Abby Connolly
Most people are familiar with Alcatraz, the infamous fortress of a prison that sits on a small island in the middle of the San Fransisco Bay. Before closing in 1963, the prison had enclosed inmates since the Civil War.
Between the years 1934 and 1963, a whopping total of 36 inmates attempted to escape the prison on 14 separate occasions. The majority of them failed, but did you know that three men were able to get out?
In the 1930s, Alcatraz was a terrifying place. It was completely surrounded by water and was very strategically designed so that no one could escape.
Everything from the iron bars to the placement of security guards made it seemingly impossible for an inmate to get out. That is until these three men actually did get out.
The inmate who can be considered the leader because of his brains was Frank Morris. Frank was placed in Alcatraz in January of 1930.
FBI; pictured above is Frank
He had robbed a bank, was a burglar, and was accused of a variety of other crimes. Morris was also known for his attempted escapes at the other prisons he had been placed in.
A pair of brothers had been placed in Alcatraz later that year, John and Clarence Anglin. The three inmates had already known each other from previous prisons.
Most of the escape planning was done by Frank, who was extremely strategic.
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