Little Alcatraz often a resting ground for Brandt's cormorants. During the last escape attempt from Alcatraz on December 16, 1962, Darl Lee Parker was found on Little Alcatraz; he couldn't swim. 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
Alcatraz Island in popular culture Alcatraz Island in popular culture Alcatraz Island has appeared many times in popular culture. Its appeal as a picturesque film setting derives from its natural beauty, isolation and its history as a prison (now a museum) from which, officially, no prisoner ever successfully escaped. Most appearances of Alcatraz island in popular culture are related to its former status as a federal prison. Both real life and fictional accounts of imprisonment on the island have been popular. One of the best-known of Alcatraz's historic inmates was Robert Franklin Stroud, known as "The Birdman of Alcatraz". His biography was written by Thomas