Happy Haunted Valentine's Day at the St Valentine's Day Massacre Site

By Faun Grey

George "Bugs" Moran operated as a notorious criminal leader of Chicago's North Side gang during the 1920s bootlegging period. He engaged in fierce territorial battles with Al "Scarface" Capone over control of illegal smuggling and trafficking operations in Chicago. Both gangsters survived multiple assassination attempts throughout the decade. In one infamous incident, Moran and his crew unleashed over 1,000 rounds at a Cicero hotel where Capone and his associates were dining, using six vehicles in the attack.

The final provocation for Capone was a $50,000 price placed on his head. He ordered the elimination of Moran's organization. On Valentine's Day, Moran's headquarters was expecting a bootleg whiskey shipment. Running behind schedule, Moran spotted what appeared to be police entering his establishment. He remained outside, believing his men inside were being arrested in a raid. However, the supposed officers were actually assassins executing the seven men within.

Among the victims were Moran's top killers, the Gusenberg brothers, Frank and Pete. Reports indicate Frank was still breathing when actual police arrived. When questioned about who shot him, the dying Gusenberg maintained the gangster's code, stating "No one, nobody shot me."

The Valentine's Day Massacre marked the final confrontation between both crime bosses. Capone was imprisoned in 1931, while Moran's operation crumbled after losing too many key members.

Seven years after the massacre, Jack McGurn, one of the Valentine's Day hitmen, was gunned down in a packed bowling alley by machine-gun fire. While Moran was likely behind McGurn's murder, he was never charged. Moran's influence diminished to minor robberies until his arrest in 1946. He died of lung cancer in 1957 while incarcerated at Leavenworth Federal Prison.

Many people who have visited the site have heard sounds of gunshots. The site located at 2122 North Clark Street in Chicago, is a place of intense paranormal activity. The massacre, which occurred on February 14, 1929, is said to have left a heavy psychic imprint, with many residents and visitors reporting eerie occurrences such as the outline of seven bodies in the snow, the smell of oil and exhaust, and the presence of the garage's bricks, which are believed to be cursed. The site remains one of Chicago's most haunted locations, with the violent deaths creating a permanent psychic scar. The garage was demolished in 1967, but the site continues to be a point of interest for those interested in the history of the gangland era and the paranormal.