. Coincidentally, a police report reveals that a blue Chevy with three men in it ran another car off the road and stalked and later that night. Authorities on Alcatraz and the FBI really wanted to push an error to that these guys drowned because Alcatraz was really expensive to maintain. The only real justification for keeping it was the illusion of inescapability. The truth of them getting out would shadow that illusion obviously. And still not done. In 2015, a photo emerges of the anglin brothers or what appears

to be the anglin brothers standing next to a termite mound outside a Rio de Janeiro down there in Brazil taken by a family friend in 1975 the u.s. Marshall's hired an expert to compare physical features and measurements in the photo to you know known photos of the anglins they concluded that the photo was taken in 1975 and that there was a quote high likelihood the men photographed were Clarence and John Anglin. Looking at it myself, I'm like, yeah, fucking, yeah, it's them. Finally, handwriting analysis while it came up as inconclusive regarding a direct match was done for a letter that was sent possibly by John Anglin to the San Francisco Police

Department's Richmond station in 2013. It stated in part, my name is John Anglin. I escaped from Alcatraz in June of 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. I'm 83 years old and in bad shape. I have cancer. Yes, we all made it that night, but barely verdict. I think those guys definitely escaped from the rock. I think it's pretty fucking crazy. December 16, 1962, one final attempt is made.

Alcatraz inmate. Number four, 17 James Jimmy two tones regetti. Hail Nimrod. Go, Jimmy. Go. Jimmy lost enough weight to flush himself down the toilet and pop out and drainage pipe on the edge of the island in the middle of the night. You could have easily swim away. He was a three time YMCA Cook County breaststroke champion back in Illinois. It's a teenager, but when he waited out of the water, a log bumped into him. He thought it was a shark and he squealed out, like, I was going to save him to big sleep. I know it. I know it was out, but I know it was a big ball over again. And that's well. By the time he was done, the guards found him with a spotlight.

They shot him dead because they were fucking tired of his annoying voice. Rest in peace, Jimmy Tutones. Never forget. Final escape attempt. Number 14 for real now. Two in mate, John Paul Scott, Darryl Parker, Darryl Parker, Darryl. Both in Carstrid for Bankroberies, in addition to some other crimes, bent the bars of a kitchen window in their cell house, but in a cell house basement, climbed out, made their way down to the water,

jumped in, started swimming, Parker didn't make it very far. He was soon discovered, just hanging out on a small outcropping rock, little waste on the island. Scott tried to swim towards San Francisco, but the current pulled him towards Golden Gate Bridge. He was found by several teenagers on the rocks near Fort Point beneath the bridge, taking to the military hospital at Presido or or or Procedio. God damn it. Procedio. Army base, suffering from shock and hypothermia, then returned to

Alcatraz. Almost made it. How depressing. Made it all the way to Golden Gate Bridge, makes it land, and then just hauled right back. Scott would later die in prison in 1987. Parker would be transferred 11 words and later released. And that's it for escape attempts. Just a few months later, Alcatraz would close his doors as a functioning prison. On March 12, 1963, Alcatraz prison need of a lot of repairs,

too expensive to maintain, shut down by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Frank Weatherman, Alcatraz in President and need of a lot of repairs to expensive to maintain shut down by attorney general Robert F. Kennedy. Frank Weatherman, Alcatraz inmate 1576, the last to walk out of the rock. When asked about his experiences there, he said Alcatraz was never no good for nobody. Sounds fair. March 21, 1963, it closes after almost three decades of operation. So expensive to maintain an estimated three to five million was needed for restoration and maintenance work.

And that figured it out include daily operating costs, which were much more in Alcatraz than any other federal prison. 1959, the daily per capita cost at Alcatraz, $10.10, per inmate compared to $3 at Atlanta. The major expense was caused by the physical isolation of the island, the exact reason islands have been used as prisons throughout history. That isolation meant that everything food, supplies, water, fuel all had to be brought by boat. Water alone, huge pain in the ass.

The island has no source of fresh water. So nearly one million gallons of water were barged to the island each and every week. And after the prison closed, Alcatraz basically is abandoned. Many ideas are proposed for the island, including the monument to the United Nations, a West Coast version of the Statue of Liberty, even an idea for a shopping center, a hotel complex, could have been a fucking mall there. None of that comes for fruition. Next year, March 8th, 1964, Alcatraz occupied by Native American activists, the protest proposed

by Lakota Sue activists, Bel Vacadier, and joined by 35 others last four hours. If reported by among others, the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner, I reported on an act of civil disobedience to illustrate troubles faced by Native Americans. Five years later, November 20th, 1969, island again makes news. When a group of Native American Indians called themselves Indians of all tribes, claim Alcatraz as Indian land with the hope of creating a Native American cultural center and education complex on the island. Initially, public support for the cost is strong. Thousands of people from the general public school kids, celebrities, hippies, Vietnam war

pressers, etc. Even hell's angels come to the island over the next 18 months. Unfortunately, too many of them stay there and just kind of fuck around and party. Native American leadership cannot control the situation. A lot of damage occurs, including a fire that destroys the lightkeeper or the lighthouse keeper's home and the wardens home and the officers club. Activists living there now demand that the island's facilities be adapted. New structures built for the education center, et cetera, and all their demands are ignored.

June of 1971, after a 19 month occupation, federal marshals removed the remaining Native Americans who had not already left the island. 1972, Congress creates the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Alcatraz Island, included as part of the new National Park Service Unit. Island opened to the public in fall of 1973, becomes one of the most popular park service sites in the country, more than a million visitors around the world visit the island each year. It's now skipping ahead to the summer of 1966, a disenchanted brickadir general, Francis

Hummel and his second command, Major Tom Baxter, lead a rogue group of US force recon marines to steal a stockpile of 16 VX gas loaded M55 rockets. The next day Hummel and his men seized control of Alcatraz, taking 81 tourists hostage. Hummel threatens to launch the rockets against San Francisco unless the US government pays him $100 million. FBI, chemical warfare expert Stanley Goodspeed, sent on an urgent mission with former British spy John Patrick Mason to stop the missile attack. Let me play just a little bit of the security camera footage from the documentary. My name's Stanley Goodspeed on the chemical weapons specialist for the FBI.

Glasser plastic. Glasser plastic. Glasser plastic. really good speed on the chemical weapons specialist for the FBI. Uh, glass or plastic? Glass or plastic? Glass or plastic? God, fuck off! Because of the wind's change. Now, if you launch those rockets, we're all gonna die! Shut up! And you're gonna end up in either a glass jar or a plastic bag! Yeah. What do you say you do the math?

Hand over the gun! Let's go find some rockets! Let's go find some rockets! That, of course, did not happen. That is the plot from the 1996 Michael Bay Film, the gun. Let's go find some rocket. Let's go find some rockets. That of course did not happen. That is the plot from the 1996 Michael Bay Film, The Rock. That was Nicholas Cage, you just heard. So it kind of relates, you know, the movie took place in the rock.

Today, Alcatraz operated by the National Park Service part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Opened Tour Still. Visitors can reach the island by ferry from Peer, 33, near Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco like Lindsey United years ago. Now let's get the hell out of here. Good job, soldier.

You've made it back. Barely. So much Alcatraz info. A federal prison on a tiny island in the coldest fuck waters of California is San Francisco Bay, once housed some of America's most dangerous felons during his years of operation from 1934 to 1963. Among those who served time at the Maxime Security facility were the notorious gangsters Al Scarface Capone, machine gun Kelly, murderer Robert Birdman of Alcatraz Stroud. Despite many attempts, no inmate ever successfully escaped the rock. Well, maybe five did. We don't know that for sure.

I think three probably did. Today, historic Alcatraz Island, once also the site of a US military prison from the late 1850s, 1933, it's a popular tourist destination and part of American folklore forever. A reminder of how we should all work very hard to not be sent to prison, like Alcatraz.

It sounds terrible. Told one to do all the time, no choice on what you could eat, everything's monitored, so many rules. It's stuck around people. You probably can't stand all the time such tiny cells. I'm going to do my best to be a good boy. Time now for today's Top 5 takeaways.

Number one, before Alcatraz was a maximum security prison for the naughty guys who wouldn't follow other prison's rules. I kept trying to escape. It was a military fortification during the Civil War and then a military prison. Number two Alcatraz also the location of the very first lighthouse in North America along the Pacific coast. Number three June 11th 1962 Frank Morris, brothers John, Clarence, England, make it off Alcatraz and are never seen again.

And I think they probably escaped. The rock just couldn't contain everyone. Frank Morris, brothers John, Clarence, England, make it off Alcatraz and are never seen again. And I think they probably escaped. The rock just couldn't contain everyone. Number four, James, Jimmy Tutones were getting fake gun down December 16, 1962, after flushed themselves down the fucking toilet, Rustin peace, Jimmy Tutones. Number five, do info. Actress prison, allegedly one of the most haunted spots in the country is not the world. The most famous cell on the ghost tours of Alcatraz is the dreaded cell 14D, one inmate,

Rufus McCain, confined in that cell for over three years after an escape attempt. Shortly after being released from the hole, he stabbed another inmate to death, was acquitted according to legend on the ground that cell 14D had done a reputable damage to a psyche. And because maybe some supernatural shit was going on, at least he thought there was. Claim that this is the cell where an inmate died after screaming that a creature of some kind was going to kill him.

Many visitors have said they felt extreme coldness wrapping around them in this room, as if evil spirits are still present. Cell blocks A, B, and C have spooky legends as well. Many people that have toured the prison have said said they can hear a moaning cries coming from empty cells. You may even run into a spirit known as the butcher, goes to a man killed there in the 40s. Is it actually haunted? And they get to her and find out for yourself. Also, if you can't make it to San Francisco and you want some scares, that's October, you can listen to my paranormal hoax paranormal horror focused podcast.

One that is not comedic. Not really. The one I co-host with the Queen of the Suck, Lindsey Cummins, scared to death, all about the Spooks. So many Spooks. Time, suck, tough, five takeaways. The rock has been sucked under a lot of interesting shit. I hope you did too.

Thank you to the Bad Magic Productions team for all the help and making time suck every week. Queen of Bad Magic, Lindsey Cummins, Reverend Dr. Jill Paisley. Thanks to Zach Flannery, the scriptkeeper for tackling initial research on this win, on this one. I'm going to say week and one at the same time. Thanks to Bitelixer for keeping the time suck app running smooth and Logan Art Warlock Keith, our creative director, creating all the merch at BadMagicMarch.com and more.

And thanks to Lizzy and Chantris for Nandes running Cold to the Curious Facebook page, our private Facebook page currently called to Curious too, along with the wonderful all-seeing eyes moderators, and she helps Logan with our socials. Next week on TimeSuck, let's get so fucking weird. Let's talk about the Dolphin House experiments. This is ridiculous. This is not just a big mistrreat. It'll feel like it. In the summer of 1965, John C. Lilly, a medic and neuroscientist and complete

fucking maniac and his assistant Margaret Howe, another maniac, would set up a partially flooded house on St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands where Margaret would spend nearly 24 hours a day with the young bottle nose dolphin named Peter. The urge of the experiment is to teach Peter to speak English. The teach Peter to speak English and bridge the communication gap between humans and other species motivated by his beliefs and extraterrestrials to hold him to study dolphins and somehow actually funded by NASA. John Lely would begin an experiment that quickly spun out of control, became one of the most infamous and weird discovered sponsored scientific projects ever that we know about.

How weird? well around week five Margaret how begins a sexual relationship with Peter the dolphin you heard me supposedly to help him focus Margaret would let Peter get himself off against her and what do you know he even jerky him off herself Sometimes up to three times a day. This really happened and there's so much more to explore We're covering all of it next week on TimeSuck. Now let's head over to this week's TimeSucker updates. Good days, get your time sucker updates. It's gonna be hard for me to not focus on dolphin fucking.

Let me do my best. Let's start with some love today, badass sucker and good dude, Cody S. wrote a very kind message other day. Here it is. I've written and deleted this message probably about 10 times, but I feel like I need to reach out and let you know what kind of effect you've had on me. I spent eight years in the Marine Corps. I don't have too much to show for it outside of earning my title as a Marine. I finished my eight-year contract in February spent the prior half of this year with no connection to the military. This may seem strange or at least something that isn't

talked about much, but I feel guilty. I feel guilty to have never been deployed or sent overseas and that men and women have died when I wasn't there to help. This day, I feel inferior for that. Maybe I probably should talk to some groups about it. But who might be Mopi about not being deployed when others have seen far worse? It feels out of place to try and fix the issue I joined the Michigan National Guard down the opportunity to help my community during emergencies. Ultimately, be ready to help my community during emergencies, ultimately be ready to defend my country if need be. Even though I re-enlisted in still serving some form,

I still felt like I didn't do enough. I probably should talk to a group or therapist, but it seems like such trivial issue that it doesn't seem as important as those who have actually been deployed, which is a view I sort of believe in myself, and some may see it as a benefit to have never been in a never seen combat and not as a negative experience.

I guess what I want to say is thank you. It's almost 2 a.m. on the 26th of September. I have a senior stand up and travel in four hours just to see a show. I'm grateful. Laughing at the point of crying multiple times, being able to truly laugh again, revitalize my mental health in ways I couldn't have imagined. I wish I could have gotten to see you after the show with COVID. I know you don't do meet and greets anymore, but I still brought something for you in the

slim chance I got to see in person. I hope you continue to have the best happiest life, continue to hope for your success, to get bigger and better over time. Start off in a long email, but even if you don't read this or respond, it makes me feel better to write to one of my most important sources of healing. Forever loyal space, lizard. Forever someone who will always try to see you live and a chance I get, thank you, Cody S. Well Cody, holy shit man.

First off, don't forget, it doesn't matter what, you know, as far as like, you know, your therapeutic needs, it doesn't matter what you've been through. You can go see a therapist because, you know, you're annoyed that you're fucking, you're roomy, breathe weird, through their nose, makes a whistle sound. Like, don't think of it as like, oh, this is too light.

I've done the same thing. It can just be someone to bounce ideas up. I started doing it recently and yeah, cause I mean, just, you know, full transparency. I don't feel like I'm dealing with anything super heavy, but it's nice just to bitch to somebody about whatever doesn't matter how fucking trivial it is. And they don't know you. They're not like part of your circle. So it's just it's great in that sense. And, uh, and I think that guilt you feel. I think I think what it really means is this you're a good fucking dude. You have zero control over, if you get deployed or not, when you enlist, I'm guessing, all

you can control is whether you enlist or not, and you did that. That makes you a badass in my book. I sometimes feel guilty over never enlisting. I try and help support the military by donating to causes that support veterans. I try to support companies like Black Rifle Coffee Club that do so much for veterans Not the same as serving but better than nothing and you've done way more fucking I or have You didn't have to do anything. You're rooting for me. Well, I'm rooting for you I want you to have the best happiest life. I wish you nothing but success take it easier on yourself

Stay golden pony boy. Keep laughing. He'll fucking never on your your great-meet sec Funny sucker Amy F now. Cher is a message about trying to spread the suck. Very unsuccessfully. To her husband, I love this, she writes, what's up Uncle Sucker? My name is Amy, I've been a big fan of time suck for a couple of years now,

I've also recently started benzene scared of death. It was the heavenly coupling of interesting topics and stupid humor that got me instantly hooked. My husband on the other hand not so much I've tried to get him on board But he always manages to walk in on me listening at the weirdest possible moments once during an incubus impression once during y'all him crows cow fucking journal reading Once during your god fucking awful mama picked an impression you get the idea

So the other week I'm listening to the grim sleeper episode while studying and you walk since it says, Oh, no, you listen to that idiot again. I of course defended your weirdo ass and said he's not an idiot. A lot of his episodes are actually very interesting. Of course at that exact moment, you launched into a crack condition, Whipple commercial. We both just look at each other in silence as you carry on with an air horn screaming whew Oh fuck your family

You shook his head and walked away Somehow, I don't think he'll ever be joining the cult to curious But I appreciate you crack up on all Thanks for all the laughs. I've just one question for you. What is your dad think about all the he might be a serial killer jokes Obviously, I think it's fucking hilarious, but I'm dying to know his take on it I'm guessing he might agree with my husband. Hill, Nimrod, keep on sucking you beautiful idiot. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha though, but yeah, but he think he I think he truly thinks I'm a fucking lunatic. He does not love the serial killer joke He asked about it. I didn't have a good explanation and then he just let it go

He wasn't surprised though. He just like okay, whatever one of your things Yeah, he doesn't listen to the show because it's way too weird for him Interesting prison related update now from top shelf sucker Holly Kolmier, Holly writes dear master sucker I'm way behind in the podcast, I just listened to the Joseph Duncan episode. I used to be pro death penalty until I watched, I am a killer on Netflix. One of the inmates talks about how general population was so bad, he killed an inmate so he could go to death row. If death row is considered a vacation to other inmates, because they're suffering general population, then fuck that. They should suffer.

If an inmate can torture these pieces, shit, then maybe we should let them. Interesting dot, Holly, yeah. I think maybe we should make death row just not so nice. Maybe make it more like Alcatraz. Yeah, if you're cool just watching TV, reading books and yourself and left alone, getting regular meals and good sleep, not quite the same deterrent as a living hell, is it?

I personally am still a fan of killing them. I know I'm in the minority, not few, but some of the dirt bags we've covered after what they've done, I would just love to fan of killing them. I know I'm in the minority in that view, but some of the derb�s we've covered after what they've done, I would just love to have them fucking dead. I hate that they can experience any moments of joy. Now for a freeway killer update, kind of updating my thoughts on America's historical intolerance towards homosexuality.

Long time listener, Lauren Kickass sack rights. Glory be to Lucifina. Lucifina. Lucifina. As oneina. Lucifina. As one of the few out lesbians in my small conservative town, I can tell you firsthand that homophobia is live and well. My own mother called me an abomination to my face, Jesus Christ. And I grew up thinking that gay was a bad word to describe evil people who went against God. Fun. Even as recent as a couple years ago, someone protested a drag event in my town and got so rowdy, they were arrested by the police

I couldn't tell my neighbors we have my own grandparents about being gay because it wouldn't have taken it well I've had people cut contact with me because I'm gay I've had people at my super liberal New England college till my roommate to move out and spread rumors about us because I'm gay But now I don't care what everyone else thinks I live with my girlfriend in a small apartment I work as an engineer to help provide for his both. We hold hands in public and kiss. Now make out though, we're not that type of pro-PDA couple. We're making life for ourselves despite what society says we should be doing.

I am out and proud to be so. He'll be right. I've even come out of my job and luckily haven't faced any backlash so far. If anyone tries to fuck with me, I'll channel Luciferine and give him one hell of a fight. Also, a recent listen to another popular true crime podcast that rhymes with Ward and whale. Well done. And to introduce a gay character,

they asked, did anyone else hear a list after playing a voice clip? He didn't have a list. Thanks for not doing that faithfully Lauren, long time list. Lauren, thank you for that update. Yeah, that's stereotypical. Listen, I said, so fucking corny outplayed stereotypical joke. I mean, do some gay man I've known have a bit of a list? Yes, do most of them I've known, not have that list. Yes. Terrible about your town. I wish more people would examine their homophobic stances.

I mean, it is just so silly. This is someone who had it when I was younger, you know, for largely religious reasons. I mean, like, it's just so fucking ridiculous. Like, what does it matter? If someone's a good neighbor or a friend or, you know, coworker, why should anyone care if they prefer pussy or dick? It's just so fucking ridiculous. Like, what does it matter? If someone's a good neighbor or a friend or co-worker, why should anyone care if they prefer pussy or dick? It's just so silly. I would rather live in a town,

but nothing but nice homosexuals. I'm the only straight person. Well, maybe also Lindsey, so that would be awkward if she also was straight. But like, we're the only straight people in a town full of nothing but nice homosexuals, way better than a town full of a bunch of straight, uptight, you know, assholes.

When it comes to all sexuality, if it's adult and consensual, why should anyone care with their neighbors, friends, co-workers, family are doing with their fun bits? I think those people should go focus on their own fun bits. Maybe come more, care less, come more, care less. I hope things get better, and I appreciate you being a list-turner and writing it.

Now, a final update, a grim sleeper update of sorts from SuperSucker Mike Nishki. Mike writes, good afternoon, suck master general and to anyone else at the time suck apparatus who may see this message. I want to start by saying that I am a fan. I love the show in the end of general. You always made me laugh, I appreciate that,

especially over the last two years when the world fell apart. Now the not fun part, as a loyal sucker, I have found the time suck as we dumb and scared of this community to be a very welcoming and accepting group. I do appreciate that. But as a loyal sucker, I have found the time suck as we dumb and scared of this community to be a very welcoming and accepting group. I do appreciate that. But as a black sucker, I have to point out that hopefully unintentional habit of Dan to skew into the territory of a apologist rhetoric and sometimes excuse, excuse making when it comes to issues of race and race-related conflict.

I get to not all white people are the problem and not every instance attributed to being racism actually is, but I am disheartened by Dan's tendency to try and point out point to other reasons or to try to subtly dismiss that racism may be the actual reasoning behind certain conflicts. I understand that as a white meat sack, Dan will never understand our experience in this country. I don't expect him to, but he should know that racism touches our lives on a daily basis. It's not always flagrant. Sometimes it's extremely subtle, but you can feel it. It has a deep and lasting effect on our lives. Not saying he's wrong about everything he says, and I'm not trying to discredit his views on the world, sometimes it is just enough

to remind himself and the listeners that those are his opinions, and that he does not understand our journey. Like I said, I find it disheartening at rhetoric that seems apologist or dismissive, though I know he's not doing that on purpose. Unfortunately, there are a handful of episodes I have not been able to finish as I found them hard to deal with. I'm currently listening to the Grim Sleeper episode, while I agree, while I agree, they're not all Los Angeles officers are racist,

there are those who are generally trying their best. There is a long and well-documented epidemic of racism that runs through the Los Angeles law enforcement apparatus. Google, LAS, or LAPAPD gangs or LASD gangs, gangs of officers, often with systemic approval that terrorized minority communities. The culture of I don't talk to the police while I understand is being unhelpful

has been developed out of necessity. Like I said, I know that not all officers are racist, but when you know that a box of full of harmless snakes also contains a handful of venomous ones, you don't go digging to the box to try and sort them out. I will say that I do appreciate Dan seaming willingness to listen to their side and at times admit that he doesn't understand. So I have this message rambling. I'm unfortunate writing this on an emotional note. So I am writing more with emotion than anything else. Like I said, love the suck master.

He's attempting to teach us more about the world around us, but I felt it necessary to voice his opinion. Thank you so much. If you took the time to read the whole thing, I truly, yeah, I truly appreciate being heard. Love you all. Numerous bless Mike. Well, Mike, I love you too, man. And I'm so glad you wrote it. Yes, you are 100% right. I will never understand fully what it means to you black and America. Like there's, there's no way I can. I can, I can learn the history. I can listen to people's experiences. I can read and watch, but I will never fully understand. As far as being an apologist, I do see what you're saying. I really do. It does come from a good place. Like, okay, in the Grim sleeper example, the LAPD for sure does have a long history of race

behavior. I did try to mention that. And that for sure did lead, absolutely, to the Don't Snitch culture for sure. But if the community of South Central continues to carry the Don't Snitch culture forward, more violent criminals like Lonnie Franglin will prey on members of the same community and get away with crimes, which I don't want. That's where I was trying to come from with the, it wasn't all the LAPDs fault. It was also the community's fault. I just tried to be fair. I try not to let some notion of white guilt stop me from judging a black community justice, harshly as I would judge a white community. I don't

want to give anyone any preferential treatment. That's what I'm trying to do. Be less emotional, more objective with the don't snitch argument. I just look at it like this. If I'm in grade school and I report bad behavior to my first grade teacher and I get into trouble for being a tattletail because that teacher's an asshole. It doesn't like me. And then I do that again in second grade and I get in trouble again.

And then the same thing happens in third grade. And then in fourth grade, I watch a huge bully beat the shit out of a smaller classmate day after day and I don't say anything because I don't want to get in trouble again. And then the bully kills that kid. Isn't the blood a little bit on my hands too fucking sucks that I had three shitty teachers in a row. That doesn't fully excuse me for not doing what's right the fourth time around.

I hope that crazy analogy makes sense. Again, I'm just trying to look at things objectively. Yes, that culture don't say does come from documented racism within systemic racism within the LAPD. But if that culture isn't removed or lessened at some point, it just further harms the community there, which is still, you know, large African American. And I just don't want to see that. I just don't want to see, you know, any color of meat sex unnecessarily harmed.

It just bothered me that not just the LAPD, but a lot of community members seem to view those women's lives as disposable. And I am sorry that there is such a fucking history in this country of due to look, frankly, a lot like me, being really fucking terrible to do to look like you. It's so fucking stupid, so unnecessary, just like we talked about with the homophobia before. It's fucking, it's arguably, well, it's the same absurd. It's the same absurd. I was gonna say arguably more absurd only because, you know, someone who is black, if you're racist,

you're not even letting them figure out, like you're not gonna take a second to figure out who they are. As far as you do with sexual preference, you're immediately just being like, napp, fuck them, fuck them. That it's, I hope we get past it someday. I do think we will someday. I think it's gonna take a while.

I think we will. So, so, Hail Nimrod. I do think we will someday. I think it's gonna take a while. I think we will. So, so Hail Nimrod, I do appreciate your viewpoint. I do love a contrasting dissenting viewpoint into you and if you're listening and you have them, send them in. I want to get better. I want to evolve. I'm not here just for, you know, hand jobs and fluff. And again, I hope you like this episode and I look forward to next week's fucking Dolphins sex. Gonna get weird hail Nimrod, everyone. Thanks for listening. Thanks, time suckers.

I need a net. We all did. And that's it, we did it. Another Bad Magic Productions podcast, Meet Sex. Please don't try and escape from prison this week. It's fucking harder. It's way harder now with all the advances in surveillance. You know, I'll be able to track someone's digital footprint even if you do get out.

Maybe just pass the time and you're so... by continuing to keep on sucking. Unmogic productions. Oh, wailing Jennings. I can listen to the song all day long, some loop. Never meaning no harm. Roy Gardner, how about those escape attempts? Straightening the curve

Mm-hmm Blinding the hills Maybe you would have the general league You would never have gotten caught Just, just get undried Ah, right now, probably would have gotten gambling Got some more trains See ya later.