The St Valentine's Day Massacre
With the age of telephone and radio communication dawning as it was during the Jazz Age, it spawned not only convenience for everyday life, but for the organising of crime syndicates as well. Chicago's bloody history during the Jazz Age, is a testimony to the failure of prohibition laws introduced in 1919. The St. Valentine's Day massacre is not noteworthy for its uniqueness of gangland murder, for these syndicate 'hits' were common throughout the 1920s, especially in Chicago. What makes the murders so special on this occasion was the effect it had on the entire Unites States public, and the outrage that followed emphatically pronounced that something had to be done.
In the modern era, Chicago is one of the world's great cities, and does have better historical moments outside of the times of 1920s. Sitting on the toe of Lake Michigan, it is the Illinois corner which Indiana and Wisconsin meet. Chicago contains some of the world's most famous architecture, arts, airport, sports teams, and all manner of metropolitan delight. The passing of time has healed the wounds of the gang wars, and Chicago's history in the 20s and 30s is treated with fascination, and while not arrogantly celebrated, is certainly regarded as important Americana. It has a retrospect to the gangster era, growing much in the same way Tombstone, Arizona celebrates the gunfighters of the O.K. Corral. Al Capone has become legend, albeit eras apart, as similar to those gunfighters of the old west.
The Al Capone story is really a study of power, where power corrupt is turned to power absolute. It isn't entirely necessary to understand Al Capone's history to appreciate the gangland politics of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. However, the events leading up to it are intertwined with Capone's history.
Capone was born in New York in 1899 and lived his youth there. He apprenticed in the ways of racketeering under the guidance of Johnny Torrio. Contrary to popular notion, Italian Americans involved with the bootlegging of alcohol, for example, were not intent on provoking violence in their community. In fact, they were a surprisingly peaceable people, simply providing a service in a time where an awkward law tried to prevent the consumption of alcohol. They did favours and received favours in return. Torrio and others became victims of these circumstances, and things simply fell out of control.
The Torrio-Capone empire began in Cicero, a township south of Chicago which at the time was less integrated with Chicago as it is today. The South-Side of Chicago eventually became under their control. To convey all the events describing this evolution is a book in itself. There were many other gangs involved in the rackets, chief among them was the Dion O'Banion gang, which chiefly controlled the North-Side of Chicago. O'Banion was not interested in arranging deals with Torrio-Capone organisation, and friction between the two groups grew from there. O'Banion ended up assassinated by trying to destroy the Torrio-Capone group using informants to watch their movements and reporting the activity to the authorities. Since the murder of O'Banion in November, 1924, the gang wars snowballed into a circle of revenge. Just as Torrio was leaving the organisation as a main player, he fell victim to an assassination attempt in January 1925 leaving him severely debilitated at the hands of "Hymie" Weiss and "Bugs" Moran. Weeks before this, Al Capone too was targeted by the same gang, and their use of the Thompson machine gun on Capone's car left many holes, but none in the body of Capone who, by a lucky chance was not there. Capone was relieved by the good fortune, but seemed more impressed by the Tommy Gun's destructive power evidenced by the damage sustained to his car. This signature weapon for 1920s gangster movies and television programs was born, although it was not quite as common the weapon portrayed in the media.
"Bugs" Moran came to the top of the North-Side gang by virtue of the deaths of bosses before him. Drucci and Weiss preceded Moran, and before them, O'Banion. Moran's gang was not armed with same clout as Capone when it came to corruption of the authorities. Moran in comparison to Capone was a nuisance competitor, a powerful thug, without the intricate organisation of the Capone machine.
Jack McGurn featured prominently within the Capone syndicate. Of all of Capone's people, he was responsible for many of Chicago's gangland murders, often without Capone's consent. McGurn upset Capone on a number of occasions for going over the top in violence, because everything McGurn did reflected on Capone in the media. Capone liked things kept quiet, but McGurn's reckless behaviour of killing and maiming, prompted Capone to implore him not to take actions unless he had permission.
"Bugs" Moran had Capone on his list for assassination for years now, but realised the more reasonable goal of knocking off his main henchman Jack McGurn. He dispatched the brothers Frank and Peter Gusenberg for the job.
After days of watching and following McGurn, they opened fire while McGurn was using a public payphone inside a hotel lobby. Certain they had accomplished the mission, the brothers fled. But McGurn was lucky. After the initial salvo, he collapsed below the glass and was afforded some shielding from the bullets by the wood in the booth. Nevertheless, he was severely shot and was close to death. Because of the location of the shooting, McGurn was afforded quick access to medical attention. The worst scenario for the Moran gang had occurred, the survival of the most violent man in Capone's service.
Capone did not like the situation. The heat on his organisation was bad enough as it was, but knew that such an action was likely to set the gang wars on a new and deadly course. It is a common misconception that Capone masterminded the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. While it is true it was to his interest that these people were eliminated, he would have preferred it not occur. After all, this was McGurn's vendetta against Moran. So Capone left Chicago for Miami, to be as far away from complicity as possible.
McGurn planned carefully for this hit. He utilised two seasoned gunmen from Capone's group, Albert Anselmi and John Scalise. Also employed was a Chicago outsider, Fred Burke, and it is assumed that the fourth was another outsider, possibly a recruit from a gang in alliance with Capone's.
The plan was simple. Pose as police and pretend a raid. The question was, to raid what? The idea was to lure the gang together by creating a liquor transaction of Canadian Whisky from a 'supposed' dealer. This dealer would inform McGurn of the pickup location and the plan would execute. To ensure the snare would come off properly, it was tested to ensure the Moran boys were comfortable with the arrangement. After the first shipment, the trust factor ensured that Moran gang's guard would be down.
On the next occasion, Moran set the place of transaction to be at the S.M.C. Company garage. Moran would be handling the cash himself. McGurn was informed that Moran would be there himself at 10:30 am on February 14, a Thursday. There was one problem. The men McGurn hired for lookouts, didn't exactly know what Moran looked like.
More after the song-break! LA lalalalal llllaaaaaa ;D
Jimmy Valentine
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Valentine's Day 1929, Chicago. Valentine's Day occurs at an odd time of the year considering the aspect of the celebration. The day we see lots of heart-shaped cards, banners, and candy. A celebration of our mates, or the day we attempt to win the heart of one.
In Chicago, it was breezy, and very chilly at -8°C. The people were in place. The lookouts watched over the area, the men masquerading as police were ready to go. The lookouts reported they saw "Bugs" Moran enter the garage. The plan went into action. A police car drives up to the garage and witnesses alerted to the siren hurry to their windows. They see four men get out. Two policemen and two in plain clothes. They enter the garage and walk quickly through a corridor and announce that everyone is under arrest. With their lives only moments from ending, the seven men are confused and non-resistant to the 'police'. Present are Frank and Peter Gusenberg, Adam Heyer, James Clark, John May, A.R. Weinshank, and Dr. R. Schwimmer. Dr. Schwimmer, is the only innocent of the seven men. It is still a matter of historical debate as to Schwimmer's reasons for being at the garage that day. It is generally assumed he was a friend or relative of one the Moran gang. Whatever the reasons for his appearance, it could not have been on a worse occasion. Instead, it was Moran's lucky delay that spared him his life.
After the noise of shouting and ordering the men against the wall, there was a brief silence. A silence like a hollow, and echoing clicks. With the terrified men realising, now, it will soon be very loud, but for a moment for only them. The massacre began. With a loud crack the shotguns burst, the Tommy guns spat with ear-splitting ceaseless cracks of their own. It seemed an eternity of noise. Then a brief quiet. The gunmen now approached their victims and stood above them to make sure they would not live. They shot them where they lay, negotiating the shots by the living reflexes still present within their bodies.
The men then left. As curious onlookers watched, they saw two policemen, apparently 'arresting' two other men. They then got into the police car and drove away. McGurn, careful to keep his whereabouts above suspicion, was delighted at the result. But the job was not a complete success, "Bugs" Moran had lived.