The Signal
The gang was all set and all that was left was to wait for Allen West to finish carving out his escape hole. Then they would be ready to move when the right moment arrived. In June 1962, the signal to begin the escape finally arrived but things did not go as planned.
Allen West finally finished digging an escape whole large enough for him to go through on June 11, 1962. He let the other members of his gang know, but no one could have predicated what would happen next.
The Plan is Set in Motion
The gang anxiously waited for lights out that day to set their plan in motion. They wondered if any of them would make it to the outside alive. The risks were clear in their minds, but the draw of a life of freedom away from Alcatraz was just too strong.
They were willing to risk everything, including their lives, to get away from “The Rock”. Their hearts raced, and adrenaline coursed through their bodies at the very thought of escape. As soon as the lights went out, the crew set up the fake dummies and set out to squeeze out of their cells.