Let's be Frank, or at least watch him

Last weeks trip in the wayback machine was so much fun let’s do it again.
All aboard!
Coordinates:
Date: September 4, 1928
Time: 11:50p.m.
Place: 254 West 55th Street

Ready, here we go
Whooooooooooooosh
Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

I love mid town in this era. These buildings are great and there is great energy with so many people still about.

Ok, well lets get to business. As you can see we’re in front of a café. Let’s head in and try to get a table near the cash register. Hmm, only five customers. Don’t order anything because we won’t be here long.

Wow look at the prices! Fifteen cents for a “hamburger sandwich” to funny. Press tiled ceilings nice, oh take a gander at-never mind, see that car pulling up front two couples are gonna get out. Once they get inside the guy in front is going to pull a gun and order us to put our hands up. Just play along he’s not going to hurt anybody. Ok, here they come.

“Hands up!”

And freeze.

It’s ok to talk they are in a state of suspended animation.

The guy with the gun is Frank Gallagher. (Interesting, last weeks wayback victim was a Frank too) He’s a thirty year old ex-con having done two stints in Sing Sing and another in Elmira. He just finished his second Sing Sing visit earlier this year and he’s gonna be dead in about ten minutes or so.

When I snap my fingers the action will commence and while Frank is covering the rest of us his partner Bill Duffy is gonna grab the cash from the register. All seventy-two dollars. I feel like stopping Frank and asking him how much is life is worth but can’t interfere with the past.

>snap<

There goes Duffy rifling the register, both couples are leaving, getting in car, pulling out, we’ll head out in a sec Frank’s gonna fire a shot for some reason.

>Bang!<

And freeze

Let’s head outside.

There’s Frank, Duffy and the two molls pulling away. If you look over there you’ll see a taxi. The driver is Sam Stein, he just heard the shot. He’s gonna follow the car until he finds a cop.

Let’s head down to 45th and 9th.

That was a pleasant walk.

>snap<

Take in the scenery for a few minutes. Especially the cop over there. He’s officer Cronin in a minute Frank & Co. is gonna go by and Stein is gonna pick him up in his cab…here they come, There goes Frank, and here is Stein. He’s telling Cronin what happened and Cronin will get on the running board with his gun out…Wow just like an old movie.

And Freeze

Let’s hurry down to 34th & 10th for the grand finale.

Whew, I’m out of breath.

>snap<

Listen…hold on…there it is. Those pops are Frank and patrolman Cronin firing at each other. In a few seconds Duffy is gonna pull up here and Frank is gonna make a run for it and a well placed shot from Cronin will stop him in his tracks.

>screech<
>Bang<
>thud<

Crime doesn’t pay Frank.

Back in the machine please.

gniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiZ
Shooooooooooooooohw

And we're back. Interesting, newspaper sez there were eleven patrons at the café. Somebody must have noticed us.