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Snapshots of a Childhood on Alcatraz

News
“While you made friends in the city, your friends on Alcatraz were it."
Chuck Stucker
By Caitlin Nolan

8:19 AM PDT, April 2, 2018

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Sweeping views, a tight-knit community and the comfort of knowing your child was safe: Those were the trappings for the lucky few who got to call an exclusive area not far from San Francisco — Alcatraz Island — home.

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Life on Alcatraz Island

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Open from 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was thought to house some of America’s most ruthless criminals. But it also was home for many of the guards who patrolled the prison and their young families.

The Families That Called the Island Home

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Chuck Stucker

Many guards applying to work on the island moved there with their families if they got the job. Of the 70 guards who lived on the island during the federal prison era, 60 had families.

Chuck Stucker

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Chuck Stucker

Chuck Stucker was 4 months old when his family moved onto Alcatraz in 1940. He lived there on and off until he was 13.

Remembering the Rock

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Chuck Stucker

“In retrospect, [the experience] was not a whole lot different than people who grew up on a small military base,” Chuck Stucker, now 77, told InsideEdition.com.

A Small Community

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Michael Esslinger

Alcatraz Island had a small commissary that sold household staples, a post office and a preschool that young children living there attended.

Growing Up

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But once they outgrew pre-school, the children took a boat to school on the mainland.

Taking Safety Precautions

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Dog tags-- like the one belonging to Steve Mahoney, who lived on the island until he was 6-- helped alert authorities on the mainland to the children’s unique living situations.

Safety Precautions

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Chuck Stucker

Children like Chuck also carried permanent resident cards. 

Halloween on Alcatraz Island

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Chuck Stucker

Kids celebrated Halloween, played ball and flew kites on the island.

Goblins and Ghosts Take Over Alcatraz

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The island was its own close-knit community.

Clowning Around on the Island

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Chuck Stucker

“We’d get loaves of bread and feed them to small sharks. For us, it was a big playground,” Steve Mahoney, now 60, said.

Steve Mahoney

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Until he was 6 years old, Mahoney lived on the island with his parents and his two younger brothers. He left only when the prison closed in 1963.

Steve Mahoney

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Until he was 6 years old, Mahoney lived on the island with his parents and his two younger brothers. He left only when the prison closed in 1963.

Looking Back on the Good Old Days

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Chuck Stucker

“My dad had the first color TV on the island and it was a real popular thing for the adults,” Mahoney said. “Most evenings, you were either at someone’s house for dinner or they were at yours.”

A Close-Knit Bunch

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“While you made friends in the city, your friends on Alcatraz were it,” Chuck Stucker said.

A Treasure Trove of Places to Explore

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Chuck Stucker

Kids loved to explore the island and try to find ways to get as close to the prison as possible.

Hanging Out

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Alcatraz Alumni Association

“I mean, put yourself in my place: Only one-third of the island was accessible to you. Everything is marked, ‘Do not go here,’ ‘Danger,’ ‘Don’t go here.’ What does a young kid do? You do exactly what you’re not supposed to do,” Chuck Stucker said, laughing.

Interesting Neighbors

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Chuck Stucker

Of the many questions surrounding life on Alcatraz, those who once lived on the island are most often asked about the inmates.

 

The Talk of the Town

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Though children paid no mind to most inmates, everyone knew when Al Capone arrived on Alcatraz.

A Run-In to Remember

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Chandler Family

Roy "Rocky" Chandler (left) met Al Capone during a trip to the prison hospital for an asthma attack, Chuck Stucker said.

A Lasting Impression

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"Roy — he went by Rocky then — he said, ‘I can still remember the warmth of this man’s hand when I shook it,'" Chuck Stucker said.

Forging Bonds on the Island

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National Archives of San Francisco

Inmates and guards made lasting impressions on each other, which have endured through generations.

Priceless Mementos

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Steve Mahoney’s father was gifted paintings by the family of a man who used art as an escape while at Alcatraz.

An Artist

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National Archives of San Francisco

George Franklin Heck painted the portraits in 1949.

Lessons Learned

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“My dad made it a point to have me meet with convicts and talk to them,” Steve Mahoney said. “They did what they did.”

A Fascinating Story

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George Franklin Heck painted the portraits in 1949.

A Piece of the Past

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Steve Mahoney also owns a pair of handcuffs that were used on Alcatraz. 

A Piece of the Past

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"Property of Alcatraz" can be clearly seen on the cuffs. 

The End of an Era

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Expensive to run, hard to maintain and the subject of heated investigations, officials finally decided to close Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on March 21, 1963.  

Looking Back on The Past

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Chuck Stucker

At least 55 years have passed since Alcatraz was their home, but those who were raised there have not yet tired of looking back on their time on The Rock.

A Living History

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“The island was a very special place. If it was possible to do it again … sure; it would be fun to go back,” Chuck Stucker said. “But my island is gone.”

tags:

  • history
  • island
  • prison
  • guards
  • childhood
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