Do You Know the Gruesome History Behind Illinois’ St. Valentine’s Day Massacre?

I will be the first to admit I am no history buff, but the reason I know about the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre that took place in Chicago on February 14, 1929, is kind of a funny one. No, there is absolutely nothing funny about the actual massacre, but the way I learned about it is absolutely ridiculous.

Have You Seen 'The St. Valentine's Day Massacre' Movie?

Many, many moons ago, before my husband and I had kids, I let my husband choose how he wanted to celebrate Valentine's Day, and I immediately regretted it.

His choice for the evening began with beer and a heart-shaped pizza (I had no regrets about that part), followed by a movie. The movie he chose was 'The St. Valentine's Day Massacre' from 1967.

Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to watching a history or crime flick from time to time, but this was about as far from romantic as one can get, but I watched it anyway and somehow managed to stay awake.

Now that I have filled you in on that ridiculous tidbit of my relationship history, let's get to some fascinating historical facts about Chicago's St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

The History of Chicago's St. Valentine's Day Massacre

Just to get everyone up to speed on this infamously bloody massacre, here's what Wikipedia says;

The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre was the murder of seven members and associates of Chicago's North Side Gang that occurred on Saint Valentine's Day 1929. The men were gathered at a Lincoln Park, Chicago garage on the morning of February 14, 1929. They were lined up against a wall and shot by four unknown assailants, two dressed as police officers. The incident resulted from the struggle to control organized crime in the city during Prohibition between the Irish North Siders, headed by George "Bugs" Moran, and their Italian Chicago outfit rivals led by Al Capone.

Although many assumed Al Capone was responsible for the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, it was never proven, and still remains an unsolved crime. As far as the Chicago building where it took place, here is what the location looks like today...

So...what happened to the garage where such a violet act took place? Obviously, it was demolished, but it turns out the brick wall where the shootings took place is scattered in different locations throughout the country. According to chicagodetours.com, a Canadian businessman named George Patey purchased the bricks from the infamous wall, brought them back to Canada to put them on display at different places for people to view, but most people weren't impressed by their morbid existence. Patey also wanted to use them to build a wall in his home (Weird!) or feature them in a gangster museum he wanted to open, but none of that happened. Fast forward several years later, some of the bricks ended up in the Mob Museum in Las Vegas where you can still find them today. For a better look at the current site of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and more historical facts, check out this video from Chicago Detours...