Photo courtesy of The Mob Museum)
THE MOB MUSEUM TO COMMEMORATE 11-YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH FREE DAY FOR LOCALS,
SPECIAL PRESENTATION OF NEWLY ACQUIRED ARTIFACTS, TUESDAY, FEB. 14
The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, will commemorate its 11-year anniversary with FREE museum admission for Nevada residents as well as buy one, get one admission for non-locals on Tuesday, Feb. 14. A special presentation of historically significant artifacts will also be held in the Museum’s historic courtroom on this day.
Each year on the Museum’s anniversary it hosts a free day furthering its mission of advancing the public’s understanding of organized crime’s history and impact on American society, while recognizing its commitment to community by opening its doors, to ensure accessibility and reach.
The special presentation of artifacts will feature a selection of newly acquired personal artifacts from Chicago mobster Al Capone as well as the complete collection of evidence from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, including the newly acquired and only firearm recovered from the scene of the horrific gangland shooting. Among the crime scene evidence displayed will be the Museum’s regular collection of evidence inclusive of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall. The two firearms used to commit the heinous crime will also be onsite for this one-day event, courtesy of Berrien County, Michigan’s Sheriff’s Department. An overview of each of these historic artifacts, on view from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the anniversary include:
New Artifacts Acquired by The Mob Museum
- Frank Gusenberg’s Colt Detective Special .38 Revolver – North Side Gang member Frank Gusenberg was shot 14 times during the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and lived for three hours after the shooting, but when Sgt. Thomas J. Loftus made it to the scene and questioned Gusenberg about the perpetrators, it is said that the mobster refused to cooperate. The .38 Detective Special was found by Sgt. Loftus in the North Clark Street warehouse. In his sworn statement, Loftus mentioned discovering the weapon on the floor of the facility. The police and investigators linked the gun to Gusenberg, believing that it fell from his pocket as he attempted to crawl to safety following the Massacre. No other firearms were recovered at the site, making this revolver the only firearm available to the public that originates directly from the scene of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
- Al Capone Home Movie – The 13-minute-long homemade film captures life in and around his Miami Beach mansion, including two high-profile guests from New York: Charles “Lucky” Luciano and Frank Costello.
- Al Capone Handwritten Letter Relating to Prohibition – In June 1924, Capone wrote a letter to friend Bill Sells in Wisconsin. It was just a couple of months after Capone’s brother Frank was killed by police during a shootout linked to the municipal election in Cicero, a Chicago suburb. “Just a few lines to let you know that I am feeling fine,” wrote Capone, who signed the letter using his alias, Al Brown. Capone also asks Sells to “find that Bootlegger that sold me the Wine and Wiskey (sic) when I was there and tell him that I want him to come right away to Chicago because I have a big order for him.”
- Al Capone Letter from Eastern State Penitentiary – In December 1929, Capone sent a letter to Sells. It was typed on Eastern State Penitentiary letterhead, reflecting the fact that Capone was serving a one-year prison sentence in the Philadelphia prison at the time. In the letter, Capone writes, “No doubt you are surprised to hear from me, because the old saying, Out of Sight, Out of Mind.”
- Al Capone Letter to Son While in Alcatraz – Capone sent a three-page handwritten letter to his son from Alcatraz prison sometime between 1934 and 1939. This letter reveals Capone’s mindset while in prison and his emotional attachment to his son and family.
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Thompson Submachine Guns Presentation
In addition to the new artifacts, guests will have the opportunity to see the two Tommy guns linked to the Massacre and hear the fascinating story of how they were confiscated from Fred “Killer” Burke’s Michigan home.
- Two Thompson Machine Guns – Members of the Berrien County, Michigan, Sheriff’s Office, where the guns are kept, will share stories behind the recovery of the two machine guns. The guns were first positively identified by Dr. Calvin Goddard in December 1929 after investigating many Thompson guns found in the Chicago area. These guns will be on view at the Museum this day only.
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre original crime scene evidence
Located on the third floor, St. Valentine’s Day Massacre evidence that is displayed all year includes:
- The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall, the centerpiece of the exhibit.
- Bullets removed from the bodies of the seven victims.
- Bullet fragments and cartridge cases picked up from the garage floor.
- Test bullets fired from the Tommy guns later proved to have been used in the Massacre.
- Original coroner’s documents concerning the victims.
- Reports prepared by the “Father of Ballistics” Calvin Goddard, who used pioneering ballistics testing techniques to identify the weapons used in the crime.
For more information, please call (702) 229-2734 or visit themobmuseum.org/events.
ABOUT THE MOB MUSEUM
The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides a world-class journey through true stories—from the birth of the Mob to today’s headlines. The Mob Museum offers a provocative, contemporary look at these topics through hundreds of artifacts and immersive storylines. Numerous interactive exhibits include a Crime Lab, Firearm Training Simulator and Organized Crime Today exhibit. The Museum is also home to The Underground, a Prohibition history exhibition featuring a speakeasy and distillery. The Mob Museum has accumulated numerous accolades, including being named one of TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 U.S. Museums;” one of Las Vegas Weekly’s “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History” and “Best Museum” by its 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards; one of National Geographic’s “Top 10 Things to Do in Las Vegas;” USA Today’s “Best Museum in Nevada,” 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards for “Best Las Vegas Attraction” in 2021, “Top Five Best History Museums in the United States” in 2021 and one of its “12 Can’t Miss U.S. Museum Exhibits;” named “A Must for Travelers” by The New York Times and one of “20 Places Every American Should See” by FOX News. The Museum is a two-time winner of the Mayor’s Urban Design Award for Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum is open daily; visit the website for admission rates and operating hours. For more information, call (702) 229-2734, visit themobmuseum.org, or download the Museum’s free mobile app.
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