Laundry - Alcatraz Island - GGNRA

The largest employer of convict labor on the island was the laundry. Conditions were sweltering. Experienced labor organizers among the convicts found plenty of men here willing to stand against the harsh industrial conditions and lack of privileges. The 1936 and 1937 general strikes both began with walkouts of laundry workers. Many notable prisoners served here, including Al Capone, Alvin Karpis, and George "Machine-Gun" Kelly.

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