American History Tellers St. Valentines Day Massacre | Public Enemy No. 1 | 2
20 snips
Feb 11, 2026 A bloody 1929 ambush in a Chicago garage shocks the nation and sparks a scramble for answers. The rise of bootlegging and violent turf wars under Al Capone frames the chaos. Newsgathering, inquests, and staged reenactments fuel public outrage. Federal investigators pivot to tax strategies while mob politics and political reforms reshape the city’s future.
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The Too-Good-To-Be-True Whiskey Tip
- A gangster leader receives a tip about a truck of Canadian whiskey and arranges to meet at a Clark Street garage on February 14, 1929.
- He hesitates but accepts, thinking the shipment might be a lucky break on Valentine’s Day.
Last-Second Abort Saves Leader
- A gangster drives to the SMC Cartage garage expecting stolen liquor but spots a police car and aborts the plan.
- He curses his luck and leaves his six men inside, who are later arrested and then targeted.
Housewife Discovers The Massacre
- Neighbor Jeanette Lansman hears machine-gun-like bangs, investigates, and alerts police about bodies in the garage.
- Sergeant Thomas Loftus arrives to find six men slain and one gravely wounded who refuses to name the shooters.
