Alcatraz Island, located in San Francisco Bay, served as a federal penitentiary from 1934 to 1963. Known as 'The Rock,' it was designed to hold prisoners who caused trouble at other federal prisons. The landmark's 'unescapable' reputation was based less on the bars and more on the geography: the freezing water temperatures and the strong, unpredictable currents of the bay. A unique psychological torture for inmates was the proximity to the city; on quiet nights, prisoners could hear the sounds of parties and music drifting from the San Francisco shoreline. The most famous escape attempt occurred in 1962 by Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers, who used sharpened spoons to dig through cell walls and a raft made of raincoats. While officially listed as missing and presumed drowned, their bodies were never found, leaving the mystery of the 'Great Escape' alive.