US ResearchConflictsIndian Wars and Frontier ConflictsIllinoisSt. Valentine's Day Massacre
Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts

St. Valentine's Day Massacre

1929
Illinois
Era
Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts
Year
1929
Location
Illinois
Status
Verified engagement
The Battle

History & Significance

St. Valentine's Day Massacre was a Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts engagement fought in Illinois, 1929.

Seven men connected to George 'Bugs' Moran's North Side gang were lined against a wall in a Clark Street garage and machine-gunned in the most notorious mass killing of the Prohibition era. Assailants, some dressed as police, herded the victims into the SMC Cartage Company garage and killed them with submachine guns and shotguns; Moran, the apparent target, was not present. The massacre, widely attributed to Capone's organization and gunmen including Fred 'Killer' Burke, effectively broke the North Side outfit as a force in the beer wars and marked the peak of Chicago's gangland violence. The savagery and the police-impersonation ruse provoked national revulsion and intensified federal pressure that ultimately helped bring Capone down. It remains the defining image of the 1920s beer wars, though no one was ever convicted of the killings.

Forces engaged
7 killed

Approximate location. The nearest recorded settlement is shown; the exact site is unrecorded.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did St. Valentine's Day Massacre take place?
St. Valentine's Day Massacre took place in 1929.
Where was St. Valentine's Day Massacre fought?
St. Valentine's Day Massacre was fought in Illinois, United States.
What was the significance of St. Valentine's Day Massacre?
Seven men connected to George 'Bugs' Moran's North Side gang were lined against a wall in a Clark Street garage and machine-gunned in the most notorious mass killing of the Prohibition era. Assailants, some dressed as police, herded the victims into the SMC Cartage Company garage and killed them wit
Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about St. Valentine's Day Massacre

This page covers St. Valentine's Day Massacre. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside historic sites, land records, and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your St. Valentine's Day Massacre report
Or see a real report first
More from this era

Other Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts Engagements

Assassination of Dion O'Banion
1924
Illinois
Ambush of Johnny Torrio
1925
Illinois
Murder of Angelo Genna
1925
Illinois
Genna gang and police gun battle; death of Mike Genna
1925
Illinois
Murder of Tony Genna
1925
Illinois
Assassination of Samuzzo 'Samoots' Amatuna
1925
Illinois
First submachine gun attack of the beer wars (McErlane on Spike O'Donnell)
1925
Illinois
Machine-gun killing of William McSwiggin at Cicero
1926
Illinois
Hawthorne Inn motorcade attack
1926
Illinois
Assassination of Hymie Weiss
1926
Illinois
All battles in IllinoisIndian Wars and Frontier Conflictsconflicts ›Historic sites in Illinois
Source

Content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Wikipedia source.

Aubrey Research

Explore the history around Illinois

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in the US, drawing on NRHP records, battlefield archives, census history and geological data to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near IllinoisView a free sample report
All Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts Battles