History: St. Valentine's Day Massacre
The Day That Turned Love Into Murder
Murder, of course!
On a February evening in north Chicago in 1929, seven well-tailored men were found riddled with lead in the S.M.C. Cartage garage. It didn't take long to figure out that they were gangsters, but another mystery endured: How were they killed so easily?
During the height of prohibition, a war between Al "Scarface" Capone and George "Bugs" Moran broke out in Chicago. The two were bitter enemies. When the murder hit the papers, Capone declared, "The only man who kills like that is Bugs Moran." At the same time, Moran proclaimed, "Only Capone kills guys like that."
Of course, it was Moran's thugs that were killed, so Capone immediately became the prime suspect. Actually, he was the only suspect, but the murders could never be pinned on him.
Here's how events went down on Feb. 14, 1929:
Three policemen and two other men in civilian clothing entered a building at 2122 N. Clark St. The Moran gang, who thought it was a police raid, followed the officers' directions, dropped their weapons and faced the wall. Then the cops opened fire on them.
Why? Because, of course, they weren't really cops -- they were Capone's henchmen in disguise. Capone had lured them there with the help of a fake bootlegger who said he wanted to buy moonshine at an attractive price.
Amazingly, there was one survivor. A barely conscious Frank Gusenberg was found under the pile of bodies. At the hospital, police asked him the identity of the killer. "I'm not gonna talk," said Gusenberg. He died soon after.
The Valentine's Day Massacre catapulted Capone to national celebrity status. Capone, whose fortune was estimated to be about $60 million, would never be arrested for the Valentine's Day Massacre or for any of his serious crimes. Instead, he was indicted for tax evasion.
A couple of months before the massacre, Capone was overheard making plans to kill Moran. An associate told Capone that he would have to kill many of Moran's friends to get to him.
"I'll send flowers," Capone replied. Now that's love.
