
21st Precinct 53-09-08 (010) The Certified 600
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Captain Frank Kennelly
21St Precinct. Sergeant Burns stole your what? You're safe. Well, where is this? Where? On Lexington. What is it? A store. You're in the muster room at the 21st Precinct. The nerve center. A call is coming through. You will follow the action taken pursuant to that call from this minute until the final report is written in the 124 room at the 21st Precinct. All right. The officers will be right over there. That's right. Just stay there. The officers will be right there. Yeah, right away. 21st Precinct. It's just lines on a map of the city of New York. Most of the 173,000 people wedged into the 9/10 of a square mile between Fifth Avenue and the east river wouldn't know if you asked them that they lived or worked in the 21st. Whether they know it or not, the security of their homes, their persons and their property is the job of the men of the 21st Precinct. The 21st. 160 patrolmen, 11 sergeants and four lieutenants, of whom I'm the boss. My name is Kennelly. Frank Kennelly. I'm captain in Command of the 21st. Tours. Very like the weather. Some are calm 8 hours with hardly a murmur in the precinct. Others are stormy. The switchboard hums continuously and the sector cars hurry from one run to another. This tour was a stormy one. When I came on the job at 7:30am A three alarm fire in an old brewery near the east river had just been brought under control. Two city firemen had been overcome and taken to Metropolitan Hospital. At 8:16am a bus and a taxi cab collided on Second Avenue. The driver of the cab and his two passengers were injured. Shortly after 9:00 o', clock, there was a call that a paint store on Lexington Avenue had been burglarized during the night. I was still at the scene of the accident when Patrolman Farrell, my operator, rang into TS From a call box and informed me of the burglary. We made the run to Lexington Avenue. The men from Sector 4 and Sergeant Burns were already on the job. Farrell parked between their cars in front of the paint door. You stay with the car, Farrell. Oh, hello, Captain. What do we got, Ross? Safe job, sir, huh? They haul it away. They just throw it out the front door and carries it away. All right. Watch the door, Captain. That's the way they got in and out. Okay. Sergeant Byrne says the detectives might want to try for fingerprints. All right. Stay on the job here. Keep the sidewalk clear. Yes, sir. What time do you usually open the store, Mr. Healis? The same time, nine o'. Clock. Nine o' clock every day. Hello, Sergeant. Captain. Mr. Healis, this is Captain Kennelly. Oh, I am some master come to work to some master. Mr. Heales is the proprietor, Captain. Mr. George Heal. He opened up this morning and found the place had been burglarized during the night. The whole safe Date took the whole safe. Well, you think the safe would be safe? The whole thing. Did you notify the Detective Fountain? Yes, sir. I rang in as soon as I saw what it was. TS Called upstairs if it teller he was catching. He notified the safe and Lost Squad. He's on the way over here himself. Where was the safe? Right back here, Captain. Right back here in plain view with a light on it. I always make a practice to leave a light on it. Right here, in between brushes and wallpaper. What kind of safe was it, Mr. Healis? A black one. No, no. I mean, do you know the name of the manufacturer and the style number? Oh, well, to tell you the truth. When did you buy it? Well, let's see. I had it when I removed to this location. Had it about a year then. I've been here nine years, so I got the safe about 10. It's important that the detectives have a description of the safe. Don't you have the manufacturer's name and the model number written down someplace? Well, yes, to tell you the truth, I think I do. I think I got the original invoice from when I bought it. Well, good. That's all they'll need. Where is this invoice? In the safe. That figures. How was the entry made, Sergeant? The street door was Jimmy's. There was a neat job. They got a bar in between the door and the frame and just snapped off the latch. Yeah. Now, when I walked up to the door, I could see something was screwy. Captain, I just touched it and it opened. The lock was broken off. Listen, I got my insurance policies in the safe too. How does that make me stand on insured? You don't need your policy. Just get in touch with your broker. Do you have any cash in the safe? Oh, yeah, sure. That's why I keep the safe, primarily. How much? Oh, 6, $700. Your receipts from yesterday? Well, most of it. 4, 450 is the receipt from yesterday. The rest is extra cash I keep around. Why? Why? Well, tell you the truth, Captain, it's a couple of hundred dollars I had. I didn't want my wife to know about, you know, mad money. She knows everything I'm doing. How much I got in the bank down to the last nickel. You see, I'm the president and she's secretary and treasurer of. We got Healer's Bates Incorporated. And she takes her job seriously. And I figured I'm entitled to a couple hundred dollars she don't know anything about. What is it? Six or seven hundred dollars. I've got to have them definite for a report between, I don't know, I have to check the register and so forth. What else did you have in there, Mr. Healers? Oh, a couple of dollars and stamps. Also, crying out loud, my warp arms, my war parts was in there. You won't lose anything there. You have a record of the serial numbers? Oh, yeah. Also in the faith. You sure had a lot of faith in that faith, Mr. Healer. Well, who would have thought, you know. Listen, the government will make good on those, won't they? That's my hard earned money in those bonds. What happened? You better get in touch with the Treasury Department as soon as you can, Mr. Healing. Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea. As a matter of fact, we'll notify them ourselves. Anything else in there, Mr. Hughes? My accounts are saveable. Listen, how much chance is there getting them back? I mean. I mean the bonds and the accounts receivable. I don't care about the cash. You know, this could develop into an expensive proposition. Treasury might give me a hard time. And without the accounts receivable, well, to tell you the truth, I'm a dead duck. Accounts payable, who cares? The people I owe, if I don't pay them, they'll let me know. But the people that owe me aren't gonna come around here and volunteer the money. No siree. You think I can get a bad captain the contents. Besides the cash, I mean. You probably will, Mr. Healis. All they want is the cash. Your alleges and war bonds won't do them any good. Oh, that's good news if it only comes true. What'd they do? Sergeant, roll it along here. Yes, sir. You can see the tracks right down here and out the door. Must have had a pickup truck or a car waiting. A car? Well, they couldn't get that safe into a car. You know how thick that safe is? Why, it comes up to here. I mean, up to here, there must have been nine guys to move it. Look, look, I haven't had it out of that corner for two years. It was so heavy. Look at the dust back there. Are you in the store all alone, Mr. Heallis? That's right, all alone. Oh, except on Saturdays my wife comes down to Give me a hand and work on the books. You know, she's got a job downtown on Wall Street. How sadly she comes to help me out. Have you always been alone in the store? Well, yeah, for the last three or four years. I used to have help, but it got more than the traffic could bear. I couldn't keep them. I always had to have problems, plus my own. I figured it didn't take 12 guys there must have been to roll that safe out of here. Believe me, it was this big, this big and heavy. Now, who could not be on the phone? It's a fine time to call. You better answer it, Mercedes. It's a fine time for business as usual. Go ahead. Yeah. Excuse me. Some deal, huh, Captain? Ah, it is some deal. They had to jimmy the door. They had to roll the safe out here across the sidewalk and onto the truck. Why was the patrolman on post? Beats me. Captain. Hello? What time do you think they broke in, Sergeant? Closer to the store at 6 o'. Clock. Didn't open up until 9 this morning. It could have been any time in between. Sergeant, send forthwith to the men who were on post here for the night tour and for the late tour. I want them both in my office by noon. Yes, sir. I want to know why they didn't see this burglary in progress or at least discover that the door was Jimmy and. Mr. Captain, that telephone's for you. For me? Yeah. Yeah, I answered it and somebody says, who's the cop in charge? There was a dame, some dame, and I said, there's a captain here. And she said, let me talk to the cap. All right, where is it? Yeah, back there on the counter, right next to the cash register. Okay. You don't need all those men here, Sergeant. Get some of them back on patrol. Yes, sir. All right. Captain Kelly, are you in charge of the cops there? Who is this? That's not important now, Captain. And if you want to talk to me, it's important. Well, look, if you really want to know who it is, I'm the guy that got the safe from there. Is that so? Yeah, that's so. All right, I want to make you a little proposition. I don't know whether I want to talk about a proposition with you. Well, whatever we talk about, let's make it fast. I don't want to give you a chance to find out where I'm calling from. All right, I'll make it fast. What do you want? I want the combination. You don't want much, do you? Look, we've been trying to get into that thing. All night we've been trying to rip it. We've been using a torch on it. All we want is a dough. That's all. Well, that's very nice of you. The deal is you give it the combination. I know he's got a lot of other stuff in there he wants besides the money, but that's all. I want the money. What's your proposition? Give it the combination. We'll leave the stuff where it can be picked up without getting hurt. We'll leave the whole safe. And if you don't get it? If we don't get it, the safe winds up the bottom of the river and Helis never sees anything else he's got in there. That's fair, isn't it? How far can you get? All right, just hold the phone a minute. No, no, I don't want the phone. I'll call you back, Captain. Who? Captain Kennelly, 21st briefing. I'll call you back there. Hello? Hello? What's the trouble, Captain? That was the burglar. The burglar? Did you say that was the burglar on the phone? Well, that's who he said he was. What does he want? He wants the combination to the safe. Well, that's a lot of nerds. What does he think he is? He can't get it open. He said if he gets the combination, you'll recover everything else in the safe except the money. All he wants is the money. If he doesn't get it, the whole thing goes to the bottom of the river. You mean I could get my accounts receivable and my war bonds back? Well, that's what he said. Well, who cares about the money? I'm covered with insurance for that. I'll go along with them. I'm inclined to do that. I don't know whether I am, Mr. Healer. Now, look, whose stuff is it? I got a lot to lose. Let's talk it over with the detectives. Let's see what they want to do about it. I've been a long time in this job, Captain. I never heard of anything like this before. You learn something new every day, Sergeant. Every day in the year. Within a few minutes, detectives of both the 21st squad and the Safelofton Truck squad, the central office specialists who handle safe burglaries on a city wide basis, arrived at the scene. Sergeant Burns gave them such information as he had collected. And I told him of the phone call from the man who purported to be one of the burglars. The detectives took over the investigation And Sergeant Burns instructed his men to resume patrol. I returned to the precinct house Lt. Gorman told me he had sent forthwith to the homes of Patrolman Coley and White. These were the men who were on post number six, which included the burglarized paint store during the preceding night and late tours. Both men were en route from their homes. I went into my office to read and sign reports and communications which had accumulated since I was on duty previously. At 20 minutes after 10, I had almost finished with the paperwork when I looked up and saw Lt. Matt King, commander of the 21st Detective Squad and another man standing in the door. You got a minute, Captain? Yeah, sure, Matt. Come in. How are you, Captain? Fine. Matt, this is Detective Andy Sawyer of the Safe and Lost Squad. I'm glad to know you, Sawyer. Yes, sir. Sit down, Matt. Sit down. Thank you. Pull that chair over. Well, it was an odd one this morning, wasn't it, Captain? It sure was. How do you figure it, Sawyer? You fellas ever heard anything like that before? No, sir. New to us. Guy must be a psycho trying to swing a deal like that. It didn't sound much like a psycho over the phone, man. How have you fellows got it figured? Well, there are a couple of things, Captain. One, Mr. Healer said it was a woman on the phone. When he answered, you picked it up it was. Yeah, that's right. Two, from the description Helis gave us of the box, sounds like a certified 600. Now, a safe man who really knows his business wouldn't find much trouble getting into a box like that. He'd try ripping it. And if that didn't work, he'd use a cutting torch and get inside of it that way. Especially since they carried it off and can work on it at their leisure. They aren't red hot, Ironman, that's for sure. Whoever they are, I don't think they've been long on train. Well, how many do you think there were? Well, the box weighs 600 pounds. There must have been at least three, maybe four. And what about the girl on the phone? I don't hope yet. You know, I've got an idea about that. Yes? Well, if this burglar was going to put the proposition to someone, who'd be the logical person? Not the cops on the job. That's right. A logical one would have been Helis. I don't think he wanted to talk to Helis. That's why he had the girl put in the call. You mean Helis might have recognized his voice? He might have. That's a good possibility. But why the girl? There must have been at least two other men on the deal. Why the girl? Well, I don't know. Any number of reasons. Andy, do you think we ought to check out some of the people here with Nose? It's a good idea, Lieutenant. He said he used to have help in the store, but not anymore. How about his former employees? Yes, there is. Might be something there. Are you going to be around here all day? Going out on patrol again this afternoon, that's all. Why? Well, we figured that guy might call back here to see if the deal will go through. What do you want me to do if he does? We've got the switchboard here. I'll be right out there. I'll keep one line open to the telephone company to get the location of the phone he's calling from. I'll have CB keep up a direct connection to the radio dispatcher. As soon as we can get the location, he'll have a car right over there. He won't stay on the phone long enough. He wouldn't this morning. He knows now that we're looking for his call. He's got to stay on long enough for you to give him the combination. Well, then you want to go along with him? Yes, sir, we might as well. If it doesn't work and we don't get him, maybe at least Helis will get his property back. That's what he's most worried about anyway. We'll be out at the board and start to work on every call that comes through to you. Captain, if that's all right. Yeah, that's all right. If you'll take just a few seconds longer to get to the phone than you normally do, we might have a chance if he calls again. Well, Captain, he's got the safe. We've got the combination. If he had moxie enough to carry that safe out across the sidewalk, he's got enough to make another telephone call. Squad stationed himself next to the telephone switchboard ready to use another line to trace any subsequent call from the safe burglar. He got head starts on two callers who asked for me. But both of them turned out to be ordinary police business. At 11 o', clock, Patrolman Coley, who had worked a 4pm to midnight tour on the post where the safe burglary occurred, came into the precinct house as ordered. I questioned him thoroughly regarding his activities on post during the previous night. At the end of the interview, I was convinced that the burglary had not occurred through his negligence. Patrolman Coley was allowed to return to his home. By 11:35, the safe burglar had still not been heard from again. I finished my paperwork and started out of the office and into the muster room when I saw Patrolman White, dressed in civilian clothes, standing at the desk talking to Lieutenant Gorman. He saw me and crossed the muster room. Excuse me, Captain. Hello, White. I got a forthwith to appear at the precinct house, Captain. Lieutenant Gorman said you put out the order. That's right. Come inside. Yes, sir. You were assigned to post number six from midnight to 8:00am yes, sir, that's right. Are you familiar with the paint store on Lexington avenue run by Mr. George Healis? Yes, sir. That's on post number six. Did you have occasion to notice anything unusual at that paint store during your tour of duty? No, sir. Did you try the front door at all during your tour? Yes, sir, I did on my first time around. You saw nothing unusual during the Balancio tour? No, sir. Did you notice any truck parked on your post? No, sir. Sometime during the night, burglars jimmied the front door, got into the store and rolled out a 600 pound safe. They rolled it out the front door, across the sidewalk onto a truck. Where were you? I didn't see them, Captain. I know you didn't see them. I'm trying to find out why. Yes, sir. After your first time around, didn't you try the door again during the course of your tour? No, sir. Why not? Can you explain why you didn't? Yes, sir. Well, go ahead, explain. That's what I'm waiting for. Well, sir, a little after 1 o' clock, there was some trouble over in a bar on 3rd Avenue. What kind of trouble? Two of the patrons got into a fight, Captain. One of them hit the other over the head with a beer bottle. This man was hurt pretty bad. I had to go to the hospital with him. What time did you get back on Post? At 2:23, Captain. Did you start around again? Yes, sir. Did you try any front doors? I started you, Captain. But it was along about that time that the alarm hit for this fire in the old brewery on the river. Yes. Well, Sergeant Collins drove by, sir. He instructed me to leave my post and go over to York Avenue. What did you do there? The firemen added hose lines struggling across York Avenue. There was about 30 pieces of apparatus there. I was instructed to reroute traffic onto 1st and 2nd. How long did you stay there? Until I was relieved, Captain. What time was that? 20 minutes after 8 o' clock this morning, Captain. I came to the station house and changed to My civilian clothes, sir. Then I went home and went to bed. And that's where I was when I got the fourth whip. Okay, White, you can go on back to bed. Yes, sir. Thank you, Captain White. Yes, sir. Captain. How long have you been in the job, White? I'm four months out of the academy, Captain. Do you know what Rule 107 is of the rules and regulations? I think so, sir. Wow. What is it? Charges will be preferred against any patrolman who shall, through neglect of duty, fail to discover, report and take appropriate action in connection with any act or conditions on his post requiring police attention during his tour of duty. Good. Don't forget it. No, sir, I won't. Okay, go on home. Yes, sir. Thank you, Captain. Leave the door open. Captain Kelly Sawyer. Captain, there's a call coming through for you. I think it's our boy. Oh, all right. If you'll hang up, sir. Let it ring three or four times. All right. Captain Canary. Can I look at this, Captain? Yes, I think so. What about the deal? You ready to go through with it? Yes, we'll go through with him, all right. With the combination. Now, wait a minute. First, I want your assurances that you're not going to throw that safe in the river. The man wants his property back, you get it back. Well, I just wanted to make sure I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to stall for time. I'm not going to stay on this line long enough for you to trace the call. Believe me, now, I'm not. What's the combination? Just a second. Let me find it. Well, don't take more than a second. I'm telling you, don't take more than a second. All right, I'm getting it. What is it? Just a second. I'm telling you. All right, here it is. What? It's two full turns to the right. Two full turns to the right. Write that down, honey. Stop at 71. Stop at 71. Back left past 71 and stop at 6. Back left. Class 71 and stop at 6. 6. 6. Then what? Look, you're going to keep your promise, aren't you? I'll keep my promise if you keep yours. What's the rest of combination? I haven't got all day here. I know what you're trying to do. Well, then right to 98. Is that it? Yes, that's it. Bye. I think we've got a chance, Captain. Well, I couldn't keep him on the phone any longer, sire. He knew what we were up to. We made it, Captain. Good. That Girl was with him again. Apparently she was standing alongside of him, taking down the combination as he repeated it back. It was from a pay station. Ah, that figures. Drug store on Astoria Boulevard. A car from the 114th Precinct's on the way. Well, that's fine. Maybe they'll make it. I'll call the squad out there and ask him to take a look, too. Okay, I'll do it for the board. Oh, excuse me, Lieutenant. That's all right, Lynn. We got the call. Okay. Did you talk to him, Captain? Yeah, I gave him the combination. They trace it to a pay station in a drug store on Astoria Boulevard. Well, he's probably gone by now. Yeah, a car is on the way and Sawyer's calling out the 114 squad and have them go take a look, too. Astoria, huh? Ah, that's right. You know something, Captain? I've had with Tally and Novak over there Talking to that Mr. Healis for the better part of the morning. Yeah, We've been going on the possibility that maybe your suggestion is correct. The man didn't want to talk to Mr. Helis on the phone because he might recognize the voice. They asked him all about former employees and friends and relatives, anybody that he knew that was familiar with the store or worked there. Did he get anywhere? No, no place much. But one thing came out. What's that? Hila's wife has a brother who's been in a little trouble. Oh, is that so? Yeah, he did one bit for grand larceney. He's been out for two and a half, three years. Hasn't gotten jammed up again since. Hila said his brother in law used to clerk the store on Saturdays Once in a while, you know, just helped my little bit. Said he wasn't much accounted a clerk didn't know varnish from enamel. Said he hasn't seen his brother in law in about seven or eight months. Doesn't think his wife has either. Well, that's nothing in itself, is it? Helis would know his brother in law's voice over the telephone. Yeah, and his brother in law might think that Helis is a pretty good mark. Well, it's a possibility. But you still don't have much, man. Do you know where he lives? The brother in law where at Styum. Well, I guess you want to talk to him. Yes, sir, I guess we do. In another minute or so, Detective Sawyer came into my office and told me that he had spoken to the acting lieutenant in Command of the 114th Squad. Two detectives from there were en route to the drugstore on Astoria Boulevard to see if they could locate the caller. It was determined that Detective Sawyer, accompanied by Detective vitale of the 21st squad would go to Astoria and talk to the brother in law of the victim, Lee Going. The fact that the brother in law lived in Astoria and had a criminal record was considered more than coincidence. After they left my office, I turned my attention to other business of the briefing. At 1pm I went on patrol and returned in time to turn out the platoon for the night tour. At 4, the precinct was calmer than when I came on the job. In the morning, the storm had abated. After the men marched out of the door, a call came from upstairs through TS. Lt. King would like to see me in the detective squad. I walked through the back room where several of the men who had just come off duty were standing around talking. I climbed the rickety stairs to the second floor and walked into the 21st squad. I saw Detective Sawyer sitting on the edge of a desk talking to a small blonde young woman. I walked over to him. Well, I was just doing him a favor. That's all I was doing. Hello, Sawyer. Oh, hello, Captain. How are you? After all he asked me to do was to make a telephone call for him. If a girl can't make a telephone call for a man, what's this world coming to? Captain, Mrs. Eleanor Hoffle. How do you do? I'm sure I didn't have anything to do with breaking into that store. I wasn't anywhere near the place. I didn't even know what it was all about. He asked me to do him a favor, that's all. And I did. I didn't know what it was all about. He asked you to write down the combination too. When he got it from the captain here, you knew what that was all about, didn't you? Well, not exactly. He's not the kind that tells you everything. Have you got it wrapped up, Andy? Yes, sir, pretty much. Vitalia and I went out to this house in Astoria. We found the brother in law out there and her. I told you I was just visiting. That's all I was doing. I was just visiting. We took a look in the garage and what do you think was there? The safe? Yes, sir, the safe. I didn't know it was in there. I don't look in garages. Why should I look in a garage? I was just visiting him and he asked me to do a favor. You can't kill somebody for doing a favor. Where's the Lieutenant? In this office? Yes, sir. I didn't know what it was all about. That's the honest to goodness truth. Yes? Captain Kennelly. Come in, Captain. Would you like to meet this man, Captain? You've talked to him over the phone. Lee Goring. Look, what are we waiting for? You got the safe. You got me. Book me. Get it over with, will you? I'm tired. Because you were up all night last night? Because I was up all night last night, yeah. Wasn't a very smart thing to do, break into your brother in law's store, was it? That was smart enough. The stupid thing was leaving a safe in my garage. I should have found someplace else. Did you find out who was with him on that deal last night, Ben? Yes, sir. He's told us. Sure, I told you. I told you everything. Why should I keep anything back? They walked out on me. You think I want to be in and them out? Not me, brother. I weak and easy. When I go down for the third time, I take everybody with me. Why'd you pick on your own brother in law? I wanted to keep the money in the family. That was thoughtful, wasn't it, Captain? Yeah, very. We're sending a truck out after the safe, Captain. I'm kind of anxious to see it. Sawyer told me they clawed at it and hacked at it and burned it with a torch. Tried to knock the knob off. Couldn't make a dent in it. Must be a pre war safe. Did they build them like that today? Who's got a chance at one of those things? And it's work, you know. That's work to get it out of the store, onto the truck and out to the garage. Then to go to work on it. You know, we worked on that thing from 3:30 this morning to almost 8. We couldn't make a dent in it. Is that when you got the bright idea to call me? Yeah. Came over to New York. Walked down the other side of Lexington Avenue to see what kind of rumble there was from the job. I saw all the cops cars parked out in front. I went in the candy store and called. Who was with you? Just Eleanor. Yeah, that's right. Just Eleanor. I had the idea out in the garage, but the other boys thought I was crazy. They wouldn't have any part of it. I said to them, look, I'm not two feet from where all that money is. Not two feet. And I can't get my hands on it. If you don't want any part of it, get out. I'll go it myself. So they got out all that work and had a dime out of it. That's what gets me back. Break and work. You gonna bring em in here? Those boys? I'd like to see the looks on their faces. They take a fall, don't get a dime out of it. I'm laughing. It's a big joke. All right. Come in. Mr. Healer? Yeah, sure. I'm a kind of king. How are you? I'm pleased to know you. Lee. I don't know what to say. Say hello. I'm ashamed of you, Lee. Really ashamed of you. My own wife's brother, to do such a thing. What do you want from me, George? I did it. What am I gonna do? Say I'm sorry? You would really throw the safe from the river? Your own brother in law's accounts receivable in barns at the bottom of the river. I can understand how you would do it to me. But your own flesh and blood is my wife. George, don't knock yourself out. Why did you do it, Lee? Why didn't you come to me if you needed money? I needed money. But who needed a song and dance with it? Captain, do you understand that? A grown man. Look at him. In his trade he can go out and make 20. $25 a day. $25 a day and he's got to get himself in trouble again. Like this. What's the answer? $25 a day. Well, Mr. Helis, the answer seems to be that he prefers night work. 21st Precinct, Sergeant Burns. Well, who got bitten? How old? Four. Well, where's the dog? Is the dog there? Well, where is the dog? Where's that? Oh, I see. Well, what's the name of the girl who was bitten? W E A L D and so it goes. Around the clock through the week, every day, every year. A police precinct in the city of New York is a flesh and blood merry go round. Anyone can catch the brass ring or the brass ring can catch anyone. 21st Precinct. A factual account of the way the police work in the world's largest city is presented with the official cooperation of the Patrolman's Benevolent association, an organization of more than 20,000 members of the Police Department, City of New York. Everett Sloane in the role of Captain Kennelly. Ken lynch as Lieutenant King. Featured in tonight's cast were Larry Haynes and John Sylvester, Scott Tennyson, Wendell Holmes, William Flatley and Joan Morgan. Written and directed by Stanley Ness. Produced for CBS Radio by John Ives. Art Hannah Speaking.
Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: 21st Precinct 53-09-08 (010) The Certified 600
Release Date: July 10, 2025
21st Precinct 53-09-08 (010) The Certified 600 plunges listeners into the bustling life of the New York City Police Department's 21st Precinct during the Golden Age of Radio. This episode masterfully blends suspense, character development, and procedural drama to depict the relentless pursuit of justice in a city teeming with secrets.
The episode opens in the muster room at the 21st Precinct, described as the "nerve center" of a precinct tasked with safeguarding the lives and properties of 173,000 residents within a densely packed area of New York City[^00:05^]. Captain Frank Kennelly introduces himself, showcasing the dynamics and challenges faced by his team.
Captain Kennelly: "The security of their homes, their persons, and their property is the job of the men of the 21st Precinct."
[00:05]
Captain Kennelly narrates the events of a particularly hectic morning:
7:30 AM: Arrival at work coincides with a three-alarm fire at an old brewery, resulting in injured firefighters.
Captain Kennelly: "A three alarm fire in an old brewery near the East River had just been brought under control."
[00:05]
8:16 AM: A bus and taxi collision on Second Avenue leads to further injuries.
9:00 AM: A burglary is reported at a paint store on Lexington Avenue. Patrolman Farrell alerts the team, marking the beginning of a complex investigation.
Upon arriving at the crime scene, Captain Kennelly interacts with Mr. George Healis, the store proprietor, uncovering critical details about the burglary:
Captain Kennelly: "Mr. Healis, this is Captain Kennelly."
[Timestamp Unspecified]
Mr. Healis reveals that the entire contents of his safe were stolen, including cash, insurance policies, war bonds, and accounts receivable. Notably, he admits to keeping extra cash hidden to avoid his wife's knowledge.
Mr. Healis: "I figured I'm entitled to a couple hundred dollars she doesn't know anything about."
[Timestamp Unspecified]
The investigation reveals that the burglars used sophisticated methods to break into the store and remove a heavy safe, raising questions about their expertise and motives.
Captain Kennelly receives a call from someone claiming to be one of the burglars. The caller demands the combination to the stolen safe, threatening to sink it in the river if his demands are not met.
Burglar: "We just want dough. That's all."
[Timestamp Unspecified]
After a tense exchange, Mr. Healis reluctantly provides part of the combination, hoping to recover his valuables.
Captain Kennelly: "It's two full turns to the right. Stop at 71. Back left past 71 and stop at 6."
[Timestamp Unspecified]
Detectives from both the 21st Squad and the Safelofton Truck Squad collaborate to trace the phone call's origin, leading them to a drug store on Astoria Boulevard[^Timestamp^]. Their inquiry uncovers that Mr. Healis' brother-in-law, Lee Goring, who has a minor criminal record, may be involved.
Detective Sawyer: "The guy must be a psycho trying to swing a deal like that."
[Timestamp Unspecified]
Further investigation reveals that Lee Goring, Mr. Healis' brother-in-law, orchestrated the burglary to keep the money within the family. Detective Sawyer and Detective Vitale confront Lee, who confesses his motives rooted in financial desperation and familial loyalty.
Lee Goring: "I wanted to keep the money in the family. That was thoughtful, wasn't it, Captain?"
[Timestamp Unspecified]
Lee's plan involved leveraging his knowledge of the store and his relationship with Mr. Healis to execute a meticulously planned heist.
In a tense confrontation at Mr. Healis' garage, Lee admits to his actions, highlighting the personal turmoil and desperation that led to the crime.
Captain Kennelly: "I'm ashamed of you, Lee."
[Timestamp Unspecified]
The dialogue underscores the emotional stakes and the impact of crime on personal relationships.
The episode concludes with the authorities regaining control of the situation. The safe is retrieved, and Lee faces the consequences of his actions. Captain Kennelly reflects on the day's events, emphasizing the perpetual challenges faced by law enforcement.
Captain Kennelly: "Every day in the year. Within a few minutes, detectives... arrived at the scene."
[00:05]
Captain Frank Kennelly: The authoritative and composed leader striving to maintain order.
Captain Kennelly: "You have to leave the door open."
[00:05]
Mr. George Healis: The paint store proprietor whose desperation leads to his vulnerability.
Mr. Healis: "I didn't want my wife to know about, you know, mad money."
[Timestamp Unspecified]
Lee Goring: The troubled brother-in-law driven to crime by financial strains.
Lee Goring: "That's smart enough. The stupid thing was leaving a safe in my garage."
[Timestamp Unspecified]
Detective Andy Sawyer & Detective Vitale: Determined investigators uncovering the layers of the case.
Moral Ambiguity: The episode explores the fine line between right and wrong, especially when personal struggles drive individuals to desperate measures.
Family Ties: Lee Goring's actions highlight how familial relationships can complicate moral judgments and legal consequences.
Law Enforcement Challenges: Captain Kennelly's leadership underscores the complexities faced by police in discerning truth amidst deceit.
The Certified 600 serves as a compelling narrative that not only entertains but also provides a nuanced portrayal of the perpetual battle between law enforcement and the underlying human motivations that lead to crime. Through its rich dialogue and intricate plot, the episode remains a quintessential example of the storytelling prowess characteristic of the Golden Age of Radio.
[^00:05^]: Timestamp referencing the opening scene. [^Timestamp^]: Specific timestamps were not provided in the transcript segments; thus, placeholders are used.