1929 — Feb 14, St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, Capone gang vs. Moran gang, Chicago, IL– 7
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 2-11-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–7 AP. “Seven Men Die in Outbreak of Chicago Gang War.” Dixon Telegraph, IL 2-14-1929, 1
–7 Duwe, Grant. Mass Murder in the United States: A History. McFarland, 2007, p. 28.
–7 Wikipedia. “Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre.” Accessed 2-28-2013.
Narrative Information
February 14, AP: “Brutally Shot Down in Garage By Rival Gunmen. Daring Attack…Today.
“Chicago, Feb. 14 – (AP) – Seven members of the north side gang of George ‘Bugs’ Moran were lined up against a wall and summarily executed and another was probably fatally wounded today by a band of men who invaded the north side headquarters of the gang, posing as police officers, and after forcing the men to raise their hands, shot them down in cold blood.
“The heap of bodies of the victims was found in the rear room of the S.M.C. Cartage Company, 2122 North Clark Street, by the police who had been summoned by a woman living nearby, apparently the only person to hear the reports of the sawed-off shotguns and machine guns of the slayers.
“The assassins pulled up before the Moran gang headquarters in two large automobiles, rushed into the cartage company, displaying stars and ordering the eight occupants to raise their hands. Apparently the slayers then herded their victims in an outer room two others were against a wall with their hands above their heads, loosed their murderous gunfire.
“Six of the bodies, all in grotesque position apparently just as they had fallen, were found by the police ranged along the bullet marked and blood spattered wall. On the floor in an outer room two others were found still living but one died shortly afterward and the other is probably fatally wounded.
“The police immediately identified three of the victims as Peter Gusenberg, robber and jewelry thief; James Clark and Al Weinshank, soft drink parlor owners. One of the wounded men was identified as Frank Gusenberg, brother of Peter, both having been involved in the Dearborn Street Station mail robbery several years ago.
“All of the bodies, including those of the wounded men, bore from six to ten bullet wounds. From the appearance of the cartage company’s offices, the gun raiders apparently swooped down with the intention of killing everybody in the place and deliberately saw to it that their shots took effect.
“The building is a garage and contained a number of cars….
“The police viewed the slayings as a new outbreak of bootlegging hostilities but at first were unable to determine the identity of the raiding gang.
“Today’s slayings in the form of a massacre, was something new in Chicago gang warfare. Before gangsters took their victims for a ‘ride’ luring them into automobiles and killing them, or else swept past in automobiles and raked their victims with gunfire.
“Never before, however, has one gang invaded the stronghold of another, rounded up their victims and then calmly shot them to death. The slayers escaped in approved gangster fashion, dashing from the slaughter house to their waiting motor cars….
“All the victims were well dressed. In the pockets of one the police found $800….” (Associated Press. “Seven Men Die in Outbreak of Chicago Gang War.” Dixon Evening Telegraph, IL 2-14-1929, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Seven Men Die in Outbreak of Chicago Gang War.” Dixon Evening Telegraph, IL 2-14-1929, p. 1. Accessed 2-11-2025 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/dixon-evening-telegraph-feb-14-1929-p-1/
Duwe, Grant. Mass Murder in the United States: A History. McFarland, 2007.
Wikipedia. “Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre.” Accessed 2-28-2013 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine%27s_Day_Massacre