The City of Brotherly Hate

Richard "Patsy" Morella was a Philadelphia gangster who may have played a part in the murder of fellow Philly gangster Edward Winger who was killed in New York City a few days earlier. July 20, 1929 found Morella inside a cigar shop shooting the breeze with the boys when he mentioned that he was getting blamed for Winger's murder by the dead gangster's pal Samuel Cohen, and that Cohen was looking for him. Then, patting a pocket containing a gun he laughed and said, "But I've got a friend, and this is it."

Morella was still chuckling as he stepped outside. After taking a couple of paces, a bullet whizzed by his head. Assuming the shot came from the cigar store he just exited, Morella drew his gun and fired a few shots through the window. Not realizing the gunman was actually across the street, Morella continued to look at the cigar store as the man ran up from behind and fired three bullets into the back of his head. Morella managed to turn and see his killer. Falling forward, he draped his arms around the shooter's neck. The gunman pushed Morella off and he slumped to the ground. Stooping over the prone gangster, the gunman fired a fourth and final shot into Morella's head.

A woman identified Cohen as the killer and he was arrested while leaving his house the following morning with a bag of clothes. He went on trial that September but the press didn't find it necessary to report on it.