In the dead of night on June 11, 1962, three cunning inmates (Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin) pulled off the most daring prison break in American history from the seemingly impenetrable fortress of Alcatraz Island.
With nothing but crude tools made from spoons, a stolen drill motor, and fierce determination, they spent months chiseling through the thick prison walls, hiding their progress behind cardboard façades. Using over 50 stolen raincoats, they ingeniously stitched together a life raft and life vests.
Slipping through a narrow utility corridor, they climbed up plumbing pipes, made it to the roof, and vanished into the icy, treacherous waters of San Francisco Bay. Despite a massive manhunt, they were never seen again. Authorities claimed they drowned, but no bodies were ever found, fueling decades of speculation that the impossible escape may have actually succeeded.
Sources:
Alcatraz Escape - Federal Bureau of Investigation fbi.gov
June 1962 Alcatraz escape en.wikipedia.org
"It was the cleverest escape in the prison's 30 years': The men who broke out of Alcatraz with a spoon bbc.com
alcatraz escape timeline timetoast.com
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