St. Valentine's Day Massacre

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre was a brutal gangland execution that occurred on February 14, 1929, in a garage on Chicago's North Side. Seven members of George "Bugs" Moran's North Side Gang were lined up against a wall and gunned down by four men, two dressed as police officers. The attack was orchestrated by Al Capone to eliminate his rival Moran, who was late to the meeting and escaped the massacre. The victims were shot with Thompson submachine guns ("Tommy guns") in what became the most infamous mob hit in American history. The massacre shocked the nation and marked the height of Prohibition-era gang violence in Chicago. Despite widespread belief in Capone's involvement, no one was ever convicted of the murders. The event increased public pressure for law enforcement action against organized crime and contributed to the eventual downfall of Al Capone, who was imprisoned in 1931 for tax evasion.