Al Capone
& The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
Thesis Statement
On Valentine's Day 1929, one of the most notorious Chicago gangsters of all time, Al Capone, managed to pull off a brutal attack against a rival gang.
Event Information
Saint Valentine's Day Massacre (1)
When?
Thursday, Feb 14, 1929, 10:30 AM
Where?
a parking garage behind the S.M.C. Cartage Company - 2122 North Clark Street, Chicago IL
South Side Gang (5)
North Side Gang (5)
What happened that day?
The massacre itself was the result of the tension & rivalry between the North Side and South Side gangs (Al Capone vs. "Bugs" Moran). It was a strike of Al Capone trying to eliminate Moran (1). Capone's lookouts were stationed outside of a parking garage in Chicago where Moran's gang was meeting to sell their illegal alcohol to a "customer" (who was also under Capone's control). Capone's lookouts mistakenly "recognized" another man for Moran entering the building, when really Moran was 2 blocks away in another building (1). The gunmen were dressed in police officer uniforms, and were driving a stolen cop car. They entered the garage and the gang members thought it was just a routine police raid. They figured that they could easily pay off the police and be on their way with the illegal alcohol. They cooperated, but when their backs were turned, two more gunmen entered. The seven members of Moran's gang were then ALL gunned down with a sawed-off shotgun, a .45, and 2 Tommy Guns (1 & 2).
The Dead
1. Frank Gusenberg
2. Pete Gusenberg
3. John May
4. Albert Weinshank
5. James Clark
6. Adam Heyer
7. Dr. Reinhart Schwimmer (1)
**The entire purpose of the arrangement of the massacre was to eliminate "Bugs" Moran.. and Capone's men failed to do that.** (2)
Who did it??
Even though there was no evidence that could link the crime to Capone, his influence in the horrible massacre was obvious. Everyone who knew anything about the gangs could put 2 and 2 together and come up with the reasonable conclusion that Capone ordered the hit on the North Side Gang (1).