21st Precinct: The Nolen Brothers

Twenty-first freeze-range sergeant Inspector who? Oh, yes, sir. Inspector, the details of the assembly here. I don't know if there are a lieutenant team in the twenty-first plot is in charge. You're in the must-a-room at the twenty-first precinct, the nerve-suffer.

An important place is about to break. The two officers have been notified. They're assembling from their home, from social functions, from all over the city. You will follow the action taken pursuant to these notifications from this minute until the final report is written in the 124 room at the 21st precinct.

Yes, sir. The brass has all been notified. They can start out anytime. Yes, there's any time now. 21st precinct is just lines on a map of the city of New York. Most of the 173,000 people wagged into the 9th and 10th 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 persons, their homes and their property is my job. My job and the job of 160 patrolmen, 11 sergeants and four lieutenant, the cool man and the boss.

My name is Tenelli. Frank Tenelli. I'm trapped in command of the 21st. I'd been off duty since six o'clock. I was not due back at the station house until four PM the next afternoon when I would work straight through until eight the following morning.

At six thirty I met my wife at Frank and Norman's estate house on 54th Street and in Broadway. We had dinner and took the cab to the forty-sixth street spirit to see the hit musical guys and dows. An occasion we had both looked forward to for a year. The first act was fine.

Wonderful Frank. This is wonderful. I love it. Certainly been world waiting for. You want a cigarette? We go down to the lounge. All right. I want to call in anyway. All right. Excuse us, please.

I'm sorry. Hard enough for you. I beg your pardon. Thank you. Watch the step now. I'll be like dancing up the aisle. I can hardly wait for the second act. Well, ten minutes isn't such a long time. According to the manual of procedure, a precinct commander, although off-beauty, is never relieved of the responsibility of his command. Consequently,

he is obliged to keep the desk officer informed regarding his whereabouts. If he is beyond the leech of a telephone, he is required to call in at frequent intervals to be notified of any matter that would require his attention. Ellen and I went downstairs to the state of I offered her a cigarette, I read one for myself.

And I stepped into the phone booth. Hey, sir. There's Captain Canary, Sergeant. Oh, hello, Captain. What did you call? What have we got? Well, you know, there was three guys who escaped the federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania and Rob's in Pennsylvania.

You know what? Well, I think they got them spotted. In the precinct? Yes. 611, east, sixty-ninth street. The information came to one of our men walking a post over there. Farrell. Good. Are they sure it's them?

They must be. The detectives are getting ready to ask them please. I want you to notify the vision on it. Yes. And put me through the lieutenant king. You got a couple of messages here, Captain.

Well, hold on until I get in, Sergeant. Yes. Hold on. I can take him upstairs. Let me go after Lieutenant King, please. Lieutenant King is busy right now. Can I help you? Captain Canelli. Hold on, Captain. Lieutenant Captain Canelli on two.

Captain Canelli. Okay. Lieutenant King. Hello, Matt. What have we got? That's right. Three bank robbers and they've called up on the 67th scene. Robert who's looking. That'll capture them. If a man came to one of your men, got him far off.

Yeah, I know. What time are you going to hit the place? Made it possible four or five a.m. probably. All right, I'm coming in. I'll be there in 20 minutes. I see him. How long, man?

Oh, I think that's a long enough. You did it? What happened? Into the roof, Pauline? You always said... I've got to go in, Helen. Oh, right. No, you stay and see the rest of the show.

The over the 11 o'clock I should stop by the way home. No, this is important. Here's the contact, honey. You know the garage is parked in on 53rd. And what time do you think you'd be home?

Oh, I don't know. Haven't any idea. I'm sorry, honey. Sorry to have to ruin your evening. Why can't it ever happen when we're not having a good time? Beats me, honey. I'll see it all.

Good night, sir. After 16 years in the job, Ellen was used to that sort of thing. She didn't complain. She just made the best of it. I went up to the street and flagged the cab to take me to the station house.

The topic of cross town was light. The cab had me in front of the station house in less than 10 minutes. I saw two patrol cars parked at the curb. One was ours. The other belonged to ESD, the street was quiet.

I walked up the wall and granted steps to the station house, right into the marker room. After death, Lieutenant Gorman was walking the prisoner in the custody of the detective I didn't know. A place looked like an addict.

The detective must have been from the narcotics squad. A half dozen patrolmen were gathered in a group at the far end of the muster, unzogging quietly. I walked over to the far end of the desk where Sergeant Clang was on the bus.

Hello, Captain. Hello, those men, Sergeant. Oh, them. They were sent in here from the 19th and 23rd on the special detail. You know, for the raid. Excuse me, Captain. Yep. Twenty-first freeze-hank sergeant. Yeah, where are you?

Well, listen, uh, walk around the corner to 331 and see the trooper. You've called in here twice about a couple on a third floor fighting and breaking the furniture. Yeah, okay, let me know. So, I don't know what they're hearing.

I'm not going to know what they're hearing. I've yet. That's what they're probably trying to figure out. I don't want them standing around in here jabbering. Tell them to go into the back door. Yes, sir.

Listen, you men. Go on in the back room, man. Make yourselves comfortable. You'll be here a while, yes. Thanks, Robert. You know the part of the division? Yes, sir. I suppose the division was kind of.

He'll get in touch with Chief Andrew. Those are the guys who hold up there. That'll be a pretty good calling. Yeah, I shouldn't be. What else is going around here? I don't know. I think much pretty quiet tour otherwise.

You got a couple of messages. One, one from CB over the teletype. A medium ball precinct commander in the lineup room at 240, Wednesday 9 a.m. I let the communication on your gas. Okay. And fellow names, Fox called twice. He wouldn't give a first name. He wanted your home number.

I asked him what it was about. He said it was personal. I didn't give him your numbers. I told him you would do back on and forth, quite tomorrow afternoon, just go around. All right, I'm going upstairs.

Oh, oh, it happened, yeah. It was Johnny Farrow who got the information. Yeah, you told me that. Oh, you know, where is that, Ron? Oh, no, sir, Lieutenant King said that since was his line, he could come along when they hit the place.

He changed the civilian clothing upstairs. I put him a leader on his plate. All right, I'll check with you later. Yes, I left him up the room and headed towards the stairs to the 21st squad on the second floor.

In the back room, the special details from the 19th and 23rd were gathered around in little Ruth's whispering, wondering what their jobs of the night would be. On the way upstairs, I grinned at the way everyone was so careful to point out that the information on the three bank robber SKPs came to patrolman Johnny Powell.

Johnny Powell had been caught smoking on post by his sergeant the night before. The report was on my desk for disciplinary action. Inside the 21st squad, nine or ten detectives were standing around in small groups.

I recognize the few of them as men who worked out for the twenty-first. The others had been brought in from the detective's just headquarters and from the main office. In a corner, any of the things went stand and sitting all by himself with the former Johnny Fowl.

All right, Captain. All right. Hello, Johnny. Hello, Captain. I look like a big knight. I'd have to get a line on these boys. No way in particular. Just threw a kid on the block there, kidding me, one-oh.

Yeah? Smoke, Johnny. Thanks. You know I was gonna give him up after last night Yeah Let's get he's kind of little for his age 13 or 14. He's not so good. We've the English I pulled him out of a scrape last week with two bigger boys. They're about to tear him apart So I've been his best friend of the blanc since yeah, anyway tonight about 730. I saw one on the street

He said hey, Alicia. You my friend. I got $2 you hold from the answer. They don't take it away from me the big fellas That's waiting $2 bills at me. I said where'd you get it?

He said, well, I don't steal it, Polisie. I don't steal it. I earn it from the man. I said, what man? He told me about the three men who were staying in the flight across the hall from him.

Said, one of them opened the door when he came out in the hall. That's when I was like to make some money. The guy getting three dollars, sent him over to Times Square to buy some Philadelphia paper.

Last week's papers. We brought the papers back. They caught first in the dollar and the man told them to keep the rest. to keep the rest until the other I saw the alarm read about the bank robbery up in the branch yesterday. Well I knew the same three guys had been making a couple of

jobs in Philadelphia and I knew they both got out of the federal penitentiary. I started asking one of the questions about the man. It looked pretty good to me so I called in. Told Sergeant Klein about it he connected me with Lieutenant here in the up here.

It looked pretty good to him too. We told him to come in and bring one on and that's it. Where's this kid one on? Oh well Lieutenant King didn't want him on the block tonight.

Lieutenant was going up to the stadium with his brother. His brother was the kind of head. Well, this came up, he couldn't go. So he had his brother take the kid and he had a great idea.

I do too. How about next year or so, right, three? Well, after Lieutenant King talked to one over a while, he sent one of his men opening up the super, the building and somebody else, another neighbor in here.

Supergant was good luck to one of them, so it's definitely one. Good work, Johnny. I understand he was going along when we hit the plane. You bet. OK. I'm going in to talk to Lieutenant King.

Who's that in there, women? That's a supercat, and I think he's getting lay out of the building, Yeah, I'll see you. And do your smoking at the right time, will you? Yeah, I can't. All right.

Oh, look at this. Come in. We've got the door. Yeah. This is Mr. Albert at Coste except in Canoeing. All right. Glad and are you. How are you? Mr. Coste is a 2-4-4-4-6-0-9-6-11. Yeah, that's right. We're just going over the layout of the building.

Isn't that flat there in 6-11? Yeah, that's right. On the top floor. A 4-4 rear. Let's see if I got this straight now. Well, 609 and 611 are four-story buildings, the building to the east.

613 are five stories. Yeah, that's right. That's not my building, 613. Does the fire escape, the wall of the fire escape go all the way up to the roof, and it's the constant? Oh, yeah, that's right.

Up to the roof and down to the ground. And from the window of the flat there, and yeah, that's right. Your roots are on the same level? The same level, yeah. They're both four stories.

What's up right to the building, going to move? Oh, a little brick wall, big high. Free feet, huh? three and a half feet something on the roof of 613. That's not my building. When it's five stories high. Yeah, 613 is another word from the roof of 611.

You can't get to the roof of 613. The wall 10 or 12 feet high. That's right, 10, 12, 14, feet something. No windows in that wall? No, no, no windows. Anything on your roof? Well, nothing, a television area. All right, Mr. Croton. I want to talk to you again later.

I'm a young green one, something to eat. Could I get a can of beer? I'm a once in a month, we take one, doesn't that beer? Oh. Alright, coffee. Coffee in a painting. Why don't you take care of Mr. Costa with you?

Turn down for what he wants to eat. Right. That's a picture over there. I'll take care of you, Mr. Costa. Okay, yeah. Great, great, great. Yeah, same hand. Well, how does it look, man? Well, it's bad, I'm not about it.

In addition to the kid and the super, we found three people who made the pictures. All of them? No, just one. Just one goes out on the street, but one is good enough for me.

This one. Carl Rotten. If he's identified and there's two more guys in the flat, it's got to be the others. Who flat is it? Did they rent it? No, I've launched a couple of sisters, Marie and Lois Doney.

The cautist says they've been living there for three or four years. The one sister, Marie, has been involved with you in hospital for months, six weeks, alcoholic work. The young two, when the The other sister-law is still living there.

The carter said he thinks he works at the weight of someplace, but he doesn't know where. Is she up in the flat now? No. Beats me, Captain. Nobody is going out or commends since we got out of this thing.

Got the place to take down. Two neighbors with nowhere with the officers. They haven't seen it. How about Belgium? Is she down visiting the city? Well, we'll check that out too. Got a man there.

Well, how are you going to hit him? There's three rooms in that flat. In the back of the building and on the top floor. These boys are tough, but they're no quick about that. They had two kinds of peace when they hit that bank.

They wrapped up a lot of people around Philadelphia. They were doing 25 years each when they broke. They're not going to fit still for a collar. It's going to be a hot one. So on the top floor you can't put anyone on the roof of 611.

It'll be hard walking around. I know. We'll have men on the roof of 609, 613, 6 month fire state. So where they'll probably go when they hear the law at the front door. He's going to hit the door.

Myself, Johnny Farrell, he wants to go. He'll want to. And one or two others. Yes, sir. I got two men from the emergency squad detailed. I'll be there with access to working the door to give it a fight.

All right. What time? I figure 4 a.m. I'll be less people on the street and less people up and around in the building. Also, these guys might be found asleep by then. We can nail them when they're asleep or at least sleep either.

Not so much time to fire with. How about your notifications? They're all made. We'll start to frame the in here about midnight. There's six or eight jobs from the 19th and 23rd down the back room now.

Yeah, I know. How much of a show did you get to see? Come in. Lieutenant, why did you say it was on three? Was it on three? Okay, fine. Twenty-fourth squad Lieutenant King. We got the girl at Louis County.

We got her and she was walking into the house. Good, fine. Is that the pilot, Dennis? She told me that we were expecting her home at 11 o'clock. 11 o'clock at the latest. Do you mind bringing her in?

No, where are you? I'm using the phone and making the serial telephone round the corner. Who is that? Who's there? Okay, Steve, stay there. We'll be right over. We've got trouble, Captain. Oh, they've got the barrel.

Well, I'm expecting them to back in the flat and the later than 11. You can't wait until 4am, Matt. They'll have to hit right away. As soon as possible. They've got all the brass. They've been notified before I am.

We can't wait, Matt. We'll notify them again. That's all it's been moved up. Okay. Right, he's been out. I mean, here. All right, now, listen, we're making a change. We're going to move quick. Got to hit the motor possible. Then get hold of the E.S.C.

You are listening to the 21st Precinct, a factual account of the way the police work in the world's largest city. A mutant? Now back to 21st Precinct in Captain Frank Tenelli. Although a new heartland more than her name, the lowest gun he had become the key to the situation.

If you did expect it out of a time by 11 p.m. If you didn't show up, they might suspect he'd been apprehended. But then a king got his detectors ready to spring immediately. I gave filing instructions to the uniformed officers who were going to assist.

And then together we drove up second Avenue to mix with funeral chapels. Oh, okay, that's a good... Go ahead, man. Find a place to park and walk on back there. Okay. Yeah, right place to start out from and then the figure.

Better to start out from there, man. Okay, you got a point. It's a certain decision. Back in the office. I'm not a bad looking head. Hello, do you? Hello, Lieutenant. Captain. Hi, Steve. Hello, what's done?

How are you? Hello. You're in a big jam, you know that, don't you, Miss? It's like the first time. No, it's talking about a job. That's Carl Roth up in your apartment, isn't it? Yes.

And the other... I showed you the pictures of all of them. How can I? She identified them. How I was doing anything wrong, I just read it out from me to those books. But do you mind?

Anybody can tell them they're going to make a little money. Not that much. How much? They've already given it 275 now. Didn't you know who they were? No. I don't lie to it. You knew who they were.

They knew you, or at least one of them did, which one. I didn't know. I look him off it. I told you you were in a jam. You don't start telling us the truth. You'll be in a bigger jam. I'm not kidding. Now how about it?

Who I am now? I better know I'm talking. My name is Lieutenant King. Mr. Captain Canelli. I couldn't help for you. I've been telling you the truth. Listen, you're a pretty bad liar. I'm gonna tell this officer. Take it downtown.

You don't need to be flutter in the car. Wait a minute. Look, Miss. You're not doing yourself a bit of good. All we want is the truth. You tell us the truth and I'll see that you get every break you're entitled to.

Which one did you know, Lois? Car. And you car. Well, how long? I worked in Pittsburgh a while, a couple years ago. I knew I knew I knew. But I didn't know it was anything like what it is.

Honest, I didn't. Not done. Well, when did you hear it? I hope they got himself out of the back of New York. Somebody wrote me. What am I saying? If you have time to wait, the fact eventually will develop.

But we had neither time to wait nor time to waste. There are two ways to get information quickly. One is to be stunned, the other is to be full of sympathy. Most often, a lying witness will turn to the friendly officer and tell him exactly what he wants to know.

I haven't heard someone in a year, but one day they are here to just turn up in the cafe where I work. I'm sorry. By himself? Yeah. I'm stopped then. When was that? She was the last Tuesday.

I read about him and about how he knows others broke out of what they did in Philadelphia, Nala. Why did you stand? No. Not true. I told you when I knew him and put the good to see like a very nice boy.

He was very nice to me. Did you ask him anything about that? Yeah, sure. Absolutely. And you said that everybody had him in his friend's room. I mean, you know, he's good looking. He likes to spend money.

How'd they come to stay in your flat? I was the first thing he asked me, did I know where he was meant to get a plate? Well, my sister's been in the hospital and I had a big plate, so by myself, I told him I told Carl I told him that.

You want to? I've got a big plate for the next two bedrooms and I'll let myself in the living room, so I could okay and out of that. How'd they know you wouldn't go to the police?

I don't know. Carl's out for me with the other side, guess. I paid me all this money and they come to give me 500 more when they're at it. And if they figured I wanted to 500.

You did too didn't you? Well I mean my sister was in the hospital. I didn't have a nickel except for I made sure. They expect you home at 11 o'clock? Round 11 yeah. Why 11?

Well this is my late night on. I work until 10 car now. You ever see any guns up there? Well... Did you lie? Yes, I got guns. How many? I don't know why I'm telling you, but I never counted them. I was too scared to get near them.

I don't like them. Have you got your feet at the place? Yeah, I got it, but it won't do you any good. They took the door over from you inside all the time. Listen, Carl told me he said no matter what, he wasn't going back. The other two.

I said they'd die on their spot first and tell anybody who wants to argue with them about it. Top statement. Yeah, I figured that's who they meant. In another few minutes of interrogation, we had all the information we needed about the interior of Lois of Lois Doney's plant and what we could expect to find there. Lois Doney was taken to the precinct

house and the custody of a detective. Meanwhile, nearly 50 uniformed officers and detectives assigned to the detail were given their posts and told their duties. Four men were assigned to the roofs of 609 and 613. Eight men were posted in various places in front of and across the street from 611. Four men were assigned to the rear courtyard behind 611. Men from the

emergency service division set up a portable generator flood line on the roof directly across the rear courtyard of 611 so that the entire fire escape would be spotlighted. Another foot unit was held in readiness for use in front of the house.

Besides their service of others, these men were issued such additional arms as their particular situation called for. Submachine guns, ride guns, and tear gas. Lieutenant King, myself, John X. Farrell, two other detectives from the 21st squad, three men from the SD, two carrying axes, another of submachine guns, led the way into 611.

The island is followed a half dozen or so other officers. As we walked up the dimly upstairs, two men got off on each floor to block any attempted escape and to keep curious tenants out of harm's way.

Two more were left at the top of the stairs in the fourth floor hallway. The rest of us walked at the fourth floor rear. We stopped at the door. We listened. The radio was on inside.

We're police officers, open up. I'm going to have to leave off of it. Knock it in. Use those actors. Come on. Go lock it. Go lock it. Let go. Watch it in. Come on. Let's go.

In the living room. I'll have it. I'll give off with room. All right. Give it up. I'm coming. How about it? Let's go. Bring that bounty up here. Get him. Here we go. There's the other one.

Off the window. Off the window. Oh, hold up, Rott. Let's go. Watch it, Matt. You okay, Matt? Yeah, I'm okay. Get up there, man. One son is way up. Just one. I see him. That's it.

Come on. Everybody go to the middle of the window. You're right, you man.

Put your light on the middle of the window. That's fine. That's it. Right on here, Rott. Okay, let's go. Let's go. Let's go to have another one. There, Rott. Get up again. All right. Take it easy.

Nothing on him. on them. Too many of you. Too many of you. Maybe. But now at least they're three left like you. The toll was heavy. Two of the three fugitives were dead on the floor of the living room.

The broad center bullet through his shoulder. They weren't the only one. Detective Carmine defailed 21st squad dead. The tollman John Powell, 21st precinct wounded. 45 plug in the left hip. The tollman over Davis, the emergency service squad, number four, wounded. 38 plug through the left hand.

The medical examiner and ambulance was summoned. The top command of both the uniformed and detected divisions came to the scene. At 2.15 AM I arrived back at the station house. There I approved the unusual account support and checked on the notification of the relatives with the wounded personnel on the mic.

At 2.35 AM, conferences were held in my office with the top commanders of the department in connection with the Special Report concerning the incident. Subsequently, the press sought additional material and photographs. I signed the blotter and left the precinct out.

Deputy Chief Inspector DeAndre gave me a ride as far as two guards. There, I got a cab and went home. At 4.40 AM, I unlocked the front door of the house. It's quietly time to manage.

I walked through the living room, into the bedroom. Sorry? Sorry? Oh, what time is it? Wait. Are you tired? Yep.

Kind of. You know what? What? What? It was the very exciting show. Yeah, honey. I'm glad I did. Twenty-first breeze in the incision. Where do you need an ambulance? A-22? Is that in the building?

On the street. What apartment number? What's the trouble there? How was he hurt? Was he stabbed? Incidents portrayed tonight on twenty-first briefing. First Precinct, occurred last year. Names were changed to protect the interests of prisons involved.

21st Precinct is presented with the official cooperation of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association of the City of New York. Everett's flown in the role of Captain Canelle, Ten Links, his Lieutenant King. Featured in tonight's cast were Joan Loring and Bob A Week, Boston's Dirty, Bill Lippon, Wendell Holmes and Mandel Kramer. Written and directed by Stanniness, produced for CBS Radio

by John Ives. Hotman of speaking. This is the CDS Radio Network.