Letters from Alcatraz

by Esslinger, Michael

  Sincerely,

  J.A. Johnston

  Warden

  * * *

  October 30, 1939

  MEMORANDUM FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL:

  Re: Al Capone

  I have received some further information concerning how components present attitudes, which may be of interest to you.

  The following is quoted from a letter from Dr. George Hess, the medical officer who is been in charge of Capone’s case for some time. Capone has a genuine regard for Dr. Hess, and I believe would describe his true feelings to the doctor.

  “He (Capone) has no use for William Randolph Hearst and threatens to expose him to his (Capone’s) own newspapers, the Cicero Tribune any Miami Times. Other than that he makes no other threats towards Mr. Hearst. He brands Hearst as a degenerate and claims that Hearst is the one who is the cause of all the adverse publicity in his case. He then makes the remark that Hearst will not bother him again because they have run him out of the country and have sold his papers.

  William Randolph Hearst

  “Capone is also bitter towards Judge Wilkinson (judge who sentenced him) because he has “double-crossed” him. In this connection he does not make any threatening remarks.

  “In his present mental state I would hesitate to place any confidence in any threats he might make. Since talking to his brother John and his wife today I believe I have impressed them with the necessity of keeping the patient activities suppressed at all times. They were both very pleased with the manner in which you are handling the case and express her gratitude for what I have done. They did not tell him the plans for the future and I think they did right because of the officer present. I have told him that the plans were to place in any private institution for a while and he is very pleased about it.

  Warden Lloyd, who also knows Capone quite well, informed me that Capone is still very bitter against Mr. Hearst and refers frequently to the occasion when he visited the home of Mr. Hearst at San Simeon and saw some “carousing” on the part of the men and women at the party, which he thought disgusting. This is the same incident about which he told me personally. Warden Lloyd thinks also that his bitterness and threats towards Mr. Hearst are not really dangerous. It is my own personal feeling; however, that one can never tell what a paretic will do because it is characteristic of the disease to rob a man entirely of his judgment.

  We have the detailed neuropsychiatric record on Capone in the office, which covers about thirty pages. If you have time to examine it, I should be glad to forward it.

  Dr. Fuller, our medical director has had a conference with Dr. Moore of Johns Hopkins, and it looks as though Dr. Moore would accept Capone as a patient on condition that Capone cannot successfully be treated in the general medical ward, he will consent to commitment to the Sheppard Pratt Hospital for mental cases, which is in Baltimore. This is, as you may perhaps know, one of the finest institutions in the country for mental afflictions.

  (Signed) Director

  United States Bureau of Prisons

  Intra-Bureau Correspondence

  Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island, California

  Al Capone died only eight years following his release from Alcatraz on January 25, 1947. He would spend his final days in a secluded atmosphere at his Florida estate, surrounded by family members. His death ultimately resulted from a slow cerebral hemorrhage and pneumonia on January 25, 1947, both of which were secondary to his chronic syphilis. Capone was just 48 years old at the time of his death.

  Mickey Cohen, AZ-1518

  Mickey Cohen

  Al Capone was the King of Chicago. If you were disfavored by him, your life wasn’t worth a damn. I walked into his office kind of awed, because I was a young kid anyway ... then he did something which was a very big thing for me - he kind of held my head and kissed me on both cheeks. After that meeting, it was kind of like a whole new world for me. People who never knew me before knew me now. I wasn’t just a punk kid anymore...

  - Mickey Cohen

  In addition to his strong ties to Al Capone, Los Angeles-based gangster Meyer Harris “Mickey” Cohen was a long-standing member of America’s Jewish Mafia.

  Cohen’s Inmate Case File—scribed during his years at USPs Alcatraz, Atlanta, and McNeil Island—provides his detailed background, which includes a family history that was provided by Cohen during interviews with prison staff members.

  COMMITTED NAME: COHEN, Meyer Harris

  REGISTER NUMBER: 1518-AZ

  DATE: December 13, 1962

  SENTENCE DATA:

  This forty-nine-year-old resident of Los Angeles, California was sentenced July 1, 1961 at Los Angeles to serve fifteen years for an attempt to evade and defeat income tax. He was committed directly to Alcatraz on July 28, 1961, but released on appeal bond on October 17, 1961. He was returned to custody on May 8, 1962 with 202 days of his sentence inoperative; he was returned to Alcatraz on May 14, 1962. He is eligible for parole on January 18, 1967, and his mandatory release date is February 14, 1972.

  Cohen in July of 1961 with girlfriend Claretta (Sandy) Hashagen after being jolted with a 15-year prison sentence for income tax evasion.Following his sentencing, he was transferred directly to Alcatraz.

  SOCIAL INFORMATION:

  He has received two visits every month from his brother, Harry Cohen, of Oakland, California, and his girlfriend, Claretta Hashagen, of Las Vegas, Nevada, who alternate their visits. He also had several visits from his attorneys. He corresponds regularly with his brother, girlfriend, and sister, Lillian Weimer of Los Angeles, California, and occasionally with his friends, Abe Phillips of Beverly Hills, California and Ed Trascher of Las Vegas, Nevada. He has been quite prolific in his writing and has been warned several times about violations of the correspondence regulations. He has $335.05 in his personal account.

  INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT:

  No good time outstanding. He has a clear conduct record. After his return to this institution from appeal, he was assigned to the Clothing Room on May 24, 1962, and has remained there to date. His work supervisor reports that he is a very good worker. This is because he is concerned about doing his share of the work for fear that someone will think he isn’t carrying his share of the load and is riding on his name. In the cell house he is very cooperative and polite towards officers. He keeps one of the neatest cells in the cell house, goes to the yard whenever he can, and seems to be well adjusted to his present situation. He has a great tendency to be a packrat.

  In the cell house Cohen is reported as having made a good adjustment and spending his time in many things, with card playing heading the list. He is not observed to be of any trouble to the inmates and has an attitude that he deserves special consideration, although he obeys the rules and regulations when faced with them. The cell house officer states, “This man is apt at getting what he wants by any means open to him.” Cohen is a member of the Jewish faith and attends such services regularly. The Protestant chaplain remarks that Cohen has had some individual counseling, seems to be making a better adjustment, and is friendly and cooperative with the chaplain.

  He reads a great amount, according to his book loans from the institution library, and reads such a wide range of material, such as general works, books, sports books, science (math), poetry, better speech and English, philosophy, travel, character, biographies, and biology books. It is noted that his loans of the books are strictly non-fictional in nature.

  Committee Impressions and Recommendations:

  Making satisfactory adjustment, but is quite demanding. Committee recommends that he continue the present program.

  ADMISSION SUMMARY

  OFFICIAL VERSION:

  The prosecuting agency report notes that: “Cohen was convicted of attempting to evade federal income taxes for the years 1946, 1947, and 1948, and of giving a false statement to an agent of the United States Treasury Department by a federal jury on June 9, 1951 at Los Angeles, California. Similar charges were brought against his wife, but w
ere later dismissed on the motion of the US Attorney after the premature death of a highly important witness. The total amount abated by the couple as proven at trial was about $156,000. They were also found to have failed to pay some $5,000 in income taxes for the year 1945, but these figures were not the basis of any criminal charge.”

  INMATE VERSION:

  Cohen states: “I have been convicted of income tax evasion. I have been in the Los Angeles County jail for about eight months awaiting appeal bond. I was once granted a $5,000 bond on appeal, but the United States District Attorney asked Chief Justice Denman of the Ninth Circuit Court to put it in the hands of the whole court, which was done. I truly don’t understand the complete happenings. My attorney tells me that I am being held illegally. My application for bond is in the Ninth Circuit Court; the court of the Chief Justice Denman who granted me bond. I just arrived here at the institution today and I am a bit nervous, but I’ve tried to explain as much as I know.”

  In a subsequent statement, Cohen states that he is not guilty of the charge. He relates that he employed a chief accountant as well as an accountant for each of his business enterprises, giving them both strict orders “NOT TO FOOL WITH UNCLE SAM ON INCOME TAX.” He explains he had arrangements with gambling customers placing bets on a given amount of money. For example, a customer would state he wished to place $25,000. Portions would be wagered on various events, with alternating gains and losses. No money would exchange hands until the specified amount would be won or lost. He attributes his conviction to his notoriety.

  EVALUATED SUMMARY:

  Meyer Harris Cohen, known as Mickey Cohen, was born in New York City, New York, September 4, 1913 to Max and Fanny Cohen, Russian-Jewish immigrants. They were natives of Kiev, Russia, and came to New York, according to Cohen, sometime around the turn-of-the-century. He states that his father had another name other than the Americanized version, but he is unable to recall it. He is also uncertain about whether or not his parents ever took out citizenship papers. According to family members, his father operated a fish market in New York until his death from tuberculosis in 1914 in that city.

  The family has related that his parents were very happy in their marital relationship, very hard-working, and industrious. Cohen has remarked that although he never knew his father, his mother always worked very hard until her recent years, when her age and infirmities would not permit. The parental home was characterized by his sister Pauline as being very religious with both parents keeping the Hebrew Sabbath strictly unto the letter.

  Mickey was not yet two years old when his father passed away. She [his sister Pauline] recalls that the funeral took place at home, and that many friends came to the wailing ceremonies as was the custom of the church. The five children, with Mickey, the youngest, were present. According to the wife [Mickey’s mother] and his sister, Mickey did not speak much about loss of his father, but has always been sympathetic towards his mother. His only knowledge of him [Mickey’s father] being what he has been told.

  Cohen, in relating his childhood, states he has been told that his mother had to borrow money to come to Los Angeles following his father’s death because of her health. Both his mother and his older brothers and sister are understood to have suffered severe privation during this time. He remembers that the other children were better educated than himself, through his father providing them an education. He, however, was denied this privilege, suggesting a feeling of being underprivileged in this respect in comparison with the others.

  A photo of Cohen’s sister Lillian Weimer. Cohen maintained close ties with his family throughout his incarceration.

  In his recollection, he relates closest to his sister Lillian, believing that this was circumstanced by her having to take care of him as a small child. His mother tried to work after her arrival in Los Angeles, to alleviate the dire financial circumstances he recounts in supporting the family. He stated that at a very early age—five or six years—he started to hustle papers for the now extinct “Record”, “Express”, and “Examiner” newspapers.

  According to the family, during this period of Mickey’s early life the mother came to Los Angeles because of her health. For a period of about five years she was nervously ill, having a tension in the throat and a hoarseness of the voice, which was somewhat hysterical in nature. It is thought that she received some clinical treatment in Los Angeles after her arrival, when the condition left her as suddenly as it set in.

  Pauline was nine years of age when little Mickey was made her responsibility. She remembers him as an easy child to manage, that he was toilet trained early, and walked and talked early. The home was kept immaculately clean with the example set by the mother. Both his wife and sister-in-law state that he is now fanatically clean about his person and everything about him. Probably impressed by this early training.

  His mother relationship presented no complication of a prenatal nature, and he was loved and wanted, as were the other children. Due to economic stress, however, his mother did not have much time for Mickey during the impressionable age of mother-dependence. In experiencing her absence, a feeling of rejection and being unwanted is suggested. Emotional growth, lacking the father and—as far as can be determined at this time—no one in lieu of the father person, a picture of non-direction towards normal adjustment is suggested.

  Cohen, at this time, relates that his next brother in age is about eleven years his senior. He remembers that he did not play or associate with any of his brothers during childhood, that he had to “fight his own way” particularly with the other young newsboys in the Boyle Heights district. Explaining these years, he recalls, “If you came from Los Angeles, you know Boyle Heights.” Through these years, by savings in being held by the older boys, Mrs. Cohen bought a small grocery and later a restaurant, working fourteen and fifteen hours a day.

  Mickey was sent to school during this time, and remembers the school as a “special school”, possibly a school for retarded children, although this has not yet been verified. He states that he didn’t learn anything in regard to reading or writing, but in the company of twelve or fourteen other children, he drew pictures and made crafts. He whiled away the time, which he describes as irksome and distasteful.

  At this time, evidencing pride and asking for approbation, he describes his efforts in recent years to teach himself spelling, letter writing, and arithmetic. He does not remember how far he progressed in school. His family does not remember his grade level, but he quit voluntarily at the age of ten with not much pressure brought to bear to induce him to continue other than by Pauline, who is indicated she tried to impress upon him the fact it was a bright boy and should learn some kind of trade. He had no trouble relating to his other schoolmates, but did break his leg when about eight or nine, causing him to miss school, possibly hindering him, and making him feel lost or not being accepted. He met the situation by giving up, possibly through a well-formulated pattern of insecurity in relation to society and the home situation.

  Cohen states that he quit school to work to assist his mother. Through a newsboys group he early on became interested in boxing. He is unable to remember whether or how this activity was first directed, but he remembers taking part in newsboy exhibitions at a very early age. Developing this interest, possibly as an unrecognized outlet for childish insecurity and a need for recognition, he relates that he became more active in the newsboy boxing cards, which in turn supplemented his earnings.

  Through the father, the other children had the early opportunity to receive training in the Hebrew school, with the sisters studying piano. Mickey did not have this advantage. He early learned the need for money and all it would bring, distorted by the disadvantages in the home situation.

  At about the time he quit school the other children had left the home, and he continued to sell newspapers on the corner of Soto and Brooklyn Avenues. From that time until about the age of fourteen he made a name for himself in his boxing activities in the Newsboys Association in Los Angeles,
recalling with pride that he often made as much as twenty dollars a fight, often being placed on cards held at bootlegging clubs.

  Cohen states that he went to Cleveland through the Newsboys Association, where he continued in boxing. His sister-in-law, Mrs. Harry Cohen, relates that she and her husband started him out when he first came to Cleveland and tried hard to help him. Harry was a fight promoter at the time in that city. While Cohen did not relate this situation, he has mentioned that he worked in Harry’s drugstore as a soda jerk, and points out that he first boxed as an amateur and later turned professional.

  Much of his time was spent hanging around the gymnasiums, which were habituated by workout pugs, gamblers, and hangers-on. While at first financially successful, the advent of the Depression soon placed him at his wits and in making a living. At that time, and possessing no education and lacking any skills other than boxing, the activities he relates became more directed towards gambling, a field he states nearly every “pug” takes up when he’s with boxing. He relates that he became identified with the group of other similarly circumstanced boxers who did know where their next meal was coming from. While boxing, it is reported that he became advent for newspaper publicity whether good or bad. This trait of personality seems to remain with him.