Podcast Summary:

Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode: Broadway Is My Beat: The Pablo Molari Murder Case (06/30/1951)
Release Date: November 19, 2025
Host: Choice Classic Radio
Detective: Danny Clover (portrayed by Larry Thor)

Episode Overview

This episode of "Broadway Is My Beat" plunges into the murky underworld of postwar New York City, focusing on the death of a young immigrant, Pablo Molari, and the subsequent unraveling of a web involving youth club rivalries, unrequited love, and tragic mistakes. Detective Danny Clover investigates the murder, peeling back gritty layers of Broadway's nightlife and the innocent dreams corrupted by desperation and bad influence. At its heart, the story examines the vulnerability of young lives scraping for meaning in a tough city, and the frail boundaries between mischief, heartbreak, and violence.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Scene Setting: Broadway’s Underbelly (00:53–02:31)

• Detective Danny Clover introduces Broadway as "the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world," setting a somber, poetic mood.
• The city's pre-dawn atmosphere is a backdrop to loss and unrest, culminating in the discovery of Pablo Molari's corpse:
  • "The boy lying dead against the iron gate of the tenement's basement court." (01:24)

2. Uncovering the Victim: Pablo Molari (02:17–03:08)

• The investigation begins with the identification of Pablo and a search for clues. The meager possessions found (a five-dollar bill and a saint’s medallion) highlight his poverty and innocence.
• Community apathy is evident—the neighbors deny knowing Pablo, reluctant to get involved.
  • "Every door no one ever heard of. The kid had nothing to do with him. Didn't want to talk about him." – [Choice Classic Radio Announcer, 02:32]

3. Introducing the Hudson Club (03:03–04:10)

• The "Hudson Club" emerges as a makeshift youth group in a tough neighborhood.
• Johnny Hammett, club president, is interviewed by Clover, revealing a blurred boundary between harmless fun and potential trouble.
  • "It's one of those street clubs the kids make up for themselves. This neighborhood's loaded with them." – [Choice Classic Radio Announcer, 02:54]

4. Suspects and Motives: Johnny Hammett & Toby Nelson (04:10–07:29)

• Johnny discusses the club's activities, members, and denies Pablo was a real member.

• Toby Nelson, the doorman and typical neighborhood tough, is called out as potential suspect due to his role and temper.

  • Notable exchange:
    • Detective Danny Clover: "Johnny, a member of your club was murdered last night. A boy by the name of Pablo Molari."
    • Johnny Hammett: "Nah, he wasn't a member of the club, sir. He just hung around." (05:05)

• Paula Chopak’s initiation to the club is revealed as significant—she’s caught in a love triangle, moving from Toby's affection to Johnny's.

5. Paula Chopak: The Only Girl in the Club (07:40–11:15)

• Detective Clover visits Paula’s mother and speaks to Paula, unraveling her complicated relationships and emotional vulnerability.
  • Paula is portrayed as strong-willed but troubled, denying crucial knowledge about the murder.
  • Emotional moment with her mother:
    • Mrs. Chopak: "My Paula is good, clean, respectful to me. To such as you. Never trouble, never bring me tears." (08:50)

6. The Second Tragedy: Paula’s Death (12:23–14:02)

• News arrives: Paula has drowned at a beach party. Johnny claims responsibility, labeling it an accident.
  • "We were swimming, sir. Lost her someplace out there in the dark. And I heard her kind of scream… I killed Paula." – [Johnny Hammett, 13:19]

7. Interrogations and Emotional Showdown (15:19–19:10)

• Johnny, shaken, is grilled at headquarters. He reiterates the accident story: Paula swam out too far, hit a rock, drowned.
• Toby, Paula’s former boyfriend, is devastated but offers little help, consumed by grief and jealousy.

8. Revealing the Truth: Drug Use and Manipulation (21:25–24:37)

• Paula’s mother describes how Paula came home the night before, "ghostlike... sick," alluding to something more sinister than a tragic accident.
• A technical report reveals that Paula was not wearing her bathing cap in the water when she was killed; the cap was put on after death—a sure sign of foul play.

9. The Confession: Johnny and Toby’s Guilt (24:37–28:12)

• At the Hudson Club, Johnny admits Toby killed Pablo in a fit of anger ("He was just angry about something." – [Johnny Hammett, 25:56]), unintentionally but fatally.
• Johnny is exposed as a manipulative leader dealing marijuana to club members, pushing Paula into drug use to control her.
  • Detective Danny Clover: "Paula was a sick girl. After she got home from her initiation. You have to smoke this stuff to become a member of your club." (26:46)
• Ultimately, Johnny confesses to murdering Paula after she refused more drugs; he staged her drowning.
  • Detective Danny Clover: "She’d have worn her cap into the water. You killed her before she went into the water. How, Johnny? The rock, Mr. Clover. Then you threw her in the surf."
  • Johnny Hammett: "She was so beautiful. She was so beautiful, Mr. Clover." (27:35)
  • "It always worked, you know. It got so they'd come around here begging for the stuff… I wouldn't touch this stuff." (27:49)

10. Closing Reflection: The Cost of Broadway’s Dreams (28:30–end)

• Clover ends on a somber note, reflecting on the emptiness hidden beneath Broadway’s bright lights:
  • "Broadway looks clean. The winds of the evening have swept away the litter. Everything looks sharp. Sharp like a knife at your heart… The gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world." (28:30)

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "Broadway's My Beat... the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world." – Detective Danny Clover (00:53)
• "The whimper was yours." – Detective Danny Clover, poetic reflection on the city’s pain (01:24)
• "She was so beautiful. She was so beautiful, Mr. Clover." – Johnny Hammett, after confessing murder (27:35)
• "Paula was a sick girl. After she got home from her initiation. You have to smoke this stuff to become a member of your club." – Detective Danny Clover (26:46)
• "It always worked, you know. It got so they'd come round here begging for the stuff… I wouldn't touch this stuff." – Johnny Hammett, on drug dealing (27:49)
• "Go away. Resign yourself that another day is over." – Detective Danny Clover, after confronting Toby Nelson in grief (19:10)

Important Timestamps

• [00:53]: Opening narrative—Broadway’s atmosphere and initial crime scene.
• [04:10]: Introduction of Johnny Hammett and the Hudson Club.
• [06:10]: Detective Clover interviews Toby Nelson.
• [08:12]: Clover’s poignant visit with Mrs. Chopak and Paula.
• [12:23]: Learning of Paula's drowning and Johnny’s confession.
• [15:19]: Interrogation scenes at headquarters.
• [19:51]: Mrs. Chopak’s account of Paula’s final hours.
• [22:49]: Technical evidence surfaces—Paula’s bathing cap.
• [24:37]: Final confrontation at the Hudson Club.
• [27:35]: Johnny’s confession and motive revealed.
• [28:30]: Detective Clover’s closing meditation on Broadway.

Tone and Style

The episode unfolds in the classic noir style—world-weary, poetic, emotionally intense. Detective Clover narrates with empathy and a sense of personal responsibility, lamenting the fate of Broadway’s “children” and the cycles of loss that haunt their lives. The language is direct yet reflective, balancing hard-boiled realism with sensitivity toward immigrant struggles and youthful misdirection.

Conclusion

This gripping "Broadway Is My Beat" episode delivers more than a detective mystery; it’s a social tragedy, exposing how dreams can sour and innocence can be manipulated on the hard streets of New York. Through meticulous investigation and insightful character studies, Detective Danny Clover unravels not only two murders but also the darker undercurrents running through youth culture, club loyalties, and drug use in the city’s shadowy corners.