Mental Floss is partnering with FilmNation and iHeartPodcasts to contribute you the transcript forGreatest Escapes , a podcast hosted by Arturo Castro about some of the wildest escape stories across history . In this episode , JD Pardo ( Mayans M.C. , The Terminal List ) tags along for Arturo ’s story of three dodging artist ( Frank Morris , John Anglin , and Clarence Anglin ) who seek to let out out of the one of the most infamous prison of all time : Alcatraz . Read all the transcriptshere .
Arturo Castro : Welcome toGreatest Escapes , a show bringing you the wildest truthful escape stories of all time . Today , we ’re getting into the story of three escape artists who broke out of America ’s most infamous supermax prison : Alcatraz .
I ’m Arturo Castro , and I ’m here with the implausibly magnetic actor and wonderful human being and producer and sidekick of mine : JD Pardo !
[ Theme ]
Woo ! Wow . What a great theme song by Ben Chugg . I f***ing love it . [ German accent ] “ Do you care theuntz untz , JD ? ”
JD Pardo:“[I’m]untzing all the time . ”
Arturo:“Untz untz , babe ! ”
JD:“Dungeon Hour . You come here often ? ”
Arturo:“Yeah . I ’ve been here for three solar day . I just mystify out at 7:00 a.m. Yeah . Do you like the Berlin – ? ” [ laughs ]
JD : Oh my god .
Arturo : JD ! Oh my good . give thanks you so much for being here , brother .
JD : Anything for you .
Arturo : Oh , give thanks you brother .
JD : Are you two buttons down by the style ? What are you –
Arturo : Uh , yeah . Yeah . I imply , that ’s just my regular go - to . I … I ’m like a by nature hairless person –
JD : I hump .
Arturo:–so I ’ve been capable to care rock’n’roll that low –
JD : I’ve been thinking about acquire –
Arturo:–low quintet - neck .
JD:–hair implant , like , on my chest .
Arturo : Yeah . [ express mirth ]
JD : You know what I ’ve always loved ? I ’ve always loved those moments in films like , peculiarly like in the ’ 70s and , like , in the ’ 80s where , like , the missy is like laying on his chest and she ’s just like , encounter around with like his — his chest hair and I was just like , “ I wish I was that guy . ”
Arturo : Oh … oh my god . I … I wonder if there ’s like a merkin for that . You cognise what I ’m saying ? Is that what it ’s called ? Uh , a Merkin . My overlords , uh , manufacturer ? The thing that they put for pubic hair , the fake pubic fuzz ?
Overlord : Correct . It is a Gallic excogitation .
Arturo : It is a merkin , huh ? Son of a b*tch . I ’m so good at English .
JD’s Escape
Arturo : What do you consider your enceinte dodging ?
JD : Yeah , there — there was this … Well , I ’ll take it — I’ll take it international since … since there ’s no proof of this .
Arturo : F * * * yeah .
JD : Um , and it was really unearthly , specially with like … after I sawHosteland everything like that . Um … I was in Milan .
Arturo : Ya ?
JD : And — uh , yeah , untzing — and well , yeah . I actually went to this golf-club , and it was like 3:00 a.m. It was after a chore that I did , a — a modeling spear , back in myZoolanderdays . Um , one of the most –
Arturo : With Tommy Hilfiger , were n’t you ?
JD : Tommy Hilfiger drive . Uh , and then I did a — a job for Gucci in , um — in Milan . And it was a beautiful experience .
Arturo : We get it . You ’re hot . Jesus Christ , JD .
JD : Yes , I ’m raging . I was so — I was so hot .
Arturo : God maledict it . Yeah , you are so red-hot . So you ’re in Milan ?
JD : I do this matter , right ? And , uh — parties there like pop like at 2:00 a.m. , you know , terminate really late . And I was with a couple of guys , and we ’re going back to the apartment , and this guy just draw out up in a cab and was just like , “ I’ll — I’ll take you guys back . ” And we ’re like , “ OK . ” So I ’m in the centre . We skip in and we start plump . Now we –
Arturo : Do you bang these other two guys that you were with ?
JD : Yes , I knew the other two , I knew them . And we all lived in the same place .
Arturo : OK .
JD : Now we have been there for a few month now , so we sleep together our direction around , and we ’re talking , and you know , we’re — we’re kind of wasted . And then all of a sudden one of the guy just starts freaking out — tell , “ Where is he taking us ? ”
Arturo : And you ’re out the window just going , “ I just wanna dance ! ”
JD:“I desire tountzing ! What go on ? ”
Arturo : OK . And so you — you could sense there ’s something f***ed up ?
JD : Well , yeah . You make out , like , one of — one of the guys like kickoff screaming like Italian to the guy . Like , “ this is not the way . ” And then the other guy rope on my side is like , “ this is not where we’re — we’re not supposed to go . ” Like , “ where ’s he accept us ? Where ’s he taking us ? ” Like , “ we ’re that way . ” And the guy ’s like screaming at him . And then the driver starts screaming at us .
Arturo : No . He ’s like , “ Where are you Guy taking me ? ” He was like , “ Well , you ’re f * * * driving ! ”
JD : The next matter I be intimate , the guy cable on my left dash out . Jumps out of the car .
Arturo : Whoa .
JD : The other guy jumps out . The driver slams on the brakes and snap up a chiropteran that ’s decent next to him .
Arturo : No .
JD : He goes out to the leftfield . I like a shot , without thinking , just — just jumped out of the car to my right and he starts screaming at me and I run down an skittle alley .
And I — I spring behind , like , this dumpster and like , this car — and I just sort of like … in the fetal posture . I had no theme what was going on . Like it — this was — it just happen so flying where our guy call him out for taking us somewhere that we were n’t supposed to go , and they were … Dude , I — it still kind of gross out me out to this solar day , because I experience like I had someone , like , bet over me . And the guy was walk through the alley , and I could discover — it was like a movie , dude . I could learn the step , like …
Arturo : Oh my God . What a fing — like what a repulsion film fing moment .
JD : I’m just like , “ Just do n’t breathe . Just do n’t emit . Just do n’t breathe . ” And then he just turned around and went the other elbow room . And he just started aver , got in the car , and drive off .
Arturo:[Speaks Italian ]
JD : Yeah . Yeah . “ You f***ing American ! ” You know , like –
Arturo : Wow , well I ’m happy you survived that .
JD : give thanks you .
Arturo : Um , I wanna check in on the hack number one wood to see his — his side of the story , cause I do n’t — they ’re like , “ gentleman’s gentleman , I do n’t bonk what the f * * * happened . These guys just like grabbed – ”
JD:“Now . OK . I got your side of the floor . Let me listen — permit me hear what he was – “
Arturo:“Uh , our next guest is in reality Federico . Federico , issue forth here . ”
Alright , well listen , permit ’s get ready for a liberal old escape . How about that ?
JD : OK , I ’m emotional .
CHAPTER 1: From the Beginning to the Battle
Arturo : So we ’re headed to California ’s ill-famed island prison , Alcatraz . Hollywood has be intimate this place for years . gobs of classic , likeBirdman of Alcatraz , Point Blank , The hatchet man …
JD : The Rock .
Arturo : … andThe Rock . Thef***ingRock . Such a nerveless movie . And we ’re gon na talk a little morsel about why — like the fact that Alcatraz was earlier made into a Union prison house as a public relations stunt for the political science . The reputation of Alcatraz was kind of just the point of it , you roll in the hay , so — so we ’ll get into that . But some hoi polloi have n’t been fans , get down with the prisoners who were lock up on the island . Who is the first person you think of when I say “ Prohibition ” ?
JD : I recall of , like , Tom Hardy .
Arturo : Yeah , playing what ? Al Capone . Right ?
JD : Right .
Arturo : So in 1930 , flamboyant stories about gangster like Al Capone had been passing awkward for the government . So President Hoover decide that he needed to do something to save the government activity ’s report . His answer to these super felon was to create a topnotch prison . So in 1933 , the new Bureau decided to create a ace prison to control only the high-risk of the bad . They choose this military prison house on Alcatraz Island . They wanted it to be , you know , [ accent ] a symbolisation of the government powerfulness to smash organized offence !
I do n’t get laid what accent that is , but I figure that ’s what people in office sound like .
JD : It had a lot in there , so that was dependable .
Arturo : Yeah .
JD : Yeah . You ’re covering all your bases .
Arturo : It ’s for all our auditor everywhere in the world .
JD : Yeah , yeah .
Arturo : So let me give you a lilliputian chronicle on the island .
JD : OK .
Arturo : And the prison . So Alcatraz itself was originally cite by Don Juan Manuel de Ayala .
JD : Oh .
Arturo : Um — so when the Spanish were lay title to California , [ they ] predict itLa Isla de los Alcatraces , or “ Island of the Sea Birds . ” So the island was held by the Spanish until Mexican independence .
JD : Mm - hmm .
Arturo : Now the USA took it in 1847 and the army built a fort there , good ? Where cannon were put to keep an eye on the San Francisco Bay during the Gold Rush . Which I ’m certain — I stand for … like , that makes common sense , right ? Everybody during the Gold Rush , being like — I’m sure it … it lead to a mass of criminalism and anxiety .
JD : Oh , for sure it did . perfectly .
Arturo : Oh adult male . I — I see gold now , I f***ing go crazy .
JD : Yeah .
Arturo : And then in the American Civil War , Fort Alcatraz was pack with soldier and guns guarding the harbor . Right ? Since it was home to wish 200 soldiers , there were plenty of edifice , you know , barracks to lodge troops , freestanding housing for the officers . A bakery , a bowling alley . It had a bowling alley . Yeah , baby .
JD : Yes ! I enjoy it .
Arturo : I get it on them being just like , “ Yeah , so take heed guys , we ’re gonna — we’re gon na have to have to shoot some hoi polloi , right ? But that does not mean that I ca n’t move a f***ing perfect 98 , fine ? ”
JD : Yeah . Oh , for certain .
Arturo : Listen , so there were also freestanding warehouses on this island where … where the Union Army stashed all their hit man and ammunition to keep the equipment away from Confederate sympathizer on the mainland , right ? So over the years , Alcatraz slowly became a military prison . One historiographer allege that after the Civil War , it became a carry penitentiary for quote “ motley misfit and societal problems , ” which is what I — what they would call us actors in — back in the day .
JD : Yeah , it sounds like normal , but –
Arturo : It was just a bunch of actors , really . They ’re like , “ these fing Guy , problematic . Fing put ’em in there . ” So if — if the Army captured someone and did n’t wanna deal with them , they just dump them on Alcatraz and lock in them up in the new construct jail business firm on the island .
JD : fathom about right .
Arturo : That included military deserters , stowaway on American ship , and even war protestors during World War I. Now , here ’s a really f***ed up part : It also included autochthonous men trying to keep their shaver out of U.S. government schools . It ’s a import worth memory . And … and it ’s really really significant in the history of the prison house .
Arturo : There ’s , uh … there ’s a tribe that ’s fight down for the right of — that the island belong to them to this day . Um , so we desire they acquire . But how f***ed up is this , bro , that like they put you away because you do n’t want your kids being indoctrinated by the people that have make out to f * * * you over ?
JD : It ’s very sad , very tragic . I … I mean , face , account is ugly . And I cogitate I told you , I — I think you , uh … when we were filmingRoadhouse , that [ I ’m ] producing a show with FX calledBandido , and it take place in this time .
Arturo : Oh , wow ! Yeah .
JD : In the late 1800s and early 1900s . And what I was so fascinated to recover , and I think it did have something to do with Alcatraz , was that during the Gold Rush , this is where they want to press out the Indigenous — they wanted to push out the — the Mexican , or the colored colored skin , you know , natives , uh , who are considered Californios . Right . Um , cause it was separate .
Arturo : Yep .
JD : Um , but during the Gold Rush you had , you make out , people from New York , you had Irish , you had Australian , you had everybody get along over . And what they ended up doing , um , if I commend correctly , was make pass a foreign tax law for gold . If you were indigenous –
Arturo : Wow .
JD:–or Mexican , like native , you were considered a outlander and you had to pay a tax legal philosophy .
Arturo : No …
JD : And if you were caught taking amber without paying your taxis , you were thrown in , uh — in prison . I think it had to do with — uh , with Alcatraz . So the — the crazy thing to me was like , even then there were these laws that — that they were assign into place to , man , defend people down .
Arturo : Yeah humankind . This is great — but thank you for that , dude . I did not know most of that .
So , as the ground forces added to the number of multitude locked up in Alcatraz , they eventually determine to remove the center of the island and build a immense cell house . The cell firm was built as a monolithic space . Towers of cells were stacked on top of each other in the midsection of the room . That was the prison that President Hoover wanted to be his main collector’s item in the 1930s . They planned to use Alcatraz to cite , “ segregate pervert minds”—these are his words , by the way—“from the rest of the inmates in federal custody . ” “ That ’s what we wanna do ! ” He sounded like this for some reason , in my head .
Now , when the Bureau of Prisons pick the island to be their newfangled Union tiptop prison house , they determine it would be a prison house for escapees , proper ? Almost half of the men sent there had try out unwrap out of other prisons and some had even succeeded . Now , the guards place there were very aware of that fact , right ? One older policeman , uh , was cite by saying –
Ben:“The yard bird ’s job is to get out and our problem is to keep ’em in . ”
JD : I jazz it .
Arturo : Yeah , they ’re like , “ This is our motto at Alcatraz . ” Um — now the prison was rebuilt to be “ escape proof ” and — and yeah , I intend that ’s kind of always the f***ing idea with prison , is n’t it ?
JD : Yeah , that ’s the point .
Arturo : But Alcatraz — yeah . I have a go at it that they were like , “ This one , you ca n’t scarper from . ”
JD:“Dammit . How did he do that ? ”
Arturo : Yeah , but with Alcatraz , the stake were super in high spirits , right ? The cells were built using shaft - proof sword , new steel taproom doors , and grate that were set up on every opening of the prison . The Rock , as its dub , was selected precisely for the kinds of inmates who would n’t be scared off by a gamey wall or some barbed conducting wire . So when it opened in the thirties , captive like Al Capone and George “ Machine Gun ” Kelly were hold in Alcatraz . That was before he made a fearful album . Just kidding .
JD : Yeah , right .
Arturo : Um — it made the prison the most infamous in the land . And the first major escape attempt came in 1937 . Two prisoners secretly cut off through the bars blocking a window of the construction where they worked inside the prison house .
Now carrying heavy tools from the model shop — this is a shop where they built people like you , um , JD — the fashion model shop . Wow . What a terrible pop caper . So they broke through the lock on the logic gate , skin down the cliffs , and hit the piss where they dove in and swam towards the mainland . The men disappeared , but given the stale , choppy pee that day in December and the lunar time period running out to the Pacific Ocean , prison house officials assumed that the men die in an attempt to swim to the bay .
JD : How far is that swim , by the room ?
Arturo : I believe it ’s a mile . lord ?
Overlord : The closelipped farming is a mile and a one-half .
Arturo : Mile and a one-half . give thanks you , my overlord .
JD : That was like God .
Arturo : Yeah , I make out . I ’m telling you , bro , it ’s the best f * * * thing in the reality .
JD : God ?
Overlord : Yes , my son .
JD : See ?
Arturo : Yeah . [ laughs]OK . So in 1946 , there was a super trigger-happy leakage endeavour that became make love as the Battle of Alcatraz . It included a massive gunfight between prisoners and Marines that were called to the island to fight them . After that , the prison was no longer seen as a symbol of the government ’s index to win . No ! Instead , it became a symbol of topsy-turvyness and violence .
Now … this was manifestly exactly the opposite of what the government wanted . You know , it undermined their whole praseodymium labor .
Arturo : make the Bureau of Prisons react by sum so many extra layers of surety that no escape were attempt for the next seven age . finally , though , prisoners would test to get away again , and the breakout in 1967 is about as different as you’re able to get from the battle . That ’s when three men , Frank Morris and John and Clarence Anglin actually made it out of the island prison house .
CHAPTER 2: Escape from Alcatraz
Arturo : Let ’s move on to the escape . So Frank , John , and Clarence — these three guy were n’t mobsters , you know ? They were n’t killers . They were the other kind of convict that Alcatraz was built for . They were the escape creative person , right ? Now — also , why … I have sex that they — they get hold escape artist . You know what I ’m saying ?
JD : Yeah , “ I ’m an artist ! ”
Arturo : Uh , it ’s a — it ’s the near rebranding that … that escapees have ever done . Um …
Arturo : It ’s good than mayonnaise turning into aioli . That rebranding : chef ’s kiss . Mwah ! So John and Clarence Anglin were farm boy . practiced farm boys , proper ? Their parent were seasonal farm worker and lived much of their life sentence between farming Town . Now , one month they ’d be picking tomato plant in Florida and the next , they ’d be picking cherry in Michigan . They ’d also make for along their 13 kid as they moved from place to place .
JD : That ’s baffling , gentleman . stimulate I have two and I ’m already on man - on - man defense , you know what I mean ? Like I feel like one more , I ’m steer into the zona and something ’s gon na drop away through the seams .
Arturo : Plus , the traveling ! You have to have a bus , bro . Anyway , it was in Lake Michigan that John and Clarence watch how to swim . And as the story go , they would even go swimming in the freezing cold , when the lake was still arctic .
Oh . Have you ever done a polar dip , JD ?
JD : I want to . I desire to .
Arturo : Yeah . It seems like it ’s a furor now , does n’t it ?
JD : I love cold plunging . I dead do .
Arturo : Everybody ’s like “ dude . ” It ’s a affair !
JD : It ’s a — it ’s a thing , man .
Arturo : Yeah , well , as they — as these guys grew elder , they grow wilder , right ? They hot - wire automobile . They steal tractor batteries . They let out into computer storage . Clarence even got locked up in a Florida juvenile detention center when he was 14 . Now –
JD : Oof .
Arturo : Yeah , 14 . Ooh , uncut .
JD : Studmuffin .
Arturo : So soon enough , two of the brothers had four year sentences for unwrap and entering , but they also started break up out of the various jails where they were hold . One account suppose that they break outta jails in Fort Myers , in West Palm Beach , in Pompano Beach , Perry City , and Floral City .
JD : They sound like refuge . [ laughs ]
Arturo : That’s — yeah . So they got out of their all - inclusive timeshare and in Floral City –
In the escape from Floral City , Clarence sawed a jam through a wooden floor in the jail and was even blast in the shoulder as he jumped the prison fencing .
JD : Nice .
Arturo : So the Anglin ’s biggest crime was the looting of a bank in Alabama in 1958 . John , Clarence , and another Anglin crony all worked together , and they used a miniature gas pedal to hold up the employees and got aside with $ 19,000 .
JD : Whew .
Arturo : Woo . peculiarly for , you know , farm male child at the clip , I signify , this is a f***ing ton of money , is n’t it ?
JD : Nineteen . Geez . There you go , babe .
Arturo : So for five days they go bad from piazza to plaza , staying with family line , but then someone tipped them off to the constabulary and they were overhear in Hamilton , Ohio . Probably like a judgmentaltia , you recognize , being like , “ Oh no , mijo , listen . ”
JD:“No , what ’s it doing ? It ’s bad . ”
Arturo:“You know , mijo , listen , permit me , What are you doing ? ” That ’s , uh — I would get ratted out so quick , bro . My family and be like , “ What are you doing ? ”
JD : I would scab myself out . I ’m like … I ’m just a very — I’m like — I ca n’t lie in , dude . It ’s … it ’s grueling for me to lie .
Arturo : They narrowly ducked the death penalty in Alabama , so instead they bugger off 25 years each .
JD : Hey , that’s — that ’s , that ’s a win , good ?
Arturo : That ’s a winnings .
JD : Back then ?
Arturo : With even bigger — Yeah , of course of study …
JD:“I’m — I did n’t get the destruction penalisation ? Woo ! ”
Arturo:–and Alabama just seemed like they would — yeah . They ’re like , “ F * * * it . ” They ’re like , “ I ’ll just escape . ”
JD:“Oh , I was gon na escape anyway ! ”
Arturo : After various unsuccessful attempts from other federal prisons , John come in Alcatraz in October of 1960 , and Clarence Anglin followed him there in January 1961 . And once they mother there together , they struck up a little bromance with a man refer Frank Morris , and the three of them ready up a programme that put their gaolbreak into the history book !
CHAPTER 3: The Raincoat Boat
Arturo : Now think that there was no risk of infection of them escaping the island , the prison warden put John and Clarence in side by side cell . So the cell were B Block 150 and B Block 152 . Frank Morris was just a few cells down in 138 . Now , that was n’t the first metre they had met Morris , though . They had previously made his conversance at a federal pen in Atlanta .
Arturo : Throughout his teenager , Frank committed a serial of armed robberies that had him locked up many times . But he had bunk custody over and over before he was lastly embark to Alcatraz . The Rock .
Arturo : The Rock . Now , together with a fourth man , Allen West , Frank and the Anglin Brother hatched to plan to break out of Alcatraz .
So knowing that you have to launch the island , what — what are some of the thing that you would factor in to your island escape ? What do you reckon you would need , JD ?
JD : I do n’t even know what I would need , you know ? But what ’s impressive , a few of them were — they were just Fannie Merritt Farmer , right ? And it ’s just your imagination , right ? Like –
Arturo : It kick the bucket to show you that , yeah , being assertive and being creative is just — yeah .
JD : Being assertive and being originative and like , looking at the wall around you and saying , like , “ No , it ’s not holding me . This is n’t agree me . ”
Arturo : I know that . I jazz that moment of empowerment . Looking at the walls around you and aver , “ No . No wall . You will not catch me here . ”
JD:“No . no . I am not going to – ”
Arturo:“I resist . ”
JD:“–stay here for 25 days , ” or whatever it is . Like , I … that ’s telling to me , because you have to have such imagination about the other side . And not only that , like , they used each other ’s minds and they read the way and they were cognisant .
Arturo : They read the elbow room .
Arturo : Let me tell you how they — how they in reality started their escape , cause it ’s f***ing fantastic . OK .
JD : tattle to me , goose .
Arturo : They started — so here ’s the thing , right ? Get in real closing .
They bug out their escape with spoons . OK .
JD : No .
Arturo : For almost — yeah . For almost a yr , they used them to scrape the concrete walls of their f***ing cells , serviceman , widening the vent hole in the back rampart until they could get into the utility program corridor behind . The prisoners also had access to all sorts of shaft in the prison house shops where they worked , right ?
JD : Yep .
Arturo : So they used art supplies and putty to build decoy William Henry Gates that they could put in situation during the day . So basically — they build up it to make a decoy vent concealment so that the guard would n’t have sex that they were really breaking out . They stole a drill morsel and a small motor from a broken vacuum cleaner , dude , and jury rigged that sh*t to help them practice –
JD : That ’s someMacGyversh*t , dude .
Arturo:–to help them drill through the steel bolt . Like can you believe ?
Arturo : One of them even , Yeah . One of them even lifted a flashlight from the air hole of a guard so they could solve in the dark .
JD : Oh , yes .
Arturo : Crazy . But listen , bring past the walls was only the first affair that they needed to do , correct ? So they started collect rubber waterproof from all the prisoners in B Block . What do you think they ’re gon na do with raincoats ?
JD : Build a raft .
Arturo : There you go . There you go . You see ? Yeah , I would f***ing pick you as my escapee .
Arturo : Hey man , you make this .
JD : I’m not a unintelligent mannequin .
Arturo : And these four bulwark , I say , “ No , no . ”
JD:“No , you ’re not gon na prevail me . ” OK . So they build a raft .
Arturo : Well , they took brainchild from the magazinePopular Mechanics , which was a 1960 issue that key out how to use resin to seal lampshades . They did n’t have rosin , but they did have fluent charge card from the prison shops . Now , by melting the rubber raincoats together and sealing the edges with liquid plastic , they were able to make two lashings that they could use to swim across San Francisco Bay .
JD : OK . meter out . sentence out , time out , time out .
Arturo : Yep . Yep .
JD : Where do they store this raft ?
Arturo : Probably in their mobile phone , humanity . Probably underneath their beds . I do n’t –
JD : Didn’t they toss cells ?
Arturo : Or , or — no , because — OK , here ’s the affair . Since they ’ve already bring forth through to the other side and they have imitation decoy gate thing , they probably put ’em on the other side . Do you know –
JD : Ahhh .
Arturo : Uh — there you go . That ’s why you need me in the group .
JD : So you ’re say they had to go out several times and like , not that , “ we got out of it and like , allow ’s take off , ” but they — they had to wish , repeatedly set things up out of doors ?
Arturo : At least leave their cells . Yeah . See ? Yes , yes –
JD : And so they ’re like , “ OK , so is it today ? ” “ No , not today . Today ’s the spate day . ” “ Got it . ”
Arturo : Got it .
JD:“OK . Tomorrow ? ” “ No , not tomorrow ! ”
Arturo:“No , not tomorrow . ” So then they used chairman legs to make paddles for the oodles and even cobbled together a hand pump so they could use it to inflate their makeshift rubber pontoons .
JD : Dude , mass in this , like — in this , like , craftsmanship way must have thought they were geniuses . You know ? Like , “ God , they ’re like , Picassos . ”
Arturo:[laughs ] Allen West took the hint on assembling the rafts . That left him behind docket when it add up to cutting clear his escape hole . But he planned –
JD : Uh - oh .
Arturo : Yep . He planned to finish open his cell on the Nox of the escape itself . Allen , you ’re cutting it close , buddy .
JD : Dude , that — that just made me anxious .
Arturo : Buddy . Like what ?
JD : I do n’t even like show up to the movie theater late .
Arturo : I cognize .
JD : I require to see the dawdler . I require my popcorn . I require everything , like — yeah .
Arturo : Now Clarence , who influence in the prison barbershop , started collecting human hair . What do you think this is for ?
JD : Human whisker , uh … are they create like a pinhead to repose in the bottom ?
Arturo : Yeah , brother . You grow this . You got — I … my chore here is done .
JD : Like I said , it ’s never been prove that I ’ve escaped , but …
Arturo : That ’s right . So using cement rubble , toilet newspaper , and scoop , the gentleman sculpted full heads for their pillows . They cover them with real human hair — uh huh — and painted on the tegument feeling with paint from the prison art kit .
JD : Can you imagine like me being like , “ Arturo , hey Arturo , you think this looks like me ? Too light ? I ’m this light source ! ”
Arturo:“No , too light , bro . You ’re not this Light Within ! ”
JD:“I’ve been in the sun . I ’ve been in the sun all day . ”
Arturo : So on June 11 , 1962 , just over a class after the Anglins arrived at Alcatraz , they were already quick for their escape . So John , Clarence , Frank climbed out of the venthole holes in the back of their cells , scaled the walls of the utility corridor . So — you see they ’d , they ’d already cut –
JD : Dun dun … dun dun dun dun … dun dun .
Arturo : Yeah , that ’s right . They had already write out the alloy bolt holding an air volcano closed . They tug the vent open and then manna from heaven , they were out on that prison house roof . [ airhorn sound ]
JD : await , wait . OK . Was this during the day or at Nox ? God ?
Arturo : I believe it was a dark . God ?
Overlord:[Pause ] This was at night .
Arturo : Yes . OK , good . stimulate otherwise , like , f***—like the guards would be just like , “ What the f * * * are you guys doing ? ” But –
JD:“Uh , sorry , this is hypothecate to be tonight . I ’ll be back . ”
Arturo:“You guys , um , you ’re not supposed to be out there . ”
So when they got there , they realized that Allen West , f***ing postponer , was not with them .
JD : Yeah . curiosity why .
Arturo : So , yeah . So one by one they rise back down and prove to help him out . Oh , that ’s dainty .
JD : That ’s really nice .
Arturo : And he had not — he had not been able-bodied to finish cutting start the blowhole hole , so he bump that there was genuine blade reinforcing his vent . Just his outlet .
JD : God , luck of the draw , valet de chambre .
Arturo : I know . finally Frank and the Anglins left him behind . conduct their –
JD : They did ?
Arturo : Yeah . I signify , you have to correct ? Carrying their raft , they slid down a stack to the ground . Wow . This is mad . They jump the prison fencing and made their fashion to the water , but they did pull up stakes behind one tidy sum in face Allen was capable to cut his style out .
JD:“Hey , in case you get through the steel , I ’m gon na leave a raft for you ! ”
Arturo:“It ’s gon na be here . Do n’t worry about it ! ” And then they float out off the northeasterly side of the island –
JD : Three of them . Three of them ?
Arturo:–and into the night . Yeah . Which , I wonder if the … uh , I wonder if these rafts are made to just hold two a piece , you know ? And like taking a third one was — was a serious move .
JD : sit down on a lap — oh .
Arturo : Uh , yeah . Or for the weight purposes , that might ’ve been a dangerous move .
JD : Oh yeah . Like , “ we ’re function down . ” It like was choppy H2O , you know , water supply getting in there .
Arturo : Yeah , yeah , yeah . So on June 12 , 1962 , guards disclose the empty cells and the dummy heads . They sound the dismay and began the search .
JD:[Imitates siren ]
Arturo : OK . Guess what , JD ? These men … werenever found .
JD : What ? They were never found ?
Arturo : They were never found . prison house officials adjudge that the men had drown in the San Francisco Bay . They emphasized that the prison house was very definitely ineluctable and that therefore –
JD : Oh maybe that ’s why they wanted to come out and say , “ No , they drowned . ”
Arturo:“–and the gentleman could not have break loose because this is — ” … I love the — I bonk that pressing group discussion : “ Guys , they did not escape . This is unavoidable . ”
JD:“Calm down , calm down . ”
Arturo:“Thank you , we will not be take any dubiousness at this time . ”
JD:“Even if you get past the prison , you got ta get past the water . And that ’s where they give-up the ghost . ”
Arturo:“Guys , you lie with , water kills multitude , so … let ’s move on . ” That was the kind of circular logical system meant to defend the prison ’s reputation right ?
JD : It ’s trippy , human .
Arturo : Now , as for the potential getaway , Allen West allege the three men were be after to break into a clothing store in Marin so they could interchange outta their prison house dress , but no robbery like that was ever reported . It was cleared that at the very least , the man had escaped the prison and commence out into the bay laurel . When police interviewed the Anglins ’ mother in Florida , she said that at least 10 of her children work out to be good . I get laid that .
JD:“Number 11 , 12 and 13 . Aw , hell no . ”
Arturo:“Nah , hell no . ”
JD:“Them ’s Logos of b*tches . ”
Arturo : I do n’t even like — she stopped counting it after like 10 . She ’s like , “ I don’t — f * * * it . I do n’t even roll in the hay them very well . They were too many . ”
JD:“One ’s good . Two ’s dear . Three ’s good . Four ’s OK . Five ’s good . ”
Arturo:“Raise your hand if you ’re sh*tty ! ” Yeah . As for John and Clarence , she told police that she hoped they got enamor . Ooh , that ’s dusty .
JD : Ooh . ma !
Arturo : So the — the write up … the write up made national headlines , you bang , no matter what the prison house officials say , the inescapable Alcatraz , home to fierceness and chaos , had been breached . Then , later that same year , another man broke out of the prison and swim the alcove .
JD : Ooh .
Arturo : Yeah , another guy fing swam , fing swam .
JD : Boom . I do n’t need a raft , Logos .
Arturo : That ’s right . So , he reached the shore and was straight off caught . And if you’re able to believe this sh*t , man , he did float naked in December .
Arturo : So , this prove that the prison house officials were unseasonable . It was emphatically possible to get out and to hybridize the water . The prison keep out down in 1963 . A plan had already been afoot since 1961 to conclude Alcatraz . It just demand extensive repairs and was already a public relations disaster .
Arturo : But the escape of Morris and the Anglins was a last nail in theataúd , which is Spanish for “ coffin . ”
CHAPTER 4: The Mystery—Did They Survive?
Arturo : The mystery stayed live because the story leaves us with a dubiousness .
Arturo : Did the escapee survive — and how can we know if they did , right ? So that inspired theEscape from Alcatrazmovie in the 1970s , and it ’s been an open question ever since . In 2003 — here we go — the showMythBustersrecreated the escape attempt , even making a rubber waterproof hatful .
Arturo : They were able to land on the Marin Headlands and judge that the escape was possible . [ airhorn voice ] Hey , overlords , I need my own airwave horn .
[ Airhorn sound ]
JD:[untzing ]
Arturo : In 2011 , a oversee deputy of the U.S. Marshalls state that he thought that the three adult male had survived . “ I imagine believably the brothers experience . There ’s nobody recovered . I ca n’t fill up the case , ” he say . This man also spoke like , like Colombo , uh , in my forefront .
Now , in 2012 , the fiftieth anniversary of the escape , the Anglin ’s baby Marie enunciate she never doubted that the two men had endure the escape . Also , we have to remember , these guys are f***ing incredible natator and were used to swim in frigid nooky body of water . Right ?
Arturo : The same year the U.S. Marshals discover that an FBI report told them that the escapee ’ empty flock was found on Angel Island . It was a likely spot for the tides to deposit junk that was washing into the Bay from Marin Headlands .
They also found a rainproof pack of exposure on Angel Island . It concord motion picture of the Anglins and their loved ones . Now , their report also include news program that a blue Chevy had been steal in Marin that dark . Alongside that — uh huh — a police report came in later on that night from Stockton , California , 80 miles inland . It was a sighting of a sorry Chevy carrying three men on the route that were driving at reckless speed .
Ooh , it gets more interesting . In 2013 , the San Francisco police force got a varsity letter claim to be John and offering to deform himself in if he would do less than a year in slammer .
JD:“Give me 2014 now , gimme 2014 ! ”
Arturo : Yeah , yeah , yeah . It said that the other two men were stagnant . Right ? So the FBI could n’t tell if the letter of the alphabet was authentic or not , but they also could n’t rule it out . Like the investigating of the original escape — the expert they could come up with was that it was inconclusive . Now in 2015 , a photo circulated the tabloid with a paper that it was strike in Brazil in 1975 . The two men in the pictures are meet to Clarence and John Anglin , buddy ! Yes !
JD : Yeah !
Arturo : Yeah . Everybody has – [ sings ] At least , by everyone who wants to believe that they escaped , and by grimace recognition AI used to scan the exposure in 2020 , it states that was Clarence and John Anglin , and I love that they — that ’s how they spent their … you know , they ’re just like in Rio de Janeiro being like , “ lie with life ! ”
JD : Oh , for trusted .
Arturo : The U.S. Marshals have still been working on the case , and in June 2022 , they make a new eld - processed image of all three men , Frank , Clarence , and John . They would be in their 90 today . Just f***ing let ’em die guys .
JD : Bro . At this point , humans . Come on .
Arturo : Yeah . They ’re still ask for anybody with data about the valet to call their San Francisco berth , but it ’s like you ’re getting a little clingy , you guys , you ’re getting a — you’re looking a little thirsty .
JD : Thirsty !
Arturo : Today , uh , Alcatraz is a holidaymaker attraction like we spoke about , and a bird bema . Sola Isla de los Alcatracesonce again anIsla –
JD : Bird prison house !
Arturo : That ’s right . In some ways this PR safari by the Bureau of Prisons did work , right ? So the legend of Alcatraz became so strong , then even after the political science abandoned the prison , because it did n’t f***ing study , we kept making moving-picture show about it as if it did , correct ?
JD : Yep , yep . That ’s a great full stop .
Arturo : In fact , one of those key moments in Alcatraz history actually came after the prison fill up . In 1964 , Indigenous activists took over the island . They were manoeuver out that under one of the pact signed by the United States governance — this is what I was verbalise about — all abandoned federal land was to be recall to the Indigenous state .
Arturo : Definitely a storey worth checking out . It was a reminder of the way that the prison house had been used in its earlier days and how powerful a symbol the prison house had become .
Outro
Arturo : OK . So , JD , we ’re getting to the last of our chronicle . And I desire to postulate you , OK ? After you heard all of that … doyouthink these guy survived ?
JD : I think they made it .
Arturo : OK , cool .
JD : I think they made it . But also because I speak in picture show terms . You know what I mean ? Like , I just … I love — I bed the idea that they escape , that they were in Brazil , you love , that they were just traveling around –
Arturo : You make love , doing this show , what I ’ve realized is that that when they f**ing escape , rather of being like , “ All right , I ’m gon na go lay gloomy somewhere , ” they just practice dazed sht and [ they ’re ] just like , kind of tawdry about it . These guys sound like the type that would be like , “ F * * * it , we made it through . We ’re getting the f * * * outta here and we ’re never verbalise of this again . ” And it would make sense that , as an old serviceman , he would be like , “ I engender ta get this off my chest . Just — it was me . Just please do n’t put me in prison house and then I ’ll differentiate you everything , ” and … you know what I ’m saying ?
Arturo : These just seem like more even - lurch guys . But I do n’t f***ing know ’em .
JD : I’m asking myself now — I do conceive that they escaped . I ’m putting myself in those skid and just wondering , if I was go bad to die , would I require masses to fuck that I did that ? I ’m legendary — you know what I intend ?
Arturo : Would — would you ?
JD : You have it away what I mean ? I do n’t know .
Arturo : You would . You ’re about to die . You ’re about to give way — the cool thing you ever f***ing did ?
JD : I mean , well — nine — well , I ’m probably gon na live to like , 110 , so I still have a good 20 years .
Arturo : But you ’re about to die in this scenario , right ? In this scenario , you ’re about to die , and you would n’t tell citizenry the coolest f * * * thing you ever did ?
JD : OK . Forget about — forget about , like , about to die , but like –
Arturo : So you ’re dying ? So you ’re dead . So JD , you ’re die out .
JD : So I ’m dead . I ’m dead . I ’m with God , and I ’m like , “ Just ship me — just send me back down so I could just let everybody have intercourse . ”
Arturo : What ’s your — what ’s your takeaway from the account ? Do you have a takeaway ? One part that really stand out to you ?
JD : I just love the creative thinking .
JD : It ’s almost controversial to say these days that you have a choice , but I think in the world power selection , you know . And I was elevate that room with my parents , who were immigrants , you know , and number to this commonwealth , like , they did n’t care what was in front of me . They did n’t manage what rules were around me . They did n’t care that nobody had n’t done it before . Like , that ’s the mindset that I had , you know , like , there was always a hypothesis , there was a way . And what I love is that these men had the — the creativity . And like the information was all around them , whether it wasPopular Mechanicsor , you know , whether it was trust yourself to another human being and spitballing with them a piffling bit . You know , like — but like , but their mind-set was like , “ eh , I ’m not gon na be here that long . ”
Arturo : Well , to your point , what strikes me is the voltage lost . You know , if these hombre , they ’re so originative , they did n’t allow it bring them down . They read the room like you said , and — f * * * ! You — you just like wish that people like this could have like , had the opportunity to become something amazing as opposed to like their big feat being escaping from a prison house . Right ?
Arturo : Brother , I eff f * * * utter to you , and I just wanna ask you if — if you have anything that we should bet out for .
JD : I’m , uh , home now fromRoadhouse . MayansSeason 5 .
Arturo : People should ingurgitate see the show if they have n’t . You are incredible inMayans . It ’s such a cool exploration of character reference . And also because you ’re a marvelous human being , dude , and it ’s been a f * * * delight talking to you .
JD : Yeah , give thanks you , man !
Arturo : Anyway . For the Model shop class — for the Model Shop , my name is Arturo . This is JD . We ’ll see you in Milan . Untz untz untz !
JD : Yeah , untzing !
Arturo : adieu guys .
JD : have it away you guy . Thank you so much !
Credits
Arturo : Greatest Escapesis a production of iHeartRadio and FilmNation Entertainment , in association with Gilded Audio . Our executive producers are me , Arturo , Alyssa Martino and Milan Popelka from FilmNation Entertainment , Andrew Chugg and Whitney Donaldson from Gilded Audio , and Dylan Fagan from iHeartRadio .
The show is produced and edit by Carl Nellis and Ben Chugg , who are also , respectively , our research overlord and music overlord . Our associate producer is Tory Smith , who is our other overlord .
Nick Dooley is our technical music director . Additional editing by Whitney Donaldson . Special thanks to Alison Cohen , Dan Welsh , Ben Ryzack , Sara Joyner , Nicki Stein , Olivia Canny , and Kelsey Albright .
Hey , thank you so much for listening , and if you ’re enjoy the show , please leave a evaluation or followup . My mom will call you each in person and thank you , and we ’ll see you all next week .
