True Crime: The Valentine's Day Massacre

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In this episode, we travel back to Prohibition-era America to examine one of the most infamous gangland killings of the twentieth century: the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre.

Important: If you don't want to know what happened before listening to our podcast, do not read this description!

On the morning of 14 February 1929, seven men were lined up against a brick wall inside a garage at 2122 North Clark Street in Chicago and shot dead. The victims were associates of North Side gang leader George “Bugs” Moran.

The killers were believed to have entered the building posing as police officers, creating the appearance of a routine raid before opening fire with Thompson submachine guns and shotguns.

In this episode, we explore the violent rivalry between Chicago’s organised crime factions during Prohibition, particularly the ongoing conflict between Moran’s gang and that of Al Capone.

Although Capone was widely suspected of orchestrating the massacre in an attempt to eliminate Moran and consolidate power over the city’s bootlegging operations, he was in Florida at the time of the killings and was never charged in connection with the crime.

We examine how the attack unfolded, why Moran himself narrowly escaped death by arriving late, and how the massacre shocked the American public.

The brutality of the scene and the boldness of the execution intensified national outrage over organised crime and Prohibition-era violence.

Despite extensive investigation, no one was ever convicted for the murders. The case remains officially unsolved, though historians and law enforcement have long attributed responsibility to Capone’s organisation.

This episode looks beyond the legend to uncover what is known, what remains disputed and how a single morning in 1929 came to symbolise the ruthless power struggles of America’s gangster era.

Thank you for joining us on True Crime Storytime.