Al Capone's West Michigan ties: Fact or fun-fiction?

[Kevin Vincent]

I am deeply interested in contacting anyone who has a familal connection to this building. If there is someone out there - please contact me at [e-mail] . Thanks.

Dita wrote:

<quoted text>
The cabin in Quadeville was built by my great grandfather August Kauffeldt (and others) and seems to be Quadeville's claim to fame. My grandmother has pictures of some of my relatives with Hatch's children at school. There was a big writeup in the Toronto Star about it several years ago. You could see if you can find it in the archives if you are interested.

[Jaybird]

I went back to the so-called Capone place in Pembine and left with a trespassing ticket! Never actually found the mansion!

[berg27]

sirk wrote:

What is the story with brick chaple church

did anyone find this story other than it was torn down last year

[nbs422]

Kurt wrote:

Al Capone used to steal my grandpas newspaper....true story ;)

WTF? You are full of shit! Why would He need to steal your grandpa's newspapers? Doesn't make sense

[nbs422]

So my cousin and I went to the location in Purgatory where Al Capone had a house and across the road was some sort of campground. Spent the day exploring the entire area and I must say it was kinda disapointing. We found some sort of room that goes into hillside which had nothing in it but graffiti on the walls(someone actually wrote "Bon Jovi 4-ever" lol thought that was pretty funny) and we checked out the cement room with the turbines by the pond. We did not see any tunnels or doors leading to tunnels or parts of the basement that you can go into. All you people that post this dumbshit about this and that regarding his house out there need to give it a rest. Just because your grandpa or your crazy aunt Ethel told you it doesn't make it real.

[Brittney]

JOEY D wrote:

yes it would be interesting to see this video, i have tried to locate directions to the purgatory house but to no avail, any help?

I'm assuming you got directions by now?? I've lived about 4-5mins aways from there for my whole life... I haven't ever really paid attention to the roads, it's just kind of happens and you get there, but I could actually pay attention and get directions, it's not hard.

[Brittney]

I'm not sure why but it says I'm from Ypsilanti,MI I'm not I've lived in Three Rivers, MI my whole life.

[spartanman]

Brittney wrote:

I'm not sure why but it says I'm from Ypsilanti,MI I'm not I've lived in Three Rivers, MI my whole life.

It has nothing to do with your location Brittney. The location comes from your ISP, which may or may not coincide with your physical location. Depending on your particular internet service, some user's ISP locations will even fluctuate (possibly because of different server locations).

[shellhammer]

The house in Purgatory/Constantine on Preston road that burned down was always rumored to be an Al Capone hideout. Too bad it burned.

The camp across the street is owned by the National Baptist Convention USA Inc Brooklyn NY according to the last three taxrolls.

Here is a link to a photo to the old grated concrete pump building in the marsh.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_T2U2_bcN434/RwLlUl8...

[shellhammer]

It also appears the National Baptist Convention also owns the property the old mansion used to sit on as well.

http://www.stjosephcountymi.org/taxmaps/flash...

The property marked 08-000 is the area.

The camp is south of Preston Road, the mansion sat north of Preston Road. This is where the small pump building sits now (about where the 101400 numbers are listed on the plat map, Just west of the creek on the east side of the property.

[shellhammer]

Dr Cynthia Perry Ray is still listed on the tax records as of 2009 for the Constantine property.
However a quick google of the Baptist Convention website tells us that she has passed on.

[Michelle]

My son went to "Purgatory" in Constantine, Mi. We live in NOrthern Indiana. I never heard of Capone living in Michigan before. This is a story wide spread among the youth in our area. I don't know if it is true. He said there was a basketball court there. The house is burned down. The basement had not been filled it. He said it looked like there was a tunnel. There were bottles and cans on the property. I wonder if anyone knows if this is really a place where he lived. I looked up History on Capone and it did not mention anything about Michigan just Chicago.

[Michaela]

Bekiss wrote:

<quoted text>
I am from Constantine, and I live on the borders of what is called "purgatory". Yes, it is haunted, but yes, there are a bunch of BS stories out there. If anyone would like info, contact me at [e-mail]. As for quote above, my sister and I went to the Al Capone Mansion in Three Oaks, Michigan off of Flynn Road last night. We got lost and ended up asking a local where the house was. The house is still standing, it is a beautfil brick home with semi-circle windows. It is currently inhabited, but if you are heading West on US 12, turn right on Flynn Road, go through a few stop signs...you'll come to a valley where the road dips down and you see hills and rivers on both sides, as you're heading back up the hill, on th eleft-hand side of the road is a tunnel entrance and the house is still sitting on the top of the hill on the left.

Your comment has me dumbfounded. I'm looking at US-12 and Flynn Rd on Google Earth and I don't see ANYTHING of what you have described. No hills or rivers. Are you sure you were in the right location?? That just doesn't make sense. It's all grass. No rivers anywhere in this area of US-12 and Flynn.

[brian mikesell]

Michaela wrote:

<quoted text>
Your comment has me dumbfounded. I'm looking at US-12 and Flynn Rd on Google Earth and I don't see ANYTHING of what you have described. No hills or rivers. Are you sure you were in the right location?? That just doesn't make sense. It's all grass. No rivers anywhere in this area of US-12 and Flynn.

The house that you speak of is 500 yards north of West Kaiser Rd., on the left if going north, there are 2 tunnels one you can see on flynn road, the other is off the back of the house which comes out in the river.

[Michaela]

brian mikesell wrote:

<quoted text>
The house that you speak of is 500 yards north of West Kaiser Rd., on the left if going north, there are 2 tunnels one you can see on flynn road, the other is off the back of the house which comes out in the river.

Ok, now your comment makes sense! I can definitely see a house from your description. What is that girl talking about with the rivers and hills on both sides? I don't see anything but trees on Google Earth.

[mattee 53]

al capone wrote:

Im still alive!!!!!!!!!!

ur retarded!!!

[Chris makey]

Ok this is exactly correct. My family owns a cottage that is the only one on the river side of sombra. The pipeline that al Capone used to pump booze across to michigan is still there. Our cottage was al capones personal home. He also owned house near niagria falls. " and his boys used to transport liqour across to Canada at Sombra, Ont. One of his cars went down off the ferry and the Canadians hauled it up and it is in a museum in Sombra, Ont. with some crocks of whiskey in it. Also, he had a house right across from where the ferry crosses and it is still"

[Lenette]

Allen wrote:

<quoted text>Owned by a wealthy family. It was built about 1970, sorry.

A friend of mine Grandfather use to be a cab driver for Al Capone, at the WhitcombTowers in St. Joseph, MI and yes the room ontop from what i understand was like a penthouse and that is where Al Capone and his gunmen lived. But the gated metal railing tower balcony is where the gunmen would stand guard and watch day and night. Yes this is very true.
As for the house on Highland my old attorney Jack Kellers parents lived there and from what I understand there was a trap door and a tunnel that led from the house all the way to the St. Joe River below the house so he could escape. Heard this was also true as well.

[Ledawg]

Michaela wrote:

<quoted text>
Ok, now your comment makes sense! I can definitely see a house from your description. What is that girl talking about with the rivers and hills on both sides? I don't see anything but trees on Google Earth.

Turning on Flynn Road off of Warren Woods Road you go up and down a few small hills on the way to the mansion (not visible on Google Earth). The river she speaks of must be the Galien River, which is in the area.

[Galvestom]

Great thread. I've been by the Flynn Mansion many times since the late 70's. It was long unoccupied until about 5 years ago. Whenever I return to the area my wife and I will show it to friends and family who had never seen it (even after living within 15 miles their entire lives).

Last month we noticed that the outbuilding, across the street, was not there. A pile of bricks was. At one time this building looked like a small barn with upper floor windows facing the street.

It would be very interesting to know what it is like to live there.

I was told that for many years there was a note on the door that said "Be back in a little while."

I don't understand Phillipi's description of water or river being nearby. Lake Michigan is just across Red Arrow Hwy. Very hard to imagine tunnels reaching that far.

I, too am from the area.(The American Legion in Three Oaks is named in memory of my great uncle.)