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One former prisoner described hearing the laughter of people across the bay in San Francisco on quiet nights, reminding him of the life he had lost. This emotional torment contributed to Alcatraz’s reputation as a prison that broke men without ever touching them. Music was another outlet. Some prisoners played instruments, including Capone, who learned to play the banjo in prison. It’s said he would sit in the shower rooms—acoustically ideal—and strum for hours, hidden from view.
