La Isla De Los Alcatraz

Alcatraz was a maximum security prison that operated on an island near San Francisco from 1934 to 1963. It is a popular tourist attraction today, but it was once known for housing some of the nations most notorious and dangerous criminals such as Al Capone. “The Rock”, as it is sometimes refereed to, was closed down because its expenses of operation became to high. The Rock has a long, dark history as it was also used as a military prison from the 1850s to 1933. It is reported that no inmate ever escaped from Alcatraz and lived. In 1775 the Island was first named La Isla de los Alcatraces which translates to “Island of the Pelicans” by a Spaniard, Juan Manuel de Ayala. A fortress with 100 cannons was built in the 1850s on the island to protect …show more content…
The men escaped through secret tunnels in their cell created with makeshift tools. The men used decoys of their heads that apparently fooled the guards until morning, but by the time they were discovered missing, they had already floated away on a raft made of raincoats. They found the raft and some of the prisoners personal belongings were found, but the men weren't. After several weeks, an unidentifiable body in a blue clothing like the prison uniform was found near the scene. The men are presumed dead, but there are a few people who believe they could have actually escaped. The most violent escape attempt became known as “The Battle of Alcatraz.” Bernard Coy broke into one of the prison's gun galleries and strangled the guard inside. He stole guns for himself and 5 accomplices. Together, they captured nine unarmed guards and locked them in cells, but their plan fell apart when they couldn't find the keys they needed to escape. The desperate escapees started firing at the guards. The following shoot out resulted in the death of 2 officers and 3 inmates. The other two inmates were executed by gas chamber and the other received a 99 year