The Pete Rocco Case: Richard Diamond, Private Detective (October 4, 1950)

“The Pete Rocco Case” is an episode of Richard Diamond, Private Detective, the old-time radio show, first broadcast October 4, 1950. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Richard Diamond is hired by Mrs. Rocco to recapture her escaped son Pete, a murderer, and return him to prison. Diamond learns Pete has hidden $50,000 from a bookie job and is waiting in the city for word from an associate before retrieving it. As Diamond closes in on Pete through the underworld, he discovers the person Pete is waiting for has a deadly agenda of his own.

The city, including a cigar shop on Mulberry Street, a police precinct, an Atlas Alley bowling alley, and various street locations.

Characters: Richard Diamond, Pete Rocco, Danny Rocco, Mrs. Rocco, Sergeant Otis, Lieutenant Walt Robinson, Rasko Ward, Helen

Listen for: Diamond's witty banter with Sergeant Otis and Lieutenant Robinson; his confrontation with Pete Rocco and the bowling alley meeting with Rasko Ward; the final revelation in the darkened cigar shop.

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.