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ALCATRAZ
"The Rock"
(Mario Gomes collection)
Alcatraz in the distance.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Alcatraz Island.
For further in depth reading on this interesting island please visit the many interesting sites on the web such as www.alcatrazhistory.com
Professionally colorized version of Al's mugshot at Alcatraz.
(Photo by the kind courtesy of author Michael Esslinger).
Alcatraz Island was the last stop for Al Capone. First and foremost, a special thank-you to my friend and author Michael Esslinger. His books on Alcatraz are top notch! Mark Brown and his excellent book called Capone; Life behind bars at Alcatraz. He helped point out my glaring omission of Al's first cell upon ariving at Alcatraz, number 433.
August 22,1934. The Coast Guard Cutter Daphne protecting the train barge containing Al Capone and other hardened criminals. The barge had left Tiburon, California enroute to it's final destination at Alcatraz Island.
August 22,1934. Train wagons on a barge arrive at Alcatraz Island. One of them has the infamous Al Capone on board.
(Wide World photos)
James Aloysius Johnston was the warden in charge of Alcatraz during Al Capone's stay on the island. Johnston had greeted the new arrivals in August 1934. Capone was asked his name and supposedly retorted smiling "You know who I am." Johnston replied "Here you are now known as AZ-85."
Official Alcatraz letter envelope, stationary and James A. Johnston's signature. May 10,1938.
(Mario Gomes collection)
I also wish to thank Mr. Tim Brazil for the following info on Alcatraz. He is a guide on Alcatraz island. I wish to thank Jolene Babyak and Mr. John Martini for their tireless work in deciphering the cell block numbering system which clears up alot of speculation on where Al cells were. I would also like to thank all the Park Rangers and tour guides who do an outstanding job caring about this historical island.
Upon Al's arrival at Alcatraz his first cell number was 433 and he was working in the laundry. This note is dated 1935.
(Courtesy of Mark Douglas Brown)
As of fall of 1935, Al was now assigned cell 181. He was also assigned various tasks such as working in the library, shower room and prison yard. These show 1935,1936 and 1937.
(Courtesy of Mark Douglas Brown)
Here we can see Al's two cells 433, and later 181. (Courtesy of Mark Douglas Brown)
CELL BLOCK B SECOND TIER
EARLIER LATER
Al's later original cell number 181 under Warden Johnston (left) later repainted and became number 206 under Warden Swope (Right).
(Courtesy Mr. Tim Brazil).
Prisoner permission slips filled out by Capone to request interview or privileges show his
cell being that of 181.This was stated in Robert Schoenberg's book called Mr.Capone.
(Photocopy courtesy of Mr. Tim Brazil).
Due to many who will never get a chance to see what Alcatraz looks like, I have added the following photos below. They were taken during a filming of a documentary for the History Channel called "Home and Bunker/ Al Capone". Some shots are quite rare, as we had access to the island 2 hours before the tourists arrived. We had access to restricted areas, such as inside Al's cell, the kitchen, the hospital area of which was closed to the public at that time. We also got to go inside the work building that is at the far end of the island near a cliff.
It was dilapidated and was unsafe, but we managed to have a ladder installed to get in for the shoot.
Arriving at the Island.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Surreal feeling.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Boat making it's approach to the dock.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Mae Capone boarding the boat to take her to Alcatraz island.
February 28,1938, close up of Mae Capone as she walks up the gang plank onto the vessel named General Frank M. Coxe. The ship will take Mae and other prisoner's family members to Alcatraz Island from San Francisco.
Mae steps down ship after her visit with Al at Alcatraz. It was the first time Mae saw Al after his mental collapse at Alcatraz.
After her visit with Al. Mae stopped by reporters when her cab stopped at a gas station. She hid her face and tried not to speak a word. She finally told them that if she would make a statement would the reporters please leave her alone? They agreed and the only thing she would divulge was that Al was doing okay.
Warning sign.
Later background painted by Indians occupying the Island during standoff claiming the island as Indian land.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
What's left of the Warden's house.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
One of many buildings destroyed by fire during the Indian occupation in the 1970's.
One of them was the Warden's house.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Lighthouse.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Entrance.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Control center.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Rules and regulations for visitors.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Visitation boxes.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Phones used to be here to talk and see the visitor.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Another view
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Warden's office upstairs.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Al's Mug.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Cell blocks.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
The lonely corridor of Cell Block B. Al's cell was located on second tier.
(Courtesy Mr.Tim Brazil).
B1
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Stairway to Al's cell closed for safety reasons.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
On the way to Al's cell.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Crew standing in front of Al's cell as tourists below begin to file into Alcatraz.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
At Al' cell looking down the tier.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Cell 181
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Al's cell originally 181 now shown to be B- 206 for Alcatraz visitors.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Getting the rare priviledge of entering Al Capone's cell at Alcatraz.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Me hamming it up.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Al's view from inside his cell.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Seat and table.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Sitting on Al's john.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Years of age show a crumbling cell.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Wall inside Al's cell.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Al shuffled down this walkway drooling one day as the effects of paresis kicked in from the syphillis he contracted as a younger man, working as a roper/bouncer in the brothels.
(Courtesy Mr.Tim Brazil).
Alcatraz layout model.
(Mario Gomes collection)
1) Guard tower
2) Wharf
3) Furniture factory
4) Shoe shop
5) Laundry building
6) Power house (Electricity)
7) Men's hall and kitchen
8) Main cell blocks
9) Administration and warden's office
10) Warden's home
11) Guard's quarters
12) Landing dock
13) Guard's recreation yard
Inside Al's cell (181) at Alcatraz
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Al's sink.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Al's toilet.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
View of barber shop from above.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Barbershop. It was here that Texas bank robber Jimmy Lucas got scissors to stab Al with in the clothes stockroom near the band room.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Entrance to the downstairs shower, clothes stockroom and band room (instruments).
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Benches in shower room may have also been used for the band practices.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Showers.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Another view of the showers. The shower heads were removed.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Stockroom. New prisoners were given clothes here upon their arrival after a shower.
It was in this area that Capone was attacked by Jimmy Lucas. Capone quickly grabbed a musical intrument and hit Lucas with all force.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Squawkbox. This was used to detect metal in case any prisoner made off with the kitchen cutlery for nefarious reasons. It was this type of metal detector that stopped Theresa during one visit. Her old fashioned metal wired girdle set off the alarm.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Entrance to the dining hall.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Dining hall.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Dining hall was also called" the gas chamber" due to tear gas canisters above inmates in case of riot.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Another view of mess hall.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Kitchen
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Inside the kitchen.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
knives and other sharp utensils were painted in for guards to quickly notice if they were missing.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Next to the dining hall, it's up to the hospital upstairs.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Hospital check up room.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Operating room.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Stainless steel cabinets in operating room.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Another view of operating room.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Bathing room in hospital.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
X-ray table.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Hospital supply room.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Hospital cells.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Hospital room.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Hospital room.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Wheel chair.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Isolation room.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
"The Birdman" Robert Stroud's hospital cell from within.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
Inside Robert Stroud's hospital cell .
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)
First Posted March 2008