Hello 911? Look out your window

As the proprietor of soda stand you’d think that having your business located directly across the street from Police Headquarters would be about the safest place in the city. You would think that, I would think that and 39-year old Joe Goldstein thought so to but on this date in 1920 he was proven wrong.

Joe’s stand was on Grand Street and looking up and across one could see into the office window of Deputy Police Commissioner William Lahey so when a young man with a handkerchief over his face came up to Joe and said, “Throw up your hands!” Joe figured it must be one of the local lads pulling a fast one and laughed. But when the feller with the gun reached over the counter and tried to grab the few dollars Joe had earned that day the proprietor went for him and began to wrestle with him. The gunman pointed his pistol and Joe and sent a bullet into his shoulder and ran off as Joe fell to the ground.

Not seriously wounded Joe got up and went to the sidewalk in time to see the guy high tail down to Lafayette and into the great beyond. Joe looked about wondering where the boys in blue might be. Hmm, apparently the Deputy Commissioner wasn’t in his office either. So Joe and his bullet walked around the corner of Centre Street and up to the entrance where two members of the Italian squad were discussing whether or not they should change the first word in the department’s moniker from Italian to Mod in order to keep up with the times.

The detectives took Joe in and got his story and a handful of detectives went out but were unable to find the gunman. Joe closed shop and reopened in Brownsville for his own safety.

Trivia Q for our Victorian era friends:
On this date in 1921 London reported the death of Roderick McClean who had expired in the Broadmoor Asylum. Who was he? No googling please.

What's that you say Mrs. Robinson, Joltin' John has left and gone away?

Some intern here at the DGIS studio was trolling for vintage girlie pics and came up with a few we liked and since our colleague John DuMond is on hiatus and we have some crossover readers who may be jonesing for Mr. DuMond's "Babe of the Week" we thought we would pay homage to Mr. DuMond whilst helping to scratch the itch. So without any further ado please welcome the "Flappers of the week" (or month or year).

Before the storm

It was a busy day in lower Manhattan on this date ninety-eight years ago. A Lt. Becker and his strong arm squad went out on the town and raided numerous spots. The first stop was a saloon at 2 ½ James Street that was ran by Fred Lucas. Inside they found an handful of guys armed with guns, a dirk, blackjack and sap. Five of the guys were also carrying cocaine.
Becker and his boys took the arrestees to the Oak Street station and then headed out for more fun. They entered a number of places in the east village but found nothing good so headed towards Chinatown. On the way they heard a couple of gunshots and gave the neighborhood a thorough going over but found nothing and concluded that it was simply a couple of gangsters having fun at their expense.
Earlier in the day Big Jack Zelig was taken from Bellevue hospital (where he was recovering from a bullet wound) and brought to the criminal court building where he was questioned by the D.A. and Police Inspector about the shooting he was currently recovering from. “I don’t know what any one would want to kill me for.” Jack told them. They sent him back to his bed and jello.
Hmm, Becker and Zelig, wonder if these guys ever crossed paths…Nah, what are the chances? I suspect Becker had a grand career in law enforcement and retired with honors and Zelig realized a gangster’s life was a short one and went on the straight and narrow and neither were ever heard from again.

Thinking of "Get(ting) Capone"

Uh oh.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/iteam&id=7475934

Waxy loses another

Right on the heels of the Durst and Brady murders another Gordon feller, William “Big Bill” Oppenheim, (so called because of his girth, 350 lbs. not because of his political or financial standings) caught a lethal dose of lead while his boss sat safely behind bars.

Seventy-seven years ago today Oppenheim was walking up the steps to his Patterson, New Jersey apartment when two men approached from behind and called to him. When Big Bill turned to see who it was five bullets slammed into his face. After Oppenheim dropped to the ground the shooters ran up and pumped five more shots into his chest for good measure.

Satisfied with their labors one of the shooters said, "Whew, TGIF huh? Thinning Waxy's ranks is hard work." to which his confederate replied, "Indeed. Say, I think we can still catch happy hour at Chi-Chi's. Raspberry margaritas are on me!"

Mr. Gordon loses two employees

On this date in 1933 beer mogul Waxy Gordon was sitting safely in jail waiting for his income tax trial while members of his gang were being thinned out by the Bug & Meyer mob. In the early morning hours of June 2, a car was found in the Bronx containing the body of Abe Durst, a forty- year old associate of the gang leader and later on this night across the river in Passaic, New Jersey, just as patrons were exiting a local theater, a sedan drove down the street and a burst of machine gun fire left Charles Brady, said to be a Gordon associate, dead on the sidewalk. Yes, the good old days when you could go to the local movie palace and see a gangster picture then walk outside and see an actual gangster get sprayed with a tommy gun.

Also on this date in 1915 Owney Madden was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of Little Patsy Doyle. If the testimony from his moll wasn't bad enough Owney unwisely took the stand himself and placed the noose that Frieda wove around his neck. After stating that he hadn't learned of Doyle's death until the following day he said that on the night of the murder he and Frieda and Margret Everdeane stayed at a certain place because the latter was afraid the cops would be after her because of the murder. Thought you didn't know about the murder Owney? When his words were served back to him he stood up and started yelling that he wasn't getting fair treatment and was then taken from the courtroom. Guilty!


More on Waxy & Madden can be found in Gangster City.

Going postal

On April 2, 1920 two carloads of yeggs from New York City, Philadelphia and Newark, NJ pulled into the town of Oxford Furnace, North Carolina. They drove up to the town’s post office and let themselves in. The night watchman yelled, “Andy!! Barney!! Quick, citizen’s arrest, citizen’s arrest.” But was gagged and bound.

With no more interruptions the gang spent two hours blowing the safe. (get your mind out of the gutter) and walked out with $30,000 worth of cash, liberty bonds, stamps and I love pulled pork bumper stickers. The night watchman managed to free himself and a posse was formed but the robbers had made a successful getaway.

The gang of city slickers returned to their flat at 43 Sand Street, Brooklyn and laughed and laughed at the rubes whom they had ripped off. Well, if there is one thing the Postal Service hates it’s dogs that bite. That and being robbed. So the inspectors began to investigate and through their mystical, and un-reported to the press, way they managed to trace the bandits to their Sand Street lair in early May.

Once they found the gangs hideout New York detectives were brought in and the flat was watched for three weeks until they were sure the whole gang was inside and on this date, ninety years ago, they raided the joint.

Once the captives:
John Murray
Walter Murray
Archie Birch
John O’Brien
William Dates
John Lahey
William O’Neill

Were in custody a Sheriff Taylor and his deputy from Oxford Furnace came in and got medieval on their backsides whilst whistling a jaunty little tune.