The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

Episode: The Big Story: Manhunt in Manhattan (EP4887)
Air Date: January 13, 2026
Host: Adam Graham

Episode Overview

This episode presents a dramatization of a true crime story drawn from the files of the New York Daily News, focusing on a tragic bar robbery-turned-manhunt in Manhattan. The story delves deeply into the ethical and emotional challenges faced by both police and press when innocent lives are lost and justice seems elusive. Adam Graham, the host, frames the episode with historical context and post-show commentary, giving listeners both the pulse of Golden Age radio drama and thoughtful reflection on justice, media, and law enforcement of yesteryear.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Bar Holdup & Tragic Mistake (02:25 - 07:30)

• Scene Setting: Ted Prager, seasoned night reporter, is relaxing at a bar when a gang led by the cunning Joey Rice holds up the establishment.
• Crime in Progress: The gang's leader is charismatic and menacing, openly mocking their victims (“You don't have to leave none of these good people carfare. Let them walk.”)
• Sudden Twist: Two taxi drivers are forced by the gang to stay behind as unwilling shields during their escape.
• Tragic Error: A responding officer, Matt Gaines, mistakes the taxi drivers for gang members and shoots them—one dies immediately, the other is critically injured.

2. Emotional Fallout & Determined Manhunt (07:31 - 15:00)

• Guilt & Grief: Officer Gaines is wracked with guilt—“I killed a man, an innocent man. And there's another one inside there in the operating room, and he may die, too. I murdered two men.” (10:45)
• Ted Prager vows to catch the real culprit to ease Gaines’ torment:

  “I’ll find that man. I know his face from somewhere. I don’t care how long it takes or what I have to do. But I’ll find him.” (11:37)

• Investigation Begins: Prager and Gaines review mug shots but struggle with overwhelming hopelessness.
• Personal Stakes: Prager realizes the weight of responsibility isn't just about a news scoop, but about saving another man’s soul.

3. Underworld Legwork & Second Crime (15:01 - 19:30)

• Reporter’s Footwork: Prager combs the city’s smoky bars, listening for word of the patent-leather-haired robber.
• Gathering Clues: At a bar, Millie—an eyewitness—shares her desire for justice but is fearful.
• Gang Resurfaces: Joey Rice’s crew commits another bold robbery, this time at a girl’s confirmation party.
• Brutality Exposed: The leader’s cruelty is revealed as he forcibly retrieves a ring from a terrified teen.
• Witness Connection: Millie turns out to be the cousin of the assaulted girl, cementing her motivation to testify.

4. Identifying and Capturing the Culprit (19:31 - 22:00)

• Breakthrough: Prager and Gaines spot Joey Rice on a city street and coordinate his arrest.
• Compromising Integrity: Prager is warned that directly identifying Rice could destroy his career and safety as a reporter. The strategy is to use a one-way screen for witness identification.

5. Courtroom Drama—The Beard Gambit (22:01 - 26:45)

• Legal Maneuver: At trial, Rice grows a beard to conceal his identity. The prosecutor demands he shave:

  “It is obvious…the defendant came into this courtroom today wearing a full beard to make absolute identification of himself impossible.” (24:30)

• Judge’s Dilemma: The court debates the defendant's right to alter his appearance as a legal tactic.
• Millie’s Testimony: Millie, emboldened by her cousin’s ordeal, agrees to testify, certain she could identify Rice “even if he was standing upside down.” (26:00)
• Resolution: Thanks to Millie's courage and Prager’s persistence, Rice is convicted.

6. Postscript & Historical Context (29:24 - 37:00)

• Outcome: Rice (based on real-life Frank DeMarco) is declared insane after his conviction and sent to an asylum.
• Host Adam Graham’s Commentary:
  • Draws parallels between the dramatization and the real 1958 case.
  • Notes the cash-based environment of speakeasies and the vast haul ($8,000 at the time, over $100,000 today).
  • Discusses differences in law enforcement protocols and the evolution of witness identification procedures.
  • Affirms the authenticity of the beard trick as a legal ploy used in the actual case.
  • Engages with listener feedback and broader discussions about police and gangster history.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Joey Rice taunting his victims during the robbery:

  “You people haven’t figured it out yet. This is what we call a holdup. Get your wallets out...And you don’t have to leave none of these good people carfare. Let them walk.” (05:05)

• Prager’s determination:

  “I’ll find that man. I know his face from somewhere. I don’t care how long it takes or what I have to do.” (11:37, Ted Prager)

• Officer Gaines’ anguish:

  “I killed a man, an innocent man...I made a widow out of his wife...What do I do when I see a kid on the street and he reminds me of Benedetto’s kids?” (13:44, Matt Gaines)

• Courtroom drama over the beard:

  Prosecutor: “…he must…be ordered to shave off the beard he has grown, which is a patent dodge and a ruse.” (24:30)
  Defense: “He thinks a beard becomes him…every man has the constitutional right, if not the God given right, to shave or not to shave…” (24:55)

• Millie's resolve:

  “I could do it if he was standing upside down.” (26:00, Millie)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------|----------------------| | Bar robbery & hostages taken | 02:25 – 07:30 | | Cop’s guilt and decision to hunt leader | 07:31 – 15:00 | | Prager’s reporter legwork | 15:01 – 19:30 | | Second crime, girl assaulted | 17:45 – 19:30 | | ID & arrest of Joey Rice | 19:31 – 22:00 | | Courtroom—“beard” identification tactic | 22:01 – 26:45 | | Outcome & host commentary | 29:24 – 37:00 | | Listener feedback and final wrap-up | 37:01 – End |

Tone, Language, and Style

• The dramatization maintains a gritty, realistic, noir-inflected tone—full of streetwise dialogue, weary resignation, and snappy exchanges.
• Adam Graham’s commentary is knowledgeable, engagingly conversational, and rife with historical savvy.
• Notable is the focus on trauma and emotional complexity—not just procedural grit but very real human cost.

Takeaways

• The story is a powerful reminder of the unintended consequences of crime and how the reverberations can torment both law enforcement and civilian bystanders.
• It highlights the edge-of-ethical-line challenges faced by both police and news reporters, especially in mid-20th-century New York.
• The episode stands out for dramatizing the true cost beneath the “big story,” with a rare focus on the psychic toll paid by all involved.

For first-time listeners, this episode offers suspense, emotional depth, and a window into the tangled intersections of crime, journalism, and justice in the Golden Age of radio drama.