DID YOU KNOW? (ALCATRAZ) Touted as Al Capon’s official home.

Alcatraz is the ultimate maximum security prison, known as the most secure in the world.

The infamous Federal Penitentiary is located on Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California.

Alcatraz enjoys fame housing some of the most dangerous criminals in the United States like: -Al Capone (Scarface); Robert Frank -Alvin Karpis ( Author and the leader of the Kapis gang); Machine Gun Kelly- the famous robber and kidnapper nicknamed Public enemy Number 1.

Mikey Cohen was the only prisoner ever bailed out of Alcatraz.

Cohen’s bond appeals failed however, and he was sent to a federal prison in Atlanta.

Alcatraz was built to trap prisoners that had caused problems or attempted to escape from other federal penitentiaries.

Famous drug lord, Al Capone was Alcatraz’s first inmate just 10 days after the prison was opened.

The former bouncer who was locked for income tax evasion served 7 years, six months and 15 days. He was on November 16, 1939.

On its own, Alcatraz Island is a small island 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore from San Francisco, California, United States.

The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military prison.

In 1934, the island was converted into a federal prison, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.

The strong currents around the island and cold water temperatures made escape nearly impossible, and the prison became one of the most notorious in American history.

It was closed in 1963, after operating for more than 29 years.

The island is now a major tourist attraction.

The prison officially closed down because it was too expensive to maintain. It would have required about $3 million to $5 million for further maintenance and restoration work to keep it open. This was not even taking into account the operating costs that were required daily. It was costing almost 3 times as much to operate this prison when considering the cost per capita per inmate.

Everything needed by the prison needed to be supplied by boat. Water, supplies, fuel, and food had to be carried over by boat to the prison. When you consider the amount of freshwater that would be required, the costs really started to add up! Every week approximately 1 million gallons of freshwater had to be sent by barge over to the island. The operating costs put the prison out of business.

Alcatraz Island became a Park Service site in 1972 and the doors were open to the public for Alcatraz Island tours in 1973.

After its closure and before it officially became a tourist attraction, the island was abandoned. There were many proposals put on the table regarding the future of the island and the prison, including putting a statue there or a hotel and shopping center complex.

Every year more than 1 million visitors come to the island making their way from all 4 corners of the world. It’s a fascinating area to explore and a chance to get an up-close and personal view of the most notorious prison in the world.