Happy Valentine’s Day.
Ninety-one years ago today, St. Valentine’s Day as it was known then, wasn’t so happy in Chicago. A mass murder, labeled the Valentine’s Day Massacre, was executed after significant planning.
The year was 1929 and prohibition laws ruled the land. And, Al Capone ruled Chicago. But George “Bugs” Moran and his northside Irish gang wanted more than what Capone thought was his fair share of the lucrative bootleg booze biz.
Capone escaped the winters of Chicago by living in Miami for the season. While down there his right-hand man, Jack ” Machine Gun” McGurn, visited and together they crafted a plan to squash Bugs and his gang. Capone ordered the Detroit “Purple Gang” to handle this so that no one in Chicago could identify them.
The plan included a stolen police car and two stolen police uniforms, and two lookouts. A planted bootlegger was expected to enter the premises at 10:30 AM to sell some stolen liquor to the eager Moran. The lookouts thought they saw Bugs enter into the North Clark St. gang headquarters then and signaled so.
Two Detroit gang members entered posing as cops. Two others entered in plain clothes. Bugs’ gang believed that this was just another police shakedown and cooperated by lining up against a wall and surrendering their guns. The four proceeded to riddle the seven inside with multiple gunshot wounds. All of them died.
But, none of them were Bugs Moran. He arrived a few minutes later and stayed a safe distance away also believing it to be just another police money shakedown.
After the massacre, the two posing as cops walked out, guns pointed at the two others who participated and now were posing as arrested gang members with their hands held high. And, off they drove.
The massacre drew national headlines and is thought to be the catalyst to get the reluctant FBI involved in gang warfare.
Witnesses were interviewed. Many mistakenly identified local policemen who were nowhere near at the time. Suspects were interrogated. No one was ever arrested.
Bugs Moran survived by being late for a meeting. But the statement made was understood loud and clear.
Capone had the perfect alibi. He was living large in sunny Miami. And, from afar his legend grew even larger.
Shorty sat on the shorter of the two “halves” of the 55 gallon drum. Imagine that. Each were cut down to size and retrofitted with a soft cushion top. Lefty looked confused-very.