1001 Radio Crime Solvers – "NEW JERSEY COUNTERFEITERS & TENNESSEE VALLEY KILLERS" (Gangbusters)

Episode Date: November 16, 2025
Host: Jon Hagadorn
Featured Narrators: Commissioner John B. Keenan (New Jersey Case), Commissioner Lynn Bomar (Tennessee Case)
Source: Public domain radio detective stories

Episode Overview

This episode of 1001 Radio Crime Solvers features two authentic case histories originally dramatized on Gangbusters:

1. The New Jersey Counterfeiters—a safecracking crew whose daring thefts are undone by clumsy luck and a string of rare coins.
2. The Tennessee Valley Killers—a gang led by the notorious Troy Blankenship, whose obsession with cockfighting and reliance on an eccentric “cow doctor” lead to his undoing.

The cases highlight mid-century investigative techniques and the colorful personalities on both sides of the law, staying true to the hard-boiled, atmospheric tone of classic radio crime dramas.

Case 1: The New Jersey Counterfeiters

Narrator: Commissioner John B. Keenan
Timeline: Newark, New Jersey, ~1 year prior

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Gang’s M.O. (7:04)

• Crew: Yak (leader), Tony, "Blue" (muscle), Mary Jo (Blue's companion).
• Crimes: Series of safe burglaries in restaurants and offices, using brute force and late-night break-ins, sometimes right under the nose of local police.
• Unique Loot: Notable heist yielded 36 rare Columbian Exposition commemorative half dollars, split between the crew.

2. Character Dynamics

• Blue and Mary Jo:
  • Mary Jo is suspicious and shrewd, managing Blue’s ill-gotten gains "for a rainy day."
    • "Blue, honey… That’s a fortune." – Mary Jo (04:57)
    • "I’m putting it away for a rainy day." – Mary Jo (05:28)
• Distrust and Rivalry:
  • Frequent tension and jealousy about fair shares, especially concerning Yak and Tony’s perceived slickness.
  • The crew is barely held together by mutual greed.

3. Audacious Heist and Near-Perfect Crime (14:30)

• The group sets their sights on a restaurant mere steps from the police station, timing the job for after hours to maximize loot.
• While struggling to crack the safe, they grow nervous about making noise so close to the police.
• In a bold (and desperate) move, they remove the entire 500-pound safe, clattering it noisily down the stairs and out into the street.
  • Memorable Moment:
    • "How are we gonna get that safe downstairs?" – Blue (16:05)
    • "We’ll take the safe with us!" – Yak (15:28)
    • The safe crashes out the front door onto the sidewalk (17:07).

4. Trackdown and Break in the Case (23:48)

• Police connect the dots via the unusual half dollars—distributed to collectors—a clever touch of period investigation.
  • A child finds the dropped coins behind a supermarket, which were lost during one of the gang’s hurried escapes (23:54).
• Detectives lay a trap, returning the coins and setting up surveillance.

5. The Bust (26:00)

• Yak tries to secure his "lucky charms" by returning to the supermarket, with Mary Jo unwittingly tipped off.
• Police spring their trap as the gang returns to finish their botched job.
  • "Welcome, gentlemen. All right, get them up, both of you." – Detective (26:25)
• Sentences:
  • Yak: 28 years, Tony: 21 years, lesser terms for accomplices.

Notable Quotes

• On the value of loot:
  • "Yak says they're worth five dollars. ...They collect this items from the Columbus Expedition." – Blue (06:30)
• Mary Jo’s pragmatism:
  • "Now, Blue, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to go out tonight." – Mary Jo (10:42)

Important Timestamps

• Mechanics of the heist: 06:50–09:30
• Safe crash and chaotic escape: 15:28–18:20
• Coin collector tip-off: 09:00, 23:54
• Trap and capture: 25:24–26:30

Case 2: The Tennessee Valley Killers

Narrator: Commissioner Lynn Bomar
Location: North Carolina/Tennessee Valley

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Gang and Leader’s Profile

• Leader: Troy Blankenship (murderer, escaped convict, cockfighting enthusiast—“one of the weirdest and most dangerous criminals of the time”).
• His associates include "Doc" (an eccentric, unlicensed cow doctor) and Grant (safecracker).

2. The Cockfighting Connection (Starting 34:46)

• Blankenship uses cockfight gatherings as both cover for his crimes and his own sporting amusement.
• Elaborate arrangements:
  • "Seven birds, $200 a match, $1,000 a main." – Clark, local warehouse owner (35:35)
• Under cover of the matches, Grant and Doc rob Clark’s warehouse safe.

3. FBI and Lawmen Close In (41:48)

• Clark, a victim of the heist, helps the FBI once Blankenship is identified.
• "It's beyond me how any man who fights gamecocks can stoop to such a low occupation as safe burglary." – Clark (41:48)
• Blankenship’s multi-state crime spree is detailed.

4. A Cow Doctor’s Folly (47:10)

• In their next target town, Doc’s obsession with veterinary work and spring water for his birds leads to disaster.
• He cons the postmaster with a fake diagnosis ("traveling brayer stills") to keep him away for the robbery.
  • Funny/Absurd Quote:
    • "If it's that serious, I suppose I should get in touch with a veterinarian." – Postmaster
    • "It's serious all right. But simple, simple as they come." – Doc (47:44)
• Doc is arrested after the cow dies and is charged with "practicing veterinary without a license," inadvertently exposing the gang.

5. The Gang Unravels (53:00+)

• With Doc in jail and talking, Blankenship's other associate, Grant, gets cold feet and attempts to split. He’s stabbed by Blankenship after a tense argument.
• Grant gives law enforcement their lead on East Tennessee.
• FBI agents stake out local cockfights—a clever method exploiting Blankenship’s routine.

6. Final Standoff and Capture (Brian)

• Lawmen catch up as Blankenship attends another cockfight.
• After a shootout and chase through the night, Blankenship is captured.
  • "You're not a very good shot."
    • "Maybe not. And anyway I ducked you a long time."
    • "Perhaps you did, Blankenship. But right now there are a few charges of robbery and assault to... Let's see how you duck them." (Main arrest scene, 01:05:00 approx)

Notable Quotes

• Commissioner Bomar:
  • "Their weird characteristics, especially those of the gang leader, made them no less dangerous." (32:10)
• Doc’s deadpan confidence:
  • "Been fixing cows since I was just a kid of a boy." (47:42)
• Postmaster’s dismay:
  • "I'm charging him with practicing veterinary without a license. ...And killed my cow." (50:22)
• Law enforcement’s wry closing:
  • "Let's see how you duck them." (after arrest)

Important Timestamps

• Cockfight and safe job set-up: 34:46–40:20
• Heist aftermath & FBI involvement: 41:00–49:00
• Doc’s cow escapade and arrest: 47:10–52:00
• Gang fallout and betrayal: 53:00–56:30
• Final cockfight & shootout: 1:05:00

Memorable Moments

• The safe crashing down the stairs, nearly exposing the thieves in the presence of nearby lawmen (New Jersey, ~17:07).
• Doc’s improvised and fraudulent bovine diagnosis—“traveling brayer stills”—and subsequent arrest for killing the cow.
• The contrast in criminal styles:
  • Hard-nosed urban heist vs. rural, eccentric, and ultimately self-defeating schemes.

Episode Tone and Language

• Classic mid-century radio drama—snappy, wisecracking dialogue, tough-guy lingo ("doll," "scratch for a rainy day," "short count").
• Narration by public officials adds gravity and authority.
• The criminals’ dialogue is often comic in its deadpan delivery, especially in the Tennessee segment.

Conclusion

Both cases underline the mixture of absurdity, danger, and luck in classic American crime—robbers defeated by rare coins and their own partners, or a killer gambler caught by his own reliance on a "cow doctor." The dramatizations are pacy, atmospheric, and peppered with wry humor and brisk investigative work, perfectly evoking the golden age of radio crime drama.

For fans of old-time radio mysteries, this episode is an entertaining showcase of authentic police casework with vivid period flavor and memorable, if tragicomic, criminal exploits.