The most famous gangster from Alcatraz was Al Capone, the notorious Chicago mob boss, who served time there for tax evasion from 1934 to 1939, but other notorious figures like Bumpy Johnson also resided at the infamous federal prison. While Capone was once a lavishly treated inmate in earlier prisons, Alcatraz's strict "incorruptible" regime meant he received no special privileges, working menial jobs as his health deteriorated from syphilis.
Al Capone's life on Alcatraz
Designated as Prisoner No. 85, he became something of a model prisoner at the island prison in San Francisco Bay, History.com said. He spent his days as a “serious reader, a musician and a composer.”
Two years later, Jet reported in its crime section that Johnson began his sentence after losing an appeal. He served the majority of that sentence at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay, California as inmate No. 1117, and was released in 1963 on parole.
In 1946, his physician and a Baltimore psychiatrist, after examination, both concluded Capone then had the mentality of a 12-year-old child. Capone resided on Palm Island with his wife and immediate family, in a secluded atmosphere, until his death due to a stroke and pneumonia on January 25, 1947.
Who was the most dangerous inmate at Alcatraz? Arthur “Doc” Barker and Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz,” were among the most notorious and dangerous inmates housed on the island.
Frank Morris was known for his exceptional intelligence, reportedly boasting an IQ of 133. By his late teens, he had begun to accrue a criminal record for offenses ranging from narcotics possession to armed robbery.
"That's a lonely sound," Hopkins said. "It reminds you of Hank Williams singing that song, 'I'm so lonesome I could cry. '" Now 93 and living in Florida, Hopkins said the San Francisco National Archives informed him that he is likely the last surviving former Alcatraz inmate.
There has never been a confirmed discovery of Al Capone's treasure, but that hasn't stopped some people from claiming they've found it.
(6) Despite being a wildly successful organized crime boss, Al Capone only had an IQ of 95. (7) He spent the last years of his life in his Florida mansion raving about Communists, foreigners, and Bugs Moran, who he was convinced was plotting to kill him.
The last inmate to leave the 29-year-old island prison was Frank C. Weatherman, age 29, a gun smuggler who was transferred here Dec. 14, 1962, for attempting twice to break out of the Anchorage jail.
BUMPY JOHNSON Last Meal: Fried Fish, Rice, and Collard Greens (1905 – 1968) Bio: Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson was Harlem's true king — part gangster, part gentleman, part legend.
Bumpy was complicated. While a feared mob boss and dangerous criminal, he considers himself a man of his people, fighting for Harlem. I'm not arguing that Bumpy was a hero or a villain. It's easy to say he was both, but that's another debate.
Who Was the Birdman of Alcatraz? Robert Stroud, a convicted murderer imprisoned at Alcatraz and other federal prisons from 1909 to 1963, earned the nickname ''The Birdman of Alcatraz'' for the time he devoted to raising nearly 300 birds. Stroud's 54-year prison stay began with his murder conviction in 1909.
'Gangster' George "Machine Gun" Kelly (Barnes) was incarcerated at Alcatraz Prison from September 4, 1934, to 1951, becoming Alcatraz inmate #117. He was sent to Alcatraz after being convicted of kidnapping and ransom, where he served 17 years.
Al Capone was an American gangster who had a net worth of $7 million at the time of his death. After adjusting for inflation, that's the same as $100 million today.
Snoop Dogg has claimed to have an IQ of 147, a score he revealed on Instagram, which classifies as "highly gifted" or genius level, despite graduating high school with straight C's and considering himself a poor student. While the exact test isn't verified, he has expressed surprise at his own high score, contrasting it with his academic struggles, but acknowledges his brilliance in music and business, notes Esquire Australia and Brainmanager.io.
Celebrity Genius 5 - James Woods
Emmy Award winner James Woods is an Oscar-nominee and superstar has a whopping IQ of 180. While in high school, Woods was in a UCLA linear algebra course.
According to various estimates, gangster Al Capone was worth about $100 million by 1927. That is approximately $1.8 billion in today's money. As the head of organized crime in Chicago, he oversaw a number of lucrative rackets, including gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging.
When the vault was opened, it contained only dirt and empty bottles, including one Rivera claimed was for moonshine bathtub gin. After several attempts to dig further into the vault, Rivera admitted defeat and voiced his disappointment to the viewers, apologizing as he thanked the excavation team for their efforts.
The property sold for $15.5 million in October of 2021 to Albert Claramonte, founder of Surfaces Southeast, Inc., but he chose to raze the villa and all other structures on the property to make room for a new residence that will span over the former Capone property as well as the lot he owns to the west.
Did Disney Buy Alcatraz Island? New rumors have been swirling that Disney bought Alcatraz Island to add a new Disneyland theme park, but is it true? No. Disney did not buy Alcatraz.
The incident in which Doc chops off his fingers with a hatchet was based on an actual incident in 1937; inmate Rufe Persful, maddened by strict rules that imposed silence on the prisoners, cut off four fingers with a hatchet to try to get transferred off Alcatraz.
Clarence Carnes. 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.