Alcatraz's Most Famous Inmates: Who They Were

Alcatraz collected headlines like few prisons before or since. The names are familiar; the day‑to‑day realities often aren’t.

Profiles in Brief

Al Capone

• Arrived with a reputation, left with diminished health.
• Music and routine replaced headline‑making violence.
• Interactions tightly managed by policy.

George “Machine Gun” Kelly

• Legend larger than life; behavior inside was mostly rule‑bound.
• Used as a symbol of Alcatraz’s deterrence role.

Robert Stroud (Birdman)

• The nickname misleads visitors.
• Scholarship and isolation define his public image; birds belong to an earlier chapter at Leavenworth.

Myth buster: Stroud didn’t keep birds on Alcatraz — the nickname stuck from previous years.

Where to Find the Stories On‑Site

• Audio tour segments in B‑ and C‑Blocks.
• Exhibit panels around the library and dining hall.
• Ranger programs that separate fact from film.

Visitor Prompts

• What did routine mean for a man used to power?
• How did compliance or non‑compliance shape a life inside?
• Where do movies help — or hinder — understanding?