In June 1962, three men pulled off what is widely considered America’s greatest prison escape.
John and Clarence Anglin, along with Frank Morris, vanished from Alcatraz, the notorious island prison in San Francisco Bay.
Their ingenious plan involved papier-mâché heads, spoons for digging, and a raft stitched together from raincoats.
But according to Alcatraz expert John Martini, a hidden flaw in the prison’s concrete walls may have given them an unexpected advantage.
A Concrete Mistake No One Anticipated
Martini, who has studied Alcatraz for more than 35 years, recalled an engineer spotting the issue during a routine inspection.
“One expert specializing in concrete immediately said, ‘Well, there’s your problem.
It wasn’t poured correctly,’” he explained.
Properly poured concrete requires vibration to remove air pockets and settle evenly.
At Alcatraz, Martini said, the walls were poured and left to harden without this step—making them easier to dig through. “I’m sure the convicts didn’t know about the mistake.
They just lucked out,” Martini added.
Life on The Rock
Alcatraz, built in 1909 with convict labor, became infamous for housing some of the country’s most dangerous criminals, including Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.
By 1934, the federal government had fortified it with reinforced concrete, iron bars, and strict daily routines, including multiple inmate counts.
On paper, escape was virtually impossible.
Between 1934 and the prison’s closure in 1963, 36 inmates tried to break free, and almost all were caught or died.
Months of Secret Preparation
The Anglin brothers and Morris spent months quietly tunneling out of their cells.
On the night of the escape, they climbed through the holes they had carved, navigated utility corridors, scaled roofs, slid down vent pipes, and crossed fences—finally reaching the frigid waters of the San Francisco Bay.
To cover their absence, they crafted realistic dummy heads from soap, plaster, concrete dust, hair from the prison barbershop, and coiled electrical cord.
Guards, checking the cells throughout the night, believed the men were asleep in their bunks, giving them an eight-hour head start.
The Morning Discovery
Martini recounted how guards eventually realized something was wrong.
“One officer called out, ‘We’ve got a sleeper here,’” he said.
“He reached through the bars, slammed his fist beside the dummy head, and it flew off.
That’s when the alarm went off, and everything began.”
The escape had succeeded—but whether the men survived the icy waters remains a mystery.
Theories About Their Fate
Some believe the three reached Angel Island or even the Golden Gate Bridge, while others claim they drowned.
A few hold out hope they made it as far as South America, citing alleged photos and family stories, though the FBI officially declared them dead.
Martini offered a pragmatic view:
“They went into 40-degree water in the dead of night, using improvised flotation.
They were trying to make it to Angel Island and were never seen again.
Two life vests, a paddle, and some personal items were found floating later.
It points to the same conclusion—they tried, and they failed.”
Why the Escape Still Captures Our Imagination
For Martini and many others, the significance lies not in whether the men survived, but in the daring and ingenuity of the escape itself.
“They were free men for those few moments,” he said.
It’s a story of risk, cleverness, and one lucky flaw in a fortress that was supposed to be impenetrable.
The 1962 Alcatraz break remains legendary—a testament to human ingenuity, persistence, and the thin line between freedom and capture.
Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn