On This Day: St Valentine's Day Massacre

February 14 1929: The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, which took place 84 years ago today, was the bloody climax to a Prohibition-era war between two Gangster mobs in Chicago.

Legendary gangster Al Capone's mob gunned down seven of George 'Bugs' Moran's rival gang in one of history's most spectacular gangland slayings.

Capone's gunmen, posing as police officers, stormed Moran's garage and confronted his lackeys.

Moran himself, spotting the police car from a distance and assuming it was a bust, had fled the scene and escaped the bloodbath.

Inside, the 'cops' lined the men up against a wall. The mobsters obeyed, assuming it was a routine bust, only for Capone's troops to open fire with Tommy guns.

Six of Moran's gang died instantly, while a seventh, Frank Gusenberg, died later in hospital.

Capone had been hiding in Florida during the shootout, but Moran immediately pinned the crime on him, declaring: "Only Capone kills like that."

The shooting made nationwide news, but noone was ever tried in association with the bloodshed.

The Pathe video above chronicles Capone's life, profiling his years as 'King of the underworld' where he earned $100m a year from Chicago rackets and owned ran racetracks, dancehalls and illicit breweries.

After suffering a stroke in 1947, he spent his final years at his mansion in Florida, where he died the same year aged 48.