St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Crime Scene Evidence to Be on Public Display for First Time at The Mob Museum Feb. 13-14
This Valentine’s Day weekend, Saturday, February 13, and Sunday, February 14, The Mob Museum, The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, celebrates its fourth anniversary with a special preview of original crime scene evidence from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
In addition, on Sunday, February 14, locals can enjoy FREE admission and out-of-town visitors will receive buy-one, get-one admission. Guests will be invited to make a $4 donation in honor of the Museum’s fourth birthday. The $4 donation will go toward supporting The Mob Museum, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, and its efforts to provide educational programming throughout the year.
The new St. Valentine’s Day Massacre artifacts, recently acquired by the Museum, represent a one-of-a-kind collection never before put on public display. They include bullets removed from the bodies of the seven victims, bullet fragments and cartridge cases retrieved from the garage floor as well as test bullets fired from the Tommy guns which later proved to have been used in the Massacre. In addition, the display features original coroner’s documents concerning the victims and reports prepared by Dr. Calvin Goddard, forensic scientist specializing in ballistics, who used pioneering ballistics testing techniques to identify the weapons used in the crime. These artifacts will be on display through February 29 and return as a permanent display in 2017.
In addition, on February 13 and 14 only, the Museum will showcase a display of two Thompson machine guns used in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929. The two machine guns, numbered #7580 and #2347, were first positively identified by Goddard, in December 1929 after investigating many Thompson guns found in the Chicago area. These two guns represent the only guns ever scientifically proven to be part of the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Lt. Mike Kline from the Berrien County, Michigan, Sheriff’s Office, where the guns are stored, will deliver presentations at the Museum as follows:
- Saturday, February 13, and Sunday, February 14: 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m.
- Monday, February 15: 11 a.m.
The Tommy guns and massacre artifacts will be available for viewing from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Museum hours will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The special anniversary artifact displays go hand-in-hand with the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall that has been part of the Museum’s collection since its opening on February 14, 2012. In one of the most notorious mass murders of the Prohibition Era, seven members of Bugs Moran’s gang were lined up against this wall and allegedly gunned down execution style by Al Capone’s gang. On permanent display at The MobMuseum are original bricks from the warehouse wall containing bullet holes resulting from the Massacre. The wall is accompanied by a video discussing the infamous shooting.
For more information, call (702) 229-2734 or visit www.TheMobMuseum.org. Connect on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheMobMuseum or Twitter @TheMobMuseum.
On the day before the Museum’s anniversary, on Saturday, February 13, the Museumwill hold its 4th Anniversary Celebration Blood Drive in partnership with United Blood Services. Anyone who registers to donate blood in the United Blood Services Bloodmobile located behind the Museum between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. that day will receive one free ticket to the Museum that is valid until December, 31, 2016. Donors are asked to make an appointment in advance online at www.unitedbloodservices.org or by calling (877) 827-4376. Sponsor code: MobMuseum.