Little Alcatraz Little Alcatraz Little Alcatraz is a small rock in San Francisco Bay roughly off the Model Industries Building off northwest coast of Alcatraz Island. Due to its proximity to the island it is known by this name, but it was formerly known as Paul Pry Rock due to the steamer "Paul Pry" striking it on December 22, 1862 with some 150 men on board. On January 14, 1868, the 700 ton British ship, "Oliver Cutts", struck the rock and sank. Since it is submerged at high tides, Little Alcatraz is still routinely struck by small pleasure boats. The rock is
Battle of Alcatraz cellblock. Joe Cretzer was a west coast gangster and member of the Cretzer-Kyle Gang. In 1940 he was sentenced to 25 years for murder. After two escape attempts in the first months of his incarceration, one of which resulted in another murder charge, he was transferred to Alcatraz. In May 1941, Cretzer, Shockley and two other convicts made an escape attempt from one of the prison's workshops. Carnes was the youngest prisoner to reside at Alcatraz, having been convicted of murder in 1943 at the age of 16. He made a number of escape attempts and by 1946, when he