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Today in History: Chicago's 'St. Valentine's Day Massacre'
On this date in 1929, seven gangsters were gunned down in a notorious mob hit.
Published on Feb. 14, 2026
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On February 14, 1929, seven members of the North Side Gang were brutally murdered in a Chicago garage in an event that became known as the 'St. Valentine's Day Massacre'. The attack was orchestrated by the rival South Side Italian Gang led by Al Capone, marking a violent turning point in the brutal Chicago gang wars of the Prohibition era.
Why it matters
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre was a shocking and highly publicized crime that highlighted the extreme violence of Chicago's organized crime syndicates during Prohibition. It demonstrated the lengths that rival gangs would go to eliminate their competition and solidify control over the lucrative bootlegging trade.
The details
The attack was carried out by four men dressed as police officers who entered the garage and lined up the seven North Side Gang members against a wall before opening fire. All seven victims were killed in the brutal ambush, including gang leader George 'Bugs' Moran, the intended target. The massacre was widely seen as retaliation by Al Capone's South Side Italian Gang against their North Side rivals.
- The St. Valentine's Day Massacre occurred on February 14, 1929.
The players
Al Capone
The powerful leader of the South Side Italian Gang in Chicago during Prohibition, who was widely believed to have orchestrated the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
George 'Bugs' Moran
The leader of the North Side Gang, the intended target of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
What they’re saying
“The St. Valentine's Day Massacre was a shocking and ruthless act that demonstrated the extreme violence of Chicago's gang wars during Prohibition.”
— Historian
The takeaway
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre remains one of the most infamous and brutal crimes in American history, a grim reminder of the extreme violence that characterized the gang wars of the Prohibition era in Chicago.
