Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre | Victims, Al Capone, Bugs Moran, & Prohibition (2024)

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Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre | Victims, Al Capone, Bugs Moran, & Prohibition? ›

The victims included gang members Adam Heyer, Frank Gusenberg, Pete Gusenberg, John May, Al Weinshank, and James Clark, as well as a visitor, Dr. Reinhardt H. Schwimmer.

Al Capone, who was at his Florida home at the time, was widely assumed to have been responsible for ordering the massacre. The impetus for the plan may have been the North Side Gang's hijacking of some expensive whisky being illegally smuggled by Capone's gang from Canada across the Detroit River.

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.

One Valentine was a priest in third-century Rome who defied Emperor Claudius II after the ruler outlawed marriage for young men. St. Valentine would perform marriages in secret for young lovers, ultimately leading to his death.

Across Lake Michigan from Chicago, the Berrien County Sheriff's Department has had the two Tommy guns since 1929, but has never been able to charge anyone with the city's most famous Outfit hit. The sub machine guns were found in a Michigan home 10 months after Valentine's Day.

Here are some of Capone's famous quotes: "This American system of ours, call it Americanism, call it capitalism, call it what you will, gives each and every one of us a great opportunity if we only seize it with both hands and make the most of it."

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.

In I Corinthians 10:19-21, the apostle Paul compares mixing paganism with Christianity—syncretism—to worshipping demons. This principle includes giving one's time or interest to things of pagan origin. As an example, the Bible neither mentions nor espouses Valentine's Day or its practices.

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.

Black: Healing from a Rejected Proposal

Black might be a favourite of many, but on Valentine's Day, it symbolizes rejection. You just got your heart broken because of a rejected proposal. Wear a black outfit to portray your state of mind.

How many bullets were used in the St Valentine's Day Massacre? ›

On February 14, seven members of Moran's operation were gunned down while standing lined up, facing the wall of the garage. Some 70 rounds of ammunition were fired.

The . 45 Colt semi-automatic pistol was manufactured in 1911 and became one of Capone's most prized possessions when he rose to infamy as a seemingly untouchable Chicago crime boss during the 1920s.

Federal law prohibits the possession of newly manufactured machine guns, but permits the transfer of machine guns lawfully owned prior to May 19, 1986, if the transfer is approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.

THE COLDEST CASE: Since February 14, 1929, when seven men were gunned down inside a Clark Street garage, the mastermind behind the St. Valentine's Day Massacre has remained a mystery, though suspicions usually point to Al Capone.

On October 17, 1931, Capone received a sentence of 11 years for tax evasion. His sentence began in Atlanta, where he managed to manipulate those in power with a stash of cash. This behavior earned him a trip to Alcatraz, where he served more than four years. In 1939, he was released, and in 1947, he died from syphilis.

At some point, some of the bullet holes in the bricks were enhanced by red paint (no, it's not blood!).

The channel points out that a swirl of legends surround Valentine, one of the most popular being that he was a priest who defied the orders of Emperor Claudius II, and that the Catholic Church actually recognizes at least three separate figures known as Valentine. All of them died violent deaths.