Three Men Escaped Alcatraz, Evaded the FBI, and Lived Secret Lives
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What happened during the Alcatraz escape in 1962?
In the same way the Titanic was unsinkable until it sank, Alcatraz was inescapable until three inmates escaped. In 1962, Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin masterminded a prison break and seemingly executed it to a T. Afterward, the Alcatraz authorities and the FBI alleged the men died in the frigid waters of the San Francisco Bay, but those were the same people who'd claimed the prison was inescapable. The three inmates clearly outwitted the prison guards, and those same smarts may have helped them outrun the FBI and the U.S. Marshals for over 50 years, while leading secret second lives in South America. Welcome to Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify podcast. I'm Carter Roy. New episodes come out every Wednesday. You can listen to the audio everywhere and watch the video only on Spotify. And be sure to check us out on Instagram at The Conspiracy Pod. This episode contains discussions of crime. Consider this when deciding how and when you'll listen. Stay with us.
Hi there, this is Steve Fishman from Orbit Media. Our new series, season four in the Burden Feed, is Get the Money and Run.
How did the inmates plan their escape?
You'll love it. Here's the trailer. I'm standing here with Joe Loya. Over 14 months, Joe robbed so many banks, he lost count.
just terrify these people and get them so scared that not only would they give me the cash, they would give me their terror and made me feel strong. All I know is we're f***ing helpless. All I know is anarchy. All I know is chaos. I just leaned into that.
Listen to Get the Money and Run on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
In the mid 20th century, Alcatraz's prisoners had a reputation. They were either infamous or deemed most likely to attempt escape. There were some exceptions, but from the 1930s to the 1960s, if wardens caught a criminal breaking out of another prison, they'd seriously consider sending him to Alcatraz. The prison featured some of the most stringent security measures in history. 12 official head counts a day, constant surveillance, tool-proof cell bars, automatic locks, hidden microphones. A convict passed through eight metal detectors a day, minimum. In the cafeteria, prisoners ate beneath silver ornaments, not decorations. They were canisters of tear gas, ready to drop in case of a riot, like the one that broke out in 1946.
In the yard, armed guards patrolled high catwalks so nothing would go unnoticed. The surrounding fence, topped with barbed wire, was almost unnecessary because anyone who climbed it faced the San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz is an island, and that's how it got its nickname, The Rock. On all sides, freezing cold water crashes and roils. Even if a prisoner evaded the headcounts, gun towers, and barbed wire, they'd still need to swim a mile and a half minimum to shore. All this to say, it was shocking when three prisoners went missing. It started early morning on Tuesday, June 12, 1962, as a patrolman walked through B Block doing his head count. When Frank Morris didn't emerge from his cell, the guards shouted to wake him up.
What security measures were in place at Alcatraz?
But Frank didn't move. This was strange. Inmates knew to be up for inspection or risk punishment. The guard repeated his orders. He wouldn't give them again. No response. Angry, the patrolman opened the cell and nudged Frank. Frank's head moved. Then it clattered on the floor, disembodied. The patrolman yelped. He looked at the decapitated head and... Anne realized it was made of papier-mâché and paint. It had cracked when it hit the hard floor. Within minutes, patrolmen found two more papier-mâché heads in cells normally occupied by brothers John and Clarence Anglin. Further inspection revealed loose ventilation grates in all three cells, with holes leading to an underused utility corridor.
Inside the corridor, they found a workshop with glues, screws, wrenches, and raincoat scraps scattered about. Records showed 52 raincoats had gone missing over the past few months. A ventilation shaft hung high above the utility corridor, and sure enough, it opened to the roof. On the roof, they found footprints. At that, they sounded the escape siren.
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