During the history of Alcatraz as a Federal prison, there were 1576 register numbers issued, with twenty-eight inmates receiving two numbers under separate prison terms. Theodore "Blackie" Audett would be alone in the distinction of having been issued three numbers, for three separate terms at Alcatraz. In the final a.s.sessment, 1546 inmates served time at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.
Theodore "Blackie" Audett would hold the unique distinction of being the only inmate ever to serve three separate terms at Alcatraz.
In July of 1964, the abandoned prison was turned over to the General Services Agency, which offered use of the property to other governmental agencies. John Hart, a former correctional officer at Alcatraz, remained on the island with his family as a lighthouse keeper and caretaker for the island. They continued to receive the San Francisco Chronicle, which was regularly dropped by a news helicopter, but otherwise lived in relative isolation.
The island remained essentially abandoned while several parties presented proposals for its use, ranging from erecting a West Coast version of the Statue of Liberty, to building a monument in honor of America"s s.p.a.ce Program, complete with a memorial modeled on an Apollo s.p.a.ce capsule. In June of 1968, San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto issued an appeal for public propositions. After a series of long battles and debates, which included an acceptance by the board of a proposal by Texas millionaire Lamar Hunt to develop the island as commercial property, the Secretary for the Department of the Interior ordered a draft plan for public recreational use of the abandoned prison site. But the battles over Alcatraz were not yet over. A group of Native American activists would also choose the island as the ideal place to make a political stand.
The Indian Occupation
On November 20, 1969, a large group of American Indians landed on Alcatraz and claimed it for the Indian Nation. They offered to purchase the island for twenty-four dollars, payable in beads and red cloth the same amount paid by the government to natives for "a similar island 300 years ago."
A Native American tee-pee is clearly visible next to one of the island pathways in 1970. This was a symbol of their quest for peace and freedom.
The ma.s.sive fires that were started on June 1, 1970 during the Indian Occupation ultimately destroyed several key structures, including the Warden"s mansion and the lighthouse.
On November 20, 1969, a large group of American Indians landed on Alcatraz and claimed the island as Indian property. The group articulated great plans, and hoped to establish an educational Native American Cultural Center. Overwhelming public support had developed for the movement, with advocates ranging from celebrities to members of the h.e.l.l"s Angels. The Indians had the attention of both the media and the government. Federal officials met with the group, often sitting crossed-legged on blankets inside the old prison Dining Hall, discussing the social needs of the Indians. The volume of visitors became overwhelming, and the island started to become a haven for the homeless and the less fortunate. The Indians soon were faced with the same problems that had a.s.sailed the prison administration: there were no natural resources on the island, and all food and water had to be ferried over by boat. This was an expensive and exhausting process.
Despite special prohibitions that had been declared by the Native Americans, drugs and alcohol were prominently smuggled onto Alcatraz, and the situation quickly became unmanageable. The social organization of the group soon fell apart, and the Indians were forced to resort to drastic measures in order to survive. In an attempt to raise money to buy food, they allegedly began stripping copper wiring and tubing from the island buildings for sale as sc.r.a.p metal. The worst tragedy occurred when Yvonne Oakes, the daughter of one of the key activists, fell to her death from the third story balcony of an apartment building. The Oakes family left the island in grave despair, and never returned. Then late on the evening of June 1, 1970, fires started by the occupants raged through several of the prison buildings, as well as the Warden"s home, the lighthouse keeper"s residence, and the Officers" Club, and badly damaged the historic lighthouse that had been built in 1854.
By now tensions had developed between Federal officials and the Indians, as the Federal agents blamed the activists for the destruction, and the activists blamed government saboteurs. The press, which until this point had been largely sympathetic toward the Indians, now turned against their cause, and began to publish stories of alleged beatings and a.s.saults among the island"s new residents. Public support for the Indians fell drastically. The original organizers had all deserted the island, and those who remained fought amongst themselves, thus providing clear evidence of a loss of solidarity in their society. On June 11, 1971, twenty Federal marshals and Coast Guard officers descended on the island and removed the remaining residents. All were taken to Treasure Island under protective custody, and this marked the official end of the Indian occupation of Alcatraz.
From Penitentiary to National Park
Despite the fact that Alcatraz has been closed for several decades, its reputation still lives on, and continues to inspire both fictional and non-fictional books and films. The fictional movie "the Rock," starring Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage, and Ed Harris, and JJ Abrams television series "Alcatraz" are just a few productions set against the backdrop of Alcatraz.
Alcatraz will forever remain woven into the fabric of life in San Francisco, and it will stand as an iconic symbol in the annals of American history and folklore.
Former Alcatraz inmates reunite with officers and family members at one of the anniversary events held on Alcatraz each year. Seen here are former inmates Glenn Nathan Williams and Jim Quillen. Both men have written compelling books about their time served at the infamous prison.
Former inmate Glenn "Nate" Williams with the author in 1991 on Alcatraz during a research visit for this book (photo courtesy of Joy Williams).
Willie Radkay, a veteran of Alcatraz. He is seen here during one of the reunions in 2002, at age ninety-one. Radkay and Machine Gun Kelly shared cells adjacent to one another, and was also close friends with Dale Stamphill and Basil "Owl" Banghart.
Armory Officer Clifford Fish returned to Alcatraz in 2002, which was the first time since his retirement from the prison in 1962. He is seen with a Discovery Channel film crew filming inside the Alcatraz "Dungeon".
Former inmate Tom Kent and Father Bernie Bush meet with visitors inside the cellhouse chapel to discuss their memories of Alcatraz during a reunion event.
Former Alcatraz Inmate Bob Luke with the author during his first ever look inside the East Gun Gallery in 2011. Luke had kept his past a secret for over 50-years, before finally going public and visiting Alcatraz as a free man.
Former inmates Darwin c.o.o.n (left) and Leon Thompson (right) with former guard John Hernan (center) inside the prison hospital during an Alcatraz reunion event in 2003. Thompson pa.s.sed away in 2005 and c.o.o.n in 2011. Thompson"s obituary read in part: "He was a tough guy of the old school, a bank robber and hardened criminal who spent 24 years in prison including four years of hard time in Alcatraz. He also turned his life around, becoming a best-selling author who spent his last free years riding motorcycles and gardening, painting and raising two wolves, among other pets, at his home in Fiddletown, an old Gold Rush town in Amador County." Darwin c.o.o.n was also an important presence on the Rock and frequently returned to meet with visitors. He lived in San Francisco with a prominent view of Alcatraz outside his window. He openly shared his story and helped shape the real story of life inside Alcatraz.
Thompson on Alcatraz in July of 1960.
Alcatraz"s youngest Correctional Officer Frank Heaney, with former officer Larry Quilligan in 2008. Both men arrived on Alcatraz during the same period and roommates for a brief period on the island.
Frank Heaney arrived at Alcatraz in 1948. He was hired by Warden Swope when only 21-years of age and became the youngest officer to serve on the island.
In 1972, Congress created the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Alcatraz Island was included as part of the new National Park Service unit. The island was opened to the public on October 25, 1973, and it has since become one of the most popular Park Service sites, with more than one million visitors from around the world each year. Today Alcatraz is considered an ecological preserve, and it is home to one of the largest western gull colonies on the northern California coast. The thrill of touring Alcatraz derives both from the awareness of its historical significance, and from the various portrayals of prison life that have been popularized through Hollywood motion pictures. People come from all over the world to meet eye-to-eye with the ghosts of America"s toughest criminals. Meanwhile, many of the former inmates are still trying to come to terms with their imprisonment on Alcatraz, and they seek to understand why people would visit a place that represented for them only a monument of pure anguish and deep despair.
"There will always be the need for specialized facilities for the desperados, the irredeemable, and the ruthless, but Alcatraz and all that it had come to mean now belong, we may hope, to history."
- James V. Bennett, Director of the Bureau of Prisons * * *
APPENDICIES.
ALCATRAZ: INMATE RULES AND REGULATIONS.
Alcatraz: Inmate Regulations, 1956 Note: These "Inst.i.tution Rules & Regulations" were in effect at the United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz, during Warden Paul J. Madigan"s administration (1955-1961). They were issued to all inmates in the form of a typewritten booklet to be kept in the cell.
REGULATIONS FOR INMATES U.S.P., ALCATRAZ REVISED 1956.
INMATE Reg. NUMBER, _________________ This set of Inst.i.tution Regulations is issued to you as Inst.i.tutional Equipment. You are required to keep it in your cell at all times.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR.
Michael Esslinger is a historical researcher and best-selling author whose acclaimed work has appeared in numerous books, film and television doc.u.mentaries, including segments on the Discovery, National Geographic and History Channels. His work spans entertainment, science, politics and historical subjects.
From the elusive crew of Apollo 11, to inmates of Alcatraz, he has interviewed icons and other figures that have shaped history and continues to write on subjects that explore a vast spectrum of the human experience.
His books ALCATRAZ A Definitive History of the Penitentiary Years and LETTERS FROM ALCATRAZ continue as best-selling references chronicling the island"s rich historical past. He is the co-author of the memoir: I WANT IT NOW! A Memoir of Life on the Set of w.i.l.l.y Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a magical memoirwrittenwith Julie Dawn Cole, the original Veruca Salt in the cla.s.sic motion picture with Gene Wilder.
Current projects include a comprehensive history on the Apollo Program, doc.u.menting mankind"s epic journey to the moon, and Al Capone - The King of Alcatraz, a historical account of Capone"s years on the Rock. Visit www.HistoryArchive.com for more information current and future works.
He resides on the California Coast with his wife and three sons.