The Great Alcatraz Escape: The Untold Story of Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers
It's likely we’ve all heard about the maximum-security prison where infamous criminals spent their time—Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and the notorious “Birdman of Alcatraz.”
This is the story of one of the greatest escapes and the mysterious events that took place at “The Rock,” aka Alcatraz!
A Fortress of Security
Alcatraz was first used during the Civil War.
However, it was fortified to become the highly secure prison we are all familiar with today. This major renovation occurred in 1934.
Upgraded security bars on the windows, strategically placed patrol towers, strict rules, and inmate checks over a dozen times a day made this prison sound like a nightmare.
Surrounded by the frigid, rough waters of the Pacific Ocean, Alcatraz is notoriously difficult for any escape attempts.
Despite these formidable defenses, from 1934 until the prison was closed in 1964, a total of 36 men attempted to escape 14 times.
Most were caught, while others died in their efforts. However, three men successfully escaped, and the mystery of their disappearance remains unsolved to this day.
The Three Amigos Who Escaped
Source: In order form left to right; John Anglin, Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris
Frank Morris, known as the mastermind behind the escape, arrived at Alcatraz in January 1960 after being convicted of various bank robberies, burglaries, and other escape attempts.
In the same year, John Anglin was sent to Alcatraz, followed by his brother Clarence Anglin in 1961.
These men knew each other from various stints in other prisons and coincidentally shared adjoining cells. It’s believed that this proximity is where the idea and plans for their escape originated.
Morris and the Anglin brothers were assisted by another inmate, Allen West.
Prison Lockdown and the Daring Escape
It was a bright and sunny day on June 12, 1962, when the guards started their early morning bed check. As they walked through the prison, something looked off.
One guard gasped, "Sound the Alarm." Frank, John, and Clarence had used dummies made out of plaster to resemble human heads, complete with real human hair, fooling the night guards.
The search for Morris and the Anglin brothers began immediately.
The prison was sent into lockdown—everyone was confined to their cells, all doors locked, and guards on high alert.
Investigating the Escape
The prison contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to assist in the investigation.
The San Francisco office of the FBI first identified the escapees and reviewed their past convictions, which showed all three men were tied to previous escape attempts.
Next, the FBI interviewed all family members, friends, and acquaintances.
They also notified boat operators in the vicinity to be on the lookout and alert authorities if anything suspicious, including any debris, was found.
The Mastermind’s Plan
The trio had been meticulously crafting their escape strategy since the previous December, sparked by one of them stumbling upon some old saw blades.
Armed with crude tools—including a homemade drill fashioned from a broken vacuum cleaner motor—the men began the painstaking process of loosening the air vents at the back of their cells.
They drilled closely spaced holes around the vent covers, carefully removing entire sections of the wall.
Once the vents were cleared, they cleverly concealed the openings using whatever materials they could find, such as suitcases and pieces of cardboard.
Navigating the Utility Corridor
Behind their cells lay a common, unguarded utility corridor.
The escapees made their way down this corridor and climbed up to the roof of their cell block, where they established a secret workshop.
Here, they took turns keeping watch for guards during the evenings before the final headcount.
Utilizing a makeshift “periscope” they had constructed for lookout purposes, they worked tirelessly using a mix of stolen and donated materials to prepare their escape tools.
Crafting the Escape Gear
Over 50 raincoats, either stolen or gathered, were transformed into makeshift life preservers.
They also constructed a 6x14 foot rubber raft, meticulously stitching the seams together and using the prison’s hot steam pipes to vulcanize the material—an idea inspired by magazines found in their cells.
Additionally, they built wooden paddles and repurposed a musical instrument into a tool for inflating the raft.
Scaling the Walls
Simultaneously, they searched for a way out of the building.
With the ceiling standing a formidable 30 feet high, they ingeniously used a network of pipes to climb up and eventually pry open the ventilator at the top of the shaft.
To keep it in place temporarily, they fashioned a fake bolt out of soap, ensuring their escape route remained undetected.
The Great Escape
On the evening of June 11, everything was set for their daring escape.
However, Allen West did not manage to fully remove his ventilator grill and was inadvertently left behind.
Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin proceeded into the utility corridor, gathered their escape gear, and climbed out through the ventilator onto the prison roof.
From there, they navigated down the bakery smoke stack at the rear of the cell house, scaled over the fence, and made their way to the northeast shore of the island to launch their meticulously prepared raft.
The Mystery Continues
What happened after their escape remains one of the greatest mysteries in criminal history.
Did they successfully navigate the treacherous waters of the Bay, reach Angel Island, and then cross Raccoon Strait into Marin County as planned?
Or did the unforgiving wind and waves claim their lives?
Many have dedicated significant effort to proving that the men could have survived, but the question remains unanswered.
The FBI’s investigation at the time concluded otherwise for several reasons:
- Crossing the Bay: While some have successfully swum the more than mile-long distance from Alcatraz to Angel Island, the strong currents and frigid waters of the Bay made the odds heavily stacked against the escapees.
- Three if by Land: According to a prison informant, the plan included stealing clothes and a car once on land. However, no evidence of such thefts was ever uncovered, despite the high-profile nature of the case.
- Family Ties: If the escapees had received external assistance, there was no substantiated evidence. Their families appeared unlikely to have had the financial means to provide substantial support.
- Missing in Action: Over the 17 years the FBI worked on the case, no credible evidence emerged to suggest that the men were still alive, either in the U.S. or abroad.
Case Closed
The FBI officially closed its case on December 31, 1979, transferring responsibility to the U.S. Marshals Service, which continues to investigate in the unlikely event that the trio is still alive.
Conclusion
The escape from Alcatraz remains a testament to human ingenuity and the relentless desire for freedom.
Whether Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin survived their daring breakout is still a subject of debate and fascination.
As we uncover more details and theories, the legend of the Alcatraz escape continues to captivate our imagination.
