In my approach to assembling the information presented here, there has been no attempt to minimize the allegations of brutality, though the facts often times argue the opposite. I am bringing forward a more factual and balanced view through the eyes of those who lived and worked on the island, both inmates and officers. This book is intended to reflect a blend of perspectives, researched and derived from a variety of sources. The historical framework comes from both published and unpublished archive materials, supplemented by extensive interviews with a multitude of former inmates as well as correctional officers and their families. Statements of historical and technical fact are as precise as I could make them, given the resources at my disposal. Errors doubtlessly remain, as there are simply too many sources with contrasting perspectives to consider. I have made every attempt to verify information against archival record and the knowledge of those involved. Nevertheless, there is certainly some information included in this text that is reported as fact, but has most likely been embellished over the years. I don’t necessarily believe that anyone has intentionally set out to falsify history, but when source information is derived primarily from personal memory, details become impure with time and thus historical interpretation tends to fall into the trap of extrapolation, rather than adhering to essential fact.

During the initial phases of my research, I received a letter from former Alcatraz inmate Willie Radkay, who wrote in part: “Nobody wants to print the facts, even if it comes direct from the source himself. Artistic license is used to alter true incidents and events, and even the language used by the cons, whose jargons weren’t spoken in church circles.”  This statement emerged as a common theme of discussions and interviews with former guards and inmates alike. In communicating this history, I felt it was important for the reader to understand that I am aware of the limitations of recollection and memory. I have chosen to maintain the integrity of the source material and to reconstruct events based on period documentation, unless the original sources contain obvious errors. This may challenge the opinions of many who are versed in the history of Alcatraz.

Too often in historical works, writers have filtered events in a fashion that they felt would better acclimatize their readers to the subject matter. Often as a result, the characters of individuals and the sense of place are lost. One of my favorite examples of image softening is the famous portrait of General George Washington crossing the Delaware in 1776, by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze. Most people would probably prefer to believe that Washington stood stately and commanding in the prow of the boat, a model of dignified leadership before his men. But as historian Kenneth Davis later discovered during his research, the truth was much different from this romanticized image. When documenting his experiences with General Washington, General Harry Knox made an entry in his journal commenting that on this historical occasion, when stepping down onto the boat, Washington poked him with the tip of his boot, remarking: “Move your fat ass Harry, and not too fast or you’ll swamp the boat.”

Another example of historical coloring involves our perceptions of the early days of space travel. Following the return of the Apollo 12 Astronauts from the second lunar landing mission, the crewmen were televised in a worldwide broadcast with President Richard M. Nixon via a secured telephone connection to the White House. While awaiting the President’s arrival, the crew sat idly as television cameras focused on the planetary explorers, trapped behind the glass window of their quarantine trailer. As the world watched, Mission Commander Pete Conrad cupped his hand over the telephone receiver, turned away from the camera and whispered a comment to Command Module Pilot Richard Gordon. The public would never hear his remark, which was later revealed to me: “See Dick, I told you if you stuck with me you’d be farting through silk.”  I obviously never met George Washington, but I did get to know Pete Conrad extremely well and humor was a hallmark of his personality. He was a brilliant astronaut, but he never let an opportunity for a joking comment pass him. I had heard this story before meeting him and it helped me to shape a more accurate image of his personality. I’ve always wished that I had read more such stories when I was in school, rather than the carefully woven images that my textbooks always seem to provide. When Pete later stepped foot on the moon, his historic first words spoken from the lunar surface were: “Whoopee.... Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me.”  His humor shows the human side to those historic accomplishments.

With all of this in mind, the greatest weakness of Alcatraz – A Definitive History of the Penitentiary Yearsalso remains its principal strength. I felt it was important to capture the essence of the island’s history, but at the same time to ensure the integrity of the archival records. Above all, I had to resist the temptation to venture too deeply into the states of mind or the thought processes of the individuals involved, or to replace plain fact with entertaining narrative. The voices of Alcatraz are numerous and one simply cannot understand the complex history of the island by looking solely at any exclusive source. In my process of researching specific events, when the source materials provided little or no information, I turned to the excellent works that are listed in the bibliography to verify the chronology. These works have served to preserve the history of Alcatraz to the present day. It should also be noted that the bibliographic references provided herein serve as a map for those whose interests require a more expanded research base. Alcatraz – A Definitive Historyis intended as a source reference rather than a conclusive text. The history of Alcatraz is a fascinating window into one of the richest and debatably one of the darkest aspects of America’s history. I hope that this book will inspire you to read further on the subject and will help you to hear for yourself the many voices of Alcatraz, and their fascinating stories.

- Michael Esslinger

Discovery and Exploration

For centuries the bay of San Francisco lay hidden to passing ships, due to a unique illusion created by a small island that is known today as Alcatraz. This island positioned at the center of the bay and three miles inland from the Pacific Ocean was indistinctly visible from the misty coastline. The Rocky formations draped with gloomy vegetation blended in with the soft features of the East Bay Hills, screening the mouth of the elusive harbor.

A survey map from the 1800’s showing Alcatraz Island set against the background of the East Bay Hills. This unique topography masked the small island and the San Francisco Bay from early explorers.

Spanish Explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo.

In 1542 Antonio de Mendoza, the Viceroy of New Spain, commissioned a Spaniard named Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo to explore the northern reaches of the colony’s west coast.Following the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492, a steady stream of explorers had charted expeditions to the New World in search of gold, and to claim territory for their rulers. Mendoza was lured by their tales of magnificent wealth in this unexplored territory, with coastlines said to be rich with pearls, and interiors abundant with precious gold. The main purpose of the expedition, however, would be to seek out the legendary waterway called the Strait of Anián, known to English explorers as the Northwest Passage. For centuries, voyagers had dreamed of a westward route to Asia through the waters of North America, but their expeditions had often ended in disaster.