CAPITAL PUNISHMENT : Alcatraz --
A Pictorial Essay
Alcatraz -- A Pictorial Essay
View of Laundry
The largest employer of convict labor on the island was the laundry.
Conditions were sweltering. Experienced labor organizers among the convicts found
plenty of men here willing to stand against the harsh industrial conditions and
lack of privileges. The 1936 and 1937 general strikes both began with walkouts of
laundry workers. Many notable prisoners served here, including Al Capone, Alvin
Karpis, and George "Machine-Gun" Kelly.
