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USP ATL

United States Penitentiary, Atlanta

USP Atlanta; is one of the oldest federal prisons in the Bureau of Prisons.  Authorized in 1899 by President William McKinley and opened in 1902, the prison began with just 6 prisoners who were transferred from New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Institution.  At the time Atlanta was the site of the largest prison with a capacity of 3000 inmates.

USP Atlanta houses a medium security inmates as well as minimum security inmates at a Satellite Federal Prison Camp.

USP Atlanta is one of several facilities, including the Federal Transfer Center, Oklahoma City that are used to house prisoners who are being transferred between prisons.

USP Atlanta has been the home of several notable figures:

Al Capone Leader of the   Chicago Outfit, which smuggled and bootlegged liquor during Prohibition in the 1920’s; convicted of tax evasion in 1931
Vincent Papa
Associate of the Lucchese crime family in New York City; convicted in 1975 masterminding the theft of heroin seized during the French   Connection investigation from the New York City Police Department property office from 1969 to 1972.
Ignazio Lupo
Founder of the Morello crime family in New York City, convicted of counterfeiting in 1910; returned to prison in 1936 for racketeering; suspect in many Mafia-related murders
Nicodemo Scarfo
 Boss of the Philadelphia crime family from 1981 to 1988; convicted in 1988 of racketeering conspiracy for directing Mafia activities including drug trafficking, loansharking, extortion, and murder.
Carlo Ponzi
 Inventor of the financial fraud known as Ponzi scheme; convicted of mail fraud in 1920.
Frank Abagnale
 Notorious check forger portrayed in the 2002 film Catch Me If You   Can
Roy Gardner
 Notorious bank robber and escape artist; stole over $350,000 in cash and securities from banks and mail trains in 1920 and 1921.
Harry Golden American author and newspaper publisher; convicted of mail fraud in 1929.
Charles Harrelson Convicted of murdering Federal Judge John H. Wood, Jr. in 1979 at the behest of a narcotics dealer; father of actor Woody Harrelson.