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Citation Information
How to Cite
Manser, Martin H. "Alcatraz." Writer's Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 18 Apr. 2025. <http://fofweb.infobase.com/wrc/Detail.aspx?iPin=DOA00075>.
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Alcatraz

Pronunciation pronunciation key
alkătraz

Definition 
A place of imprisonment, especially one in which prisoners are held in harsh conditions and from which it is virtually impossible to escape. The original Alcatraz was a prison situated on the island of this name in San Francisco Bay, opened in 1868. Dangerous tides surrounding the island made any attempt to escape from the prison a highly perilous prospect. The prison (which closed in 1963 and is now a tourist attraction) housed, among other notorious felons, the gangster Al Capone. He had turned the house into an Alcatraz, from which none of the family were permitted to depart.

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