Winner of the Fall 2016 StMU History Media Award for
Best Descriptive Article
Orders were given and on a cold morning on February 14, 1929, five men sped down the streets of Chicago in a stolen police car to ambush a rival gang in the hopes of ending their rule and territory in Chicago. The hit was believed to be ordered by Chicago’s most notorious gangster, Al Capone.1 Capone had been running most of the Chicago crime scene by this time but rival gangs did step into his territory from time to time and one that continued to be a nuisance was the gang belonging to George “Bugs” Moran. Moran was despised in Chicago and it was believed that Capone thought that if he allowed his men to put an end to Moran, he would be doing his city a great service.2
It is believed that one of Al Capone’s closest men, Jack McGurn, known as “Machine Gun” McGurn to his fellow members, was the man who put the idea into Capone’s head to take out Moran and his gang. McGurn was a man who enjoyed displaying his riches and made his wealth well known to all those around him. Once Moran took notice of McGurn, he set the assassination of McGurn into play and ordered two of his best hit men, Pete and Frank Gusenberg, to take out McGurn. The Gusenberg brothers left McGurn for dead and thought they had succeeded in killing him, but unbeknownst to them, McGurn survived the brutal attack.3 It was at this time that McGurn knew he would have to retaliate and he would not just take down the Gusenberg brothers, but the entire Moran gang.
After getting approval from Capone, the hit was strategically planned and carried out by McGurn. McGurn spent weeks following Moran and his men, watching every move they made to plan out his attack.4 McGurn would need a clever plan to get a man like Moran alone long enough to kill him. After tailing the Moran gang for some time, he learned that they frequented a small, dimly lit garage on North Clark Street. It was here that Moran accepted deliveries and distributed the alcohol he purchased for his bootlegging business.5 It was also the perfect spot to carry out McGurn’s gruesome plan.
McGurn knew what he needed to do to get the job finished. He placed a call that would allow him to get Moran and his men alone in the garage so that McGurn’s team would be able get in and out without being noticed. On February 13th Moran received word that a boat carrying a shipment of high quality whiskey had been raided on its way from Canada to Detroit, and the men who had taken the cargo were looking to unload it at a very reasonable price. Moran jumped at the offer and agreed to meet the men in his garage the following morning at 10:30AM. 6 Up to this point, Jack McGurn’s plan was going just as he had hoped. He rallied his men and had them ready to take down the man he had had his eye on ever since his attempted assassination on McGurn, George “Bugs” Moran.
S.M.C. Cartage Co.
George “Bugs” Moran’s operations headquarters | Photo courtesy of troytaylorbooks.com
The next morning seven of Moran’s men, who included, Pete and Frank Gusenberg, John May, Albert R. Weinshank, James Clark, Adam Heyer, and Dr.Reinhart H. Schwimmer entered the garage at 2122 North Clark Street.7 Two men serving as lookouts for McGurn quickly alerted him that the men had entered the garage and McGurn and his men sprang into action. McGurn’s team consisted of, Fred Burke, John Scalise, James Ray and Joseph Lolodro and McGurn himself.8 Three of the men disguised themselves as police officers and all five piled into a stolen police car, sped down the icy streets of Chicago and into the small garage. They exited the car and demanded the seven men put their hands up and line up against the wall. Moran’s men thought they had been caught in a Prohibition raid and cooperated with the “police officers.” Despite being known as the gangland murder capital, what happened next would shock the city of Chicago.9 Carrying two Tommy guns and two twelve gauge shotguns, McGurn’s men opened fire on their victims, spraying them with bullets, the entire job lasting only two minutes.10 The men fell to the ground, their blood covering the floor of the garage in a thick layer. When the job was complete, the men walked out of the garage in such a manner as to make onlookers believe they were being arrested. The “police officers” escorted the “criminals” to the car, locked them in, then entered the car themselves and drove off.11
- Laurence Bergreen, Capone The Man and The Era, (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994), 305-306. ↵
- Bergreen, Capone The Man and The Era, 306. ↵
- Bergreen, Capone The Man and The Era, 305. ↵
- Bergreen, Capone The Man and The Era, 306. ↵
- Bergreen, Capone The Man and The Era, 307. ↵
- Fred D. Pasley, Al Capone The Biography of a Self-Made Man (New York: Books for Libraries Press, 1930), 252. ↵
- Jonathan Eig, Get Capone The Secret Plot That Captured America’s Most Wanted Gangster (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2010), 188. ↵
- Pasley, Capone The Man and The Era, 259-260. ↵
- Eig, Get Capone The Secret Plot That Captured America’s Most Wanted Gangster, 193. ↵
- Eig, Get Capone The Secret Plot That Captured America’s Most Wanted Gangster, 189. ↵
- Pasley, Al Capone The Biography of a Self-Made Man, 256. ↵
45 comments
Mario Sosa
The life of a mobster seems to be anything but normal. I can see why there have been many movies on these guys. It was so fascinating to read how McGurn’s men made their getaway by disguising some of themselves as policemen. It makes me wonder what other clever strategies these mobsters used to evade authorities. Great storytelling, lots of detail, outstanding job!
Alyssa Valdez
I thought that this article was absolutely amazing! It could just be my love for part murders and my criminology major kicking in but I thought that this article was very interesting and informative, Im looking forward to reading the second part and learning even more about these interesting men. I’ve heard much about Al Capone so it was interesting to learn about the men that stood so close to his side!
Teresa Valdez
This is a very compelling article. While the action drives the narrative, the article feels well supported with many interesting historical details, like their nicknames. I cannot believe that this horrific act took place in just two minutes. These men were so deeply entrenched in crime, it is almost clever of them to think of disguising themselves as police officers.
Gabriela Medrano
Interesting article, I loved it! It was so detailed from the moment he watched him to how it all went down south. McGurn is a real genius, his scheme was just like a movie. Your writing style was such an easy read and I was able to fan out what the scenery must have been. Writing about a gangster is a creative way to depict these guys as for what they truly are, bad guys trying to do “good deeds.” I will be on the watch for part II of this article!
Sergio Cervantes
I loved how you opened the article by describing the day of the massacre. I read once about this massacre but knew very little about the small details of the event. For example, I did not know the criminals were dressed as police officers and conducted themselves in such a manner so as to convince the other gang that it was a police raid. It is interesting to read how the gangs of Chicago would resolve unfinished business using their own methods instead of resorting to the police.
Briana Bustamante
Great and well informed article! I felt that I was reading a story that I just wanted to continue to read more about. I found it crazy that McGurn survived, and then plotted a mastermind plan that would be so petrifying. You gave such good description that I imagined this whole story in my head. For example, in the beginning when you stated that, “five men sped down the streets of Chicago in a stolen police car to ambush a rival gang” to “McGurn’s men opened fire on their victiams, spraying them with bullets”. These descriptions and illustrations made your article so good and easy to read.
Andrew Ramon
This article is amazing. It’s no wonder how this received the award for “most descriptive article.” Every single detail is said perfectly, allowing the reader to picture exactly what happened that day. The carnage and mayhem that occurred on that day is something that will be remembered forever. It’s also unbelievable how no one was convicted for something this horrific, truly a sign of the times. It was a pleasure reading this article and I hope I see more amazing articles just like this one!
Jennifer Pogue
Wonderful article. It is clear why you were awarded the Best Descriptive Article award. The opening of your article is very clear and makes me want to keep reading. I have never heard of this article, but it is fascinating. It makes me wonder why many Americans are intrigued by crimes. On my articles, I want the flow of and and writing style to be similar to yours. I have to keep reading part 2!
Maalik Stansbury
I love how this is told. You expressed the best aspect of Al Capone in the way of a story. Telling it to us as if it was a book. I love that, it makes it more involved with teh reader you do an excellent job with performing and presenting the information on what you found. I especially love how you begin this article, a very creative way to write an article about Al Capone.
Aylin Salinas
Wow, this article really caught my attention! You did a wonderful job going from a general to a more specific topic. The entire massacre was very well planned out!