FAQs
The perpetrators have never been conclusively identified, but former members of the Egan's Rats gang working for Capone are suspected of involvement; others have said that members of the Chicago Police Department who allegedly wanted revenge for the killing of a police officer's son played a part.
Where is the St. Valentine's day massacre wall? ›
Over the next 42 years, the bricks were featured in a traveling exhibit, housed in a short-lived crime museum and displayed in a nightclub restroom. They finally found a permanent home at The Mob Museum.
What was the St Valentine's day massacre and how does it represent the height of mob violence during the Prohibition era? ›
Valentine's Day Massacre, mass murder of a group of unarmed bootlegging gang members in Chicago on February 14, 1929. The bloody incident dramatized the intense rivalry for control of the illegal liquor traffic during the Prohibition era in the United States.
How many people died in the St. Valentine's day massacre? ›
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre is a particularly bloody chapter in organized crime history. On Valentine's Day 1929, Thompson submaching guns shot and murdered seven men from Chicago's North Side Gang, headed by George Clarence “Bugs” Moran.
What happened to Jack McGurn? ›
His wife left him and he was reduced to getting involved in small-time narcotics deals, which at the time was an activity the mob forbade its members to become involved in. On February 14, 1936, McGurn was in a Chicago bowling alley when he was cornered by five hitmen who opened fire on him, killing him instantly.
How was the bullet evidence stored in the St. Valentine's Day massacre? ›
Bullets removed from the bodies of the Massacre victims were collected in envelopes with notes on where the bullet was found. This envelope held a bullet (the larger of the two shown) removed from the lower right side of John May's back.
Who invented Valentine's Day? ›
At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day, and since then, February 14th has been a day of celebration—though it was generally more religious than romantic.
What was the height of the mob? ›
The five Mafia families in New York City are still active, albeit less powerful. The peak of the Mafia in the United States was during the 1940s, and the 1950s, until the year 1970 when the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO Act) was enacted.
Who were the mobs in the 1920s? ›
Mafias across the United States, in Canada, and in the Caribbean were involved in organized crime in the 1920s. Mob bosses included Al 'Scarface' Capone and Johnny Torrio of the Chicago Outfit and New York kingpin Charles 'Lucky' Luciano. Famous rumrunners include Arnold Rothstein and William 'Bill' McCoy.
What impact did the St Valentine's day massacre have? ›
Downfall of Public Enemy No. 1. Though the St. Valentine's Day Massacre marked the end of any significant gang opposition to Capone's rule in Chicago, it can also be said to have marked the beginning of his downfall.
Possible ancient origins
The "Feast" (Latin: "in natali", lit.: on the birthday) of Saint Valentine originated in Christendom and has been marked by the Western Church of Christendom in honour of one of the Christian martyrs named Valentine, as recorded in the 8th-century Gelasian Sacramentary.
When was the first Valentine's day massacre? ›
Valentine's Day Massacre. On February 14, 1929, seven members and associates of George “Bugs” Moran's bootlegging gang were lined up against a wall and shot dead inside the garage at 2122 North Clark Street. Al Capone's Chicago Outfit was widely suspected of ordering the hit, but no one was ever prosecuted.
Who was responsible for the St. Valentine's Day massacre? ›
Although he was never prosecuted for the crime, it is widely believed that Al Capone was behind the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
What was found in Fred Burke's house? ›
Police found papers in Burke's wrecked car that led them to his house, where they found an arsenal that included two Thompson submachine guns. The guns and ammunition were delivered to Dr. Calvin Goddard's crime lab in Chicago.
Who is the most notorious gangster in Chicago, Illinois? ›
Chicago's most infamous Prohibition-era crime boss, Al Capone is best known for his violence and ruthlessness in his elimination of his rivals.
What is the truth behind Valentine's Day? ›
Turns out, it was a pretty common name during Late Antiquity. As far as anyone can tell, the Saint Valentine of Valentine's Day was one of two guys preaching the good word in Rome in the third century. One of these two was martyred on February 14th 269, thus giving us the date for his eponymous day.
