Seven North Side Gang members murdered in Chicago garage

On February 14, 1929, the men were gathered at a Lincoln Park, Chicago, garage for the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. This notorious event involved the murder of seven members and associates of the North Side Gang. Police and historians have speculated that the murders were an attempt to kill the head of the North Side Gang, George "Bugs" Moran, although he had not arrived by the time the attack started. Much of the speculation has focused on whether he was behind the murders, as the North Siders were rivals of the Chicago Outfit, a criminal organization headed by Al Capone.

The planning and execution of the massacre were the consequence of an intense rivalry between the North Side Gang and the Chicago Outfit, which began during the Prohibition era. These rival gangs fought for control over the criminal underworld. Among those in the garage at the time were Albert Kachellek, Moran's second-in-command and brother-in-law; Adam Heyer, the North Side Gang's bookkeeper; Albert Weinshank; and gang enforcers Frank Gusenberg and his brother Peter. Two non-gang members were also present: Reinhardt H. Schwimmer, a gambler; and John May, an occasional mechanic who had brought his dog Highball with him.

Byron Bolton was identified as a possible lookout at the crime; after being arrested on unrelated charges in 1935, he confessed to being a lookout and named the murderers as Fred Goetz, Gus Winkler, Fred Burke, Ray Nugent and Bob Carey. These accusations were supported by the memoirs of Winkler's widow, Georgette, though some historians have suggested that "Three Fingered Jack" White and Tony Accardo were involved. Police arrested several gang members in connection with the shootings, but a lack of evidence meant none were charged.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons