In 1959 he was transferred to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Missouri, where he would die that year. Although Alcatraz may have closed as a prison many decades ago, there are still former Alcatraz inmates alive today - including convited murderer and Irish American mafia boss James "Whitey" Bulger.
Bill Baker is part of that living history. He was Alcatraz prisoner number 1259. He is now 89 years old and one of the last surviving former inmates of Alcatraz.
The three men in question are convicted bank robber Frank Morris, John Anglin and his brother Clarence Anglin. On June 11, 1962, the trio successfully escaped the maximum security prison after posing fake heads in their beds that were pushed through holes of a concrete wall.
The Alcatraz prison closed for numerous reasons, one being the cost. Because the prison was on an island, it was more expensive to get supplies there. Another reason the prison was closed was that the building was being eroded by salt water.
Frank Lucas Bolt. Little has been documented about Alcatraz's LGBTQ+ prisoners, but gay men did play a role in the infamous prison. In fact, it was a queer man, Frank Lucas Bolt, who served as the prison's first official inmate.
Due to the security of the prison facility itself, the distance from shore, cold water, and strong currents, few dared to attempt to escape. during which the prison housed about 1,500 total prisoners, only 14 total escape attempts were made.
Robert Franklin Stroud (January 28, 1890 – November 21, 1963), known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz", was a convicted murderer, American federal prisoner and author who has been cited as one of the most notorious criminals in the United States.
Frank Morris, John Anglin, and his brother, Clarence Anglin have never been located since escaping the facility — which was at some point home to criminals like Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly and Robert Stroud.
Alcatraz escapees Frank Morris, Clarence Anglin and John Anglin are still listed on the U.S. Marshals Most Wanted list.
Eventually, they killed the three remaining men, Cretzer, Hubbard and Coy, the ringleader. Two prison guards were killed in the battle, with 14 more wounded. Two of the prisoners who gave up after the lock to the yard door was broken, Shockley and Thompson, were executed in a gas chamber for their role in the attempt.
Prison Guard Harold P. Stites was shot and killed (by friendly fire) during the rescue attempt while Prison Guard William A. Miller died of his injuries the following day in the cell. In addition to the deaths of those two, 14 other prison guards were wounded in the battle.
Punishment at Alcatraz was extreme. At the dungeon, prisoners were chained up standing in total darkness, often with no food and regular beatings. These punishments often lasted for as long as 14 days and by 1942, the dungeon was found to be unnecessarily cruel and closed.
While awaiting the results of appeals, Capone was confined to the Cook County Jail. Upon denial of appeals, he entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, serving his sentence there and at Alcatraz.
And for 29 years, it was the most secure federal prison in the country -- surrounded by the cold, rough waters of the Pacific. But brothers John and Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris disappeared into the night and have never been found. The men have become folklore -- fueled by Hollywood and popular shows.
Alphonse "Scarface" Capone.
Here's the catch, though: No one knows what happened to the escapees. When pieces of the raft and paddles washed up near the island, many assumed that the men were dead. Alcatraz officials have suggested they drowned or died of hypothermia.
Frank Morris was considered highly intelligent by federal officials, with an I.Q. of 133.
The 1962 escape is probably the most famous prison break in American history, and the three men involved have never been located, dead or alive.
Joe Cretzer, Sam Shockley, Arnold Kyle, and Lloyd Barkdoll were working in the industries area when they jumped the guards on duty and attempted to saw through window bars to reach the shore. The tool-proof bars foiled the attempt and they surrendered when this became apparent.
A fourth man, Allen West, who also participated in the escape plot, was serving his second term at the Rock. Left behind on the night of the escape, West later told the authorities much of what is now known about the complicated scheme, and even claimed to have been the mastermind himself.
The bay is actually only as deep as a swimming pool.
Heck, between Hayward and San Mateo to San Jose it averages 12 to 36 inches. So much for that bridge! With that said though, the water surrounding Alcatraz is on the deeper end of the scale, but still, it's just an average depth of 43 feet.
Water temperatures for Alcatraz swims are usually in the mid-50's to mid-60's. For comparison, pools used for competitive swimming are between 77 and 82 degrees (Fahrenheit).
Clarence Victor Carnes (January 14, 1927 – October 3, 1988), known as The Choctaw Kid, was a Choctaw man best known as the youngest inmate incarcerated at Alcatraz and for his participation in the bloody escape attempt known as the "Battle of Alcatraz".