Al Capone Does My Shirts characters

Also known as Moose

Appears from the start

A twelve-year-old boy who moves with his family to Alcatraz in 1935 when his father takes work at the prison. He would rather play baseball than live beside famous criminals, and he resents how much of family life is organized around caring for his older sister, Natalie.

Appears from the start

Moose's older sister, whose differences in communication, social behavior, and need for routine are not given a modern diagnosis by her family. She is intensely interested in buttons and numbers. Her mother presents her as younger than she is in hopes of securing education and treatment.

Also known as Cam

Appears from the start

Moose and Natalie's father, an electrician who also serves as a prison guard on Alcatraz. His new jobs are meant to support the family and place Natalie closer to a specialist school in San Francisco, though the long hours often leave Moose carrying responsibility at home.

Also known as Mrs Flanagan

Appears from the start

Moose and Natalie's determined mother. She has spent years searching for instruction that might help Natalie become more independent and pushes the family toward every possible opportunity, sometimes refusing to acknowledge Natalie's actual age or Moose's competing needs.

First appears in chapter 3

The warden's confident daughter and the dominant child among the families living on Alcatraz. Clever, daring, and fascinated by the status that comes from proximity to notorious prisoners, she readily recruits other children into schemes while expecting them to share the risk.

Also known as Warden Williams

First appears in chapter 3

The prison warden and Piper's father, responsible for both institutional security and the civilian families living on the island. He gives the children strict rules about prisoners, visitors, and conduct, treating breaches as dangers rather than adventures.

First appears in chapter 6

A young girl from one of the other Alcatraz families who energetically explains island life to Moose. Friendly and observant, she is more welcoming than Piper and becomes part of the small community of children living beside the prison.

First appears in chapter 6

Theresa's older brother and one of Moose's companions on the island. He is practical, inventive, and accustomed to the restrictions placed on children whose parents work at the prison.

First appears in chapter 7

An athletic girl among the Alcatraz children who shares Moose's interest in baseball. Direct and dependable, she joins the island group's games without Piper's appetite for manipulation.

First appears in chapter 8

A popular boy at Moose's San Francisco school whose approval matters to the newly arrived student. Their shared interest in baseball gives Moose a route into school friendships, while Scout's curiosity about Alcatraz puts pressure on Moose to produce prison-connected souvenirs.

First appears in chapter 16

A specialist hired to work regularly with Natalie after the family's first school plan fails. She uses firm routines and practical exercises, expects the family to reinforce her methods, and treats progress as something Natalie can build through sustained work.

Appears from the start

The most famous inmate on Alcatraz, known to Moose and the other children through adult warnings, newspaper notoriety, and the prison laundry. He is physically separated from the island families, but the possibility of contact with him fuels rumor and risky schemes.