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Uncle Sam’s Devil’s Island: From Al Capone to ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly, meet Alcatraz’s most infamous inmates

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Uncle Sam’s Devil’s Island: From Al Capone to ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly, meet Alcatraz’s most infamous inmates

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As President Donald Trump called for the reopening of Alcatraz in a Sunday evening Truth Social post, many Americans were reminded of the notorious prison off the coast of San Francisco, California.

“REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” Trump wrote. “For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering,” he wrote.

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Trump directed several agencies, including the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, FBI and Department of Homeland Security, to develop plans to reopen a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” Alcatraz prison that would “house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders.” He said the reopening of Alcatraz “will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.”

During its time as a federal prison, which spanned almost 30 years, Alcatraz housed a total of over 1,500 inmates. Read about the most infamous inmates below:

ALCATRAZ 2.0: FMR. FBI AGENT FLOATS ‘PERFECT’ NEW PRISON SITE THAT WOULD SCARE EVEN MOST HARDENED CRIMINALS

Al Capone was charged with tax evasion in 1931. (FBI)

Al Capone

Al Capone spent time at several prisons across America before serving a sentence at Alcatraz. Capone was charged with tax evasion in 1931, and while originally entering a guilty plea on June 16, 1931, he would change his plea to not guilty after the presiding judge said he wasn’t bound by any plea deal made, according to the FBI.

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After being convicted on Oct. 18, 1931, Capone was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, with his six-month contempt of court sentence brought down to time served. While attempting to appeal his conviction, Capone was being held at the Cook County Jail in Illinois.

He began his sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, but was transferred to Alcatraz in 1934 after allegations that Capone was receiving cushy treatment by manipulating the prison system, according to History.com.

Capone was released from Alcatraz in 1939 for good behavior. He spent his last year at Alcatraz in a hospital after contracting syphilis.

After being released from Alcatraz, Capone didn’t return to his old style of life and was deemed to have the mentality of a 12-year-old child by a Baltimore psychiatrist in 1946. He lived with his wife and immediate family in Palm Island, an isle off of Miami, Florida.

He died of a stroke and pneumonia on Jan. 25, 1947.

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1920s mug shot of George “Machine Gun” Kelly. (FBI)

George “Machine Gun” Kelly

George Kelly, along with hs wife, Kathryn Kelly, kidnapped Oklahoma business tycoon Charles F. Urschel and Walter Jarrett on July 22, 1933. Longtime associate Albert Bates also assisted in the kidnapping.

On July 26, 1933, J.G. Catlett, a close friend of Urschel, received a package written by Urschel which demanded he head to Oklahoma City and not communicate with the Urschel family. The package also received a ransom demand for $200,000. 

After the ransom was completed, Urschel finally returned home on July 31, 1933. 

The Kellys were arrested in Memphis, Tennessee during a Sept. 26, 1933 law enforcement raid by FBI agents and the Memphis Police Department. During the arrest, George Kelly allegedly famously cried “Don’t shoot, G-Men! Don’t shoot, G-Men!” according to the FBI.

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George Kelly was locked away at Alcatraz from 1934-1951. He got his nickname “machine gun” after his wife bought him a machine gun and encouraged him to go into a life of crime.

LEGAL EXPERTS SAY TRUMP CAN DEFINITELY REOPEN ALCATRAZ, BUT COULD FACE ‘AVALANCHE OF LAWSUITS’

Robert Stroud killed a corrections officer in 1916. (Bureau of Prisons)

Robert Stroud – “Bird Man” of Alcatraz

In 1909, Robert Stroud killed a bartender who allegedly didn’t pay a prostitute he was pimping. He was convicted of manslaughter and served his sentence at U.S. Penitentiary, McNeil Island, Washington. While in federal prison, according to the Bureau of Prisons, Stroud attacked another inmate, resulting in his transfer to USP Leavenworth.

While at USP Leavenworth, Stroud killed corrections officer Andrew Turner in 1916.

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Stroud was convicted of first-degree murder as a result, and was sentenced to death. In 1920, former President Woodrow Wilson commuted his sentence to life in prison.

While in prison, Stroud developed a deep interest in birds, and would go on to write two books about birds and their diseases. Prison officers eventually found contraband items hidden inside bird cages that Stroud got his hands on, resulting in his transfer to Alcatraz in 1942.

Stroud spent 17 years in Alcatraz before he died on Nov. 21, 1963.

Alvin Karpis was involved in the 1933 kidnapping of William A. Hamm, Jr. (FBI)

Alvin ‘Creepy’ Karpis

Alvin Karpis was a member of the Barker/Karpis gang, which was involved in a number of high-profile kidnappings.

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Karpis was involved in the 1933 kidnapping of William A. Hamm, Jr., president of the Theodore Hamm Brewing Company, according to the FBI. Hamm, Jr. left the building when he was grabbed by four individuals who pushed him into a car. 

Members of the Barker/Karpis gang were responsible for the kidnapping, and demanded a ransom of over $100,000. Hamm signed a number of ransom notes in Wisconsin before he was taken to a hideout in Bensenville, Illinois. After the ransom was paid, Hamm was released near Wyoming, Minnesota.

Using fingerprint technology, the FBI used fingerprints on the ransom notes to identify suspects in the kidnapping – Karpis, “Doc” Barker, Charles Fitzgerald, and other members of the gang.

Karpis was eventually arrested in New Orleans, Louisiana, with former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover being part of the raid which led to his arrest on May 2, 1936.

Karpis, born in Montreal, spent 10 years in prison for burglary before working with members of the Barker family on more extreme crimes.

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While Karpis was sentenced to life in prison, he spent time in various federal prisons, including Alcatraz. He was paroled in the late 1960s. He got his “creepy” nickname because of his smile.

Morton Sobell

Morton Sobell was convicted of espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union in 1951, but wasn’t convicted of providing the Soviet Union with stolen nuclear secrets, according to History.com.

He was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with 18 of them being spent in Alcatraz before he was paroled in 1969.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were charged along with Sobell, were sentenced to death through electric chair.

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Montana

Game Day Live Blog: Louisville vs. Montana | Game 12

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Game Day Live Blog: Louisville vs. Montana | Game 12


LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Louisville men’s basketball program suffered a setback in their last time out on the floor, but the time has come to bounce back, as they return to the KFC Yum! Center to host Montana.

The Cardinals made the trek down to Rocky Top for a top-20 showdown at Tennessee, but they were punched in the mouth early and couldn’t recover. UofL wound up suffering a demoralizing 83-62 loss, falling to 0-2 in true road games so far this season.

Louisville was without star point guard Mikel Brown Jr. due to a lower back injury, but even with him on the floor, it’s unlikely they would have taken down UT. They shot just 37.9 percent from the floor, with Adrian Wooley and Ryan Conwell combining for 43 of their points. In fact, the Cards had twice as many turnovers (16) as they did assists (8), and let the Vols shoot 54.7 from the floor.

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As for the Grizzlies, they are coming off a 2024-25 season in which they made the NCAA Tournament by way of winning the Big Sky Conference Tournament. However, year 12 under head coach Travis DeCuire has been up-and-down.

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Montana is 1-1 against KenPom top-100 teams, losing 86-81 at Texas A&M but winning 102-93 at UNLV. Additionally, in their last time out, the Griz lost 82-75 to Montana Tech – an NAIA school – at home.

 Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Montana Grizzlies

Here is where you will get all the latest updates from today’s contest in real time. Throughout the game, we will include any notes, injury updates and analysis in the game feed at the link below.

More Cardinals Stories

(Photo of KFC Yum! Center: Matt McGavic – Louisville Cardinals On SI)

You can follow Louisville Cardinals On SI for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram:

Facebook – @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter/X – @LouisvilleOnSI
Instagram – @louisvilleonsi

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X and @mattmcgavic.bsky.social on Bluesky





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Nevada

Nevada DMV receives nearly 21,000 reports of illegal drivers in two months

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Nevada DMV receives nearly 21,000 reports of illegal drivers in two months


LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has received nearly 21,000 complaints about illegal drivers through its new online reporting portal in just two months, with more than 83 percent of those reports coming from Clark County.

The Registration Spotter tool, launched in October on the DMV’s website, allows residents to report vehicles with no plates, expired or invalid registration, or illegal out-of-state plates. The initiative was part of an effort to address what officials call a pervasive problem affecting road safety and contributing to rising car insurance costs.

WATCH | Plenty of reports, not enough action — what’s the deal?

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Nevada DMV receives nearly 21,000 reports of illegal drivers in two months

“It’s everywhere all the time,” said J.D. Decker from the DMV’s Compliance Enforcement Division during a February ride-along.

However, some residents who have filed reports are questioning the effectiveness of the system, like Las Vegas resident Paul who emailed to ask, “Darcy, what’s the deal?”

“I reported a car without plates over two months ago and I still see it parking where I live. Why don’t they investigate? I also see so many cars on the road without plates and even see cops that don’t stop them. Why don’t police stop them?” Paul asked.

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KTNV

DMV officials acknowledge that enforcement is lacking. DMV spokesperson Hailey Foster said the agency agrees “this is certainly an issue we, the DMV, would like to see be enforced more.”

The DMV admits it’s still working to distribute data from the online portal to other agencies and cannot guarantee specific action on reports. Foster explained that if a vehicle is parked in someone’s driveway and not being operated, that’s technically legal. Officers need to see the car being driven on streets to issue a citation.

“This takes everybody, and there’s so much of it right now, and it’s going to take all of Nevada law enforcement to address,” Decker said.

Nevada DMV receives nearly 21,000 reports of illegal drivers in two months

KTNV

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The DMV does not track enforcement statistics based on whether action comes from patrol, investigation or complaints submitted by residents, making it impossible to determine how many Registration Spotter tips have led to enforcement action.

But, traffic enforcement overall is increasing. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police made about 82,000 traffic stops this year, according to a Dec. 16 social media post.

A newly formed multi-agency traffic task force, which we told you about on Dec. 8, has logged 26 registration violations and 14 insurance violations since its formation, though their primary focus is on dangerous driving.

Nevada DMV receives nearly 21,000 reports of illegal drivers in two months

KTNV

We also asked other agencies for their enforcement statistics over the last two months. North Las Vegas Police said, “While NLVPD does not receive or track the individual public-submitted reports sent directly to the DMV as part of that program, we are able to provide our department’s registration-related enforcement statistics during the same general timeframe.

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For the period October 1, 2025 through December 18, 2025, North Las Vegas Police Department officers issued:

  • 557 citations
  • 601 total offenses related to registration and license plate violations

These offenses include, but are not limited to:

  • Failure to possess or surrender certificate of registration
  • Improper display of license plates
  • Operating a vehicle without valid Nevada vehicle registration

Henderson Police citations from 10/01/2025 – 12/17/2025:

Operate vehicle w/expired registration or plates: 214

Operate unregistered vehicle-trailer or semi trailer: 84

Display fictitious vehicle registration/plate/title: 8

Fail to obtain and properly display permit to operate unregistered vehicle: 3

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Operate unregistered moped: 1

Rear license plate lamp violation: 1

License plates improperly displayed: 1

Nevada State Police was only able to provide citation information for the month of October.

Nevada Highway Patrol statewide citation information:

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Total citations issued: 12,962

Registration-related citations: 1,475

All other citations: 11,487

Statement from the Department:

“The Nevada State Police Highway Patrol Division recognizes public interest related to unregistered vehicles and has and will continue to enforce all traffic laws on Nevada’s roadways, including laws related to vehicle registration. Enforcement of unregistered vehicles has long been part of routine traffic enforcement efforts statewide. As with all enforcement activity, the Nevada Highway Patrol prioritizes public safety and responds based on observed violations, calls for service, and operational considerations, including impaired driving and other serious safety concerns. Traffic enforcement is continuous and ongoing, and troopers take appropriate enforcement action when unregistered vehicles are encountered during patrol or traffic stops. The Nevada Highway Patrol strongly encourages drivers to ensure their vehicles are properly registered in accordance with Nevada law.”

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The DMV is asking each law enforcement agency in the state to increase enforcement of the types of violations reported through Registration Spotter. DMV officials say the best outcome would be for each agency to conduct their own enforcement patrols and crack down on these violations.

Wondering what the deal is with something happening in the valley? Reach out to Darcy Spears at Darcy.Spears@ktnv.com.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.





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New Mexico

New Mexico Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Day results for Dec. 19, 2025

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The New Mexico Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 19, 2025, results for each game:

Mega Millions

01-11-27-39-59, Mega Ball: 18

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 3

Day: 6-4-5

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Evening: 8-6-5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

Evening: 2-8-1-1

Day: 0-9-1-3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Roadrunner Cash

03-20-25-31-35

Check Roadrunner Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Las Cruces Sun-News editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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