Every month, SKILLSET Magazine looks back on infamous crimes and cases throughout history. This month, we highlight a case that has sparked many a movie and documentary and lives on as one of the most violent crimes of the MOB era, The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
Valentine’s Day is a day for love and showing appreciation to those who are special in our lives. However, on February 14, 1929, in Chicago, Illinois, one of the most horrific and prolific gang fights occurred. The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre will forever be marked as an unforgettable holiday. It is also remembered as a day when much love was lost.
The Build Up
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The 1920s in Chicago were an era of mafia control throughout the city. The constant fight for power finally came to a head on Valentine’s Day in 1929. Two men disguised as police officers murdered seven men from the North Side Gang. The seven victims were lined up against a wall and shot to death in the Lincoln Park garage. This was during Prohibition. There was fierce competition to bring in bootleg booze. Since it was so highly sought after, it was extremely lucrative. Violence between gang associates began to escalate due to the severity of this competition.
The biggest rift was between the Irish North Siders, led by George “Bugs” Moran, and the Italian Chicago Outfit, led by Al Capone.
The territory for control spanned through the city of Chicago, even into the suburb of Cicero. The rival gangs were not only vying for “rights” or places to sell illegal alcohol. They were also trying to obtain business in dog racing and cleaning operations. Several saloons that had once been run by Capone had been taken over by the North Side gang. This did not sit well with Capone. Capone had such a hold on the city of Chicago that, on numerous occasions, the North Side Gang tried to hire a hit on Capone but could not find anyone to carry it out who wasn’t already on Capone’s payroll. Finally, the fight over territory and business escalated to the murders at the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre.
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The St Valentine’s Day Massacre
Turning to the victims, all those killed in the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre were part of the North Side Gang. The victims were: Enforcers Peter Gusenberg, Frank Gusenberg, Albert Kachellek (the second in command), Adam Heyer (the bookkeeper), Reinhardt Schwimmer, Albert Weinshank, and John May.
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The incident occurred at 10:30 AM at 2122 North Clark St. in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. This was on the North Side of Chicago. Four men carried various firearms, including two Tommy guns. Two of the men were dressed as police officers. The other two wore formal business attire. Like many of these crimes, the gangsters were brazen. They committed the executions in front of witnesses. All witnesses stated they saw the four men lead the seven men at gunpoint to a wall. They lined them up. All seven men were shot and killed immediately or left for dead. Witnesses also saw a Cadillac sedan pull up. They observed the four men, two dressed as police officers, get out of the vehicle with “Tommy” guns and shotguns.
The Scene
The crime scene had to be brutal, given the number of men who were shot and how many times they were shot. It is also said that two of the seven victims no longer had faces after the firearm blasts. Chicago PD officers found Frank Gusenberg, one of the gang’s enforcers, still alive but with 14 bullet wounds. He was rushed to the hospital. His health was stabilized long enough for law enforcement to try to ask him questions about the incident. Gusenberg refused to answer any questions. He said he refused to speak but begged authorities to keep him in the hospital. Unfortunately, he died three hours later before police officers could question him further.
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At that time, crime scene investigation was not as advanced as it is today. Ballistic comparison was already considered solid science. Although forensic testing at the time did not have today’s capabilities, it was helpful in this case. Bullet fragments were collected. They are now located in the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada. Law Enforcement tested two machine guns found in a raid and determined they were involved in the massacre. It also appeared that one of the firearms may have been used in several other killings.
The Suspects
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There are many potential suspects who committed the crime. One might even have been a Chicago PD officer who wanted revenge for the slaying of another officer’s son. The original plan seems to have been to kill “Bugs” Moran, who ran the North Side gang. Any business venture taken from Capone was most likely ordered by Moran. Capone’s men set up the meeting to get the North Side gang members all in one spot. It also appears the plan was to kill Moran and some of his lieutenants. Luck was on Moran’s side that day. He did not come with the other seven men because he was late leaving his hotel. Moran and another gang member were just arriving at the scene when they saw police officers approaching. The two quickly walked away and warned other gang members not to go there.
The shooting likely continued despite Moran’s absence because Albert Weinshank, similar in appearance to Moran, was present and may have been mistaken for him.
When everyone arrived at the meeting spot, the men disguised as police officers lined up the seven gang members. The other two men joined them. They opened fire. The two suspects who carried the “Tommy guns” were outfitted with a 20-round box magazine. The other had a 50-round drum. These already powerful weapons became much more threatening.
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The Aftermath
Once word spread about the massacre, the public expressed concern about the escalating violence in their city. As a result of this push, Al Capone was soon asked to testify in Chicago on charges of federal Prohibition violations. He was too sick to appear before the grand jury.
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Law Enforcement tried to piece together who was directly involved with the North Side gang. Of course, much speculation focused on Al Capone and his gang, since it was well known that “Bugs” Moran’s guys were infiltrating Capone’s business.
Other evidence found was the alleged Cadillac sedan. A little less than a week after the massacre, police officers were called to a garage. There sat a 1927 Cadillac sedan, mostly taken apart and set on fire. They traced the engine to a man named James Morton in Los Angeles. Authorities traced the garage renter, who was loosely tied to Capone’s gang. However, no other information about the engine owner or the garage owner was found. None of their leads seemed solid. But all the evidence pointed somewhat to Capone’s involvement.
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre suspects were never truly identified, yet there was always speculation about who the culprits were and who hired them. That day in 1929 will still be remembered as the bloodiest Valentine’s Day.
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