Case Closed! – Episode Summary

Podcast: Case Closed! (old time radio)
Episode: Gang Busters and The Sounds Of Darkness
Date: February 11, 2026
Theme: Revisiting riveting crime stories from the golden age of radio, this episode features two classic mysteries: “Gang Busters: The Case of the Chicago Tunnel Gang” (1948) and “Sounds of Darkness: For Two Pins” (1967). Expect desperate thieves, gritty detectives, and a locked-room puzzle only a blind sleuth could unravel.

1. Gang Busters: The Case of the Chicago Tunnel Gang (Starts ~00:33)

Main Theme

A daring series of robberies executed via underground tunneling, cutthroat criminals turning on their own, and Chicago detectives on a relentless pursuit.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Highlights

• Setting the Scene:

  • Lieutenant Thomas J. McGrath of the Chicago PD narrates an authentic case.
  • The "Chicago Tunnel Gang" exploits hidden routes to rob a currency exchange.
  • Nick Lococo, Red, and Harry plan the heist from their HQ—a candy store run by Bella Mama.

• The Plan and the Heist:

  • The gang plots to enter an adjacent shop, tunnel through to the target, and bypass security (foot button alarms).
  • Conversation bristles with criminal distrust and thrift—Nick prefers Harry as a cheap in-house barber.
    • “A 10 cent dip to a barber? I think nothing about it.” – Nick (04:35)

• Betrayals and Double-Crosses:

  • After the heist (~$14,000), Nick and Red consider cutting Harry out:
    • “Harry’s good for cutting hair, but he wouldn’t know what to do with this kind of dough.” – Nick (14:27)
  • Bella Mama is enlisted to feed misinformation to Harry and keep him away.

• Police Investigation:

  • Clues: Witness spots a tattoo (“bathing beauty”) on the robber’s right arm.
    • (23:53) “...I noticed he had a tattoo on his arm. Yes, it was right arm, between the wrist and the elbow.”
  • Witness interviews, stakeouts, and tracing gang routines (especially Bella Mama’s shop).

• Gang Unravels:

  • Distrust escalates, threats exchanged:
    • (31:12) “You think you’re gonna get pushed, no Nick, don’t send no guys! I'll get out, just give me a chance to go home and get my stuff together.”
  • Harry, fearing for his life, is arrested while hiding, and quickly gives up information.

• The Downfall:

  • Nick and Red attempt one final heist but are tailed and apprehended in a tense car chase.
    • (46:20) “It’s cops. All right, hold on, I’m gonna take the turn. Watch it, Red. They’re gonna crowd us. Let’s go.”
  • “That was the end of this notorious gang of tunnel bandits.” – (48:03)
  • Ringleaders sentenced to 40 years.

Notable Quotes and Moments

• “What criminals consider a weak link often proves the strongest wedge for investigating authorities.” – Narrator (19:15)
• Multiple comic-criminal exchanges over penny-pinching, reflecting authentic dialogue style of the era.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:33 – Episode Intro and narrator intro
• 03:00 – Gang’s criminal planning in candy store
• 10:25 – Heist in progress
• 14:27 – Double-cross plans discussed
• 23:53 – Gift shop proprietor describes attacker’s tattoo
• 31:25 – Harry’s panic and betrayal
• 41:55 – Cops close in, final chase
• 48:03 – Case conclusion and police commendation

2. The Sounds of Darkness: For Two Pins (Starts ~49:00)

Main Theme

Blind detective Lee Masters attends a political party, only for a guest to die in a locked room—seemingly a suicide. But the mystery deepens as Lee unravels a fiendish plot involving firearms, alibis, and a cleverly dropped key.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Highlights

• Elegant Setup and Intrigue:

  • Lee Masters, his assistant Johnny Bridges, and Samantha Darlington attend a soiree at Senator Hardy’s opulent home.
  • Party is ostensibly to introduce a political candidate, but Masters senses an ulterior motive.
    • (52:13) “But supposing he wanted to establish an alibi. How about that? Then what better alibi could he have...”

• The Locked-Room Death:

  • A gunshot interrupts the festivities—Mrs. Hardy is found dead, apparently by suicide, behind a locked door with the only key inside the room.
    • (58:35) “She’s dead, all right.”

• Suspicion and Investigation:

  • Lee instantly notes inconsistencies:
    • How was the gunshot heard over the party noise?
    • Why was the suicide note so curt and unsigned—“I can’t take it anymore. This is the end, Celia.”
  • Windows are too narrow/burglar-proofed; door locked, key on a distant table.
  • Cartridges and footprints (small, possibly a woman’s) found outside open window.

• Rifling the Clues:

  • Lee deduces a rifle must have been used to produce a loud enough shot—so the ‘time of death’ would be fixed when the Senator had an alibi (talking with Lee).
  • (01:04:42) “What we heard was a high powered rifle shot. Not a pistol. A rifle, Johnny.”
    • Footprints outside were likely made by the secretary, Ms. Duncan.

• Twist in the Timeline:

  • The autopsy (time of death) doesn’t match the supposed ‘suicide’ moment; Mrs. Hardy died hours before the party.
  • The pistol was the murder weapon—murder staged to look like suicide. The rifle shot? Purely to create a false timeline.

• Locked Room Riddle Solved:

  • Lee examines the table where the key was found:
    • “Pin pricks... or rather, two little holes.” (01:13:20)
  • Senator Hardy had used a pin and length of cotton/string:
    • Before leaving, he stuck the pin in the table with cotton, trailed it through the fanlight above the door.
    • After locking the door from outside, threaded the key onto the string, dropped it onto the table, then pulled the string free. The pin remained as a clue.

• The Confrontation:

  • Lee lays out the case for the Senator and Ms. Duncan.
    • (01:16:09) “How long has the love affair between you and your secretary been going on?”
    • (01:16:50) “You can’t prove otherwise. You can’t even advance a theory.”
    • (01:17:39) “The pin, Johnny. The pin. And the slit over the door. That’s how he did it.”

Notable Quotes and Moments

• “Lucky for the people concerned that I’m not a gossip columnist.” – Lee (53:04)
• “A note reading ‘I can’t take it anymore. This is the end. Celia’ might have sounded like a suicide note to you, but not to me. Not even ‘forgive me’ or ‘love.’ No, it stank from the start.” – Lee (01:15:09)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 49:00 – Show voiced intro and party atmosphere
• 52:13 – Lee and Johnny suspect motive for their invitation
• 56:27 – Gunshot and discovery of Mrs. Hardy
• 58:35 – Suicide appearance and room investigation
• 01:04:42 – Shot’s origin, window examined
• 01:09:10 – Autopsy and time-of-death twist
• 01:13:20 – Pin and string method deduced
• 01:16:09 – Confrontation with Hardy and Ms. Duncan
• 01:17:39 – Case resolution explained

Noteworthy Episode Takeaways

• Golden Age Storytelling:
  Fast-talking crooks, hard-boiled cops, and ingenious detectives showcase the style, wit, and drama of classic radio crime.
• Classic Locked-Room Puzzle:
  “Sounds of Darkness” delivers a compelling solution with physical clues (a simple pin!), psychological insight, and Lee’s keen ear for the plausible.
• Memorable Moments:
  The interplay of greed and paranoia among the Tunnel Gang (especially Nick’s penny-pinching), and the methodical reasoning of Lee Masters stood out as signature moments.

Perfect for fans of classic mystery, clever deduction, and the rich atmosphere of old time radio.