 Ladies and gentlemen, the story you're about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Dragnet, Detective Sergeant. You're assigned to Bunko Fugitive Detail. An organized gang of pickpockets is working in your city. None of the victims can give a description of the suspects. There's no lead to their identity. Your job? Get them. It was Tuesday, May 10. We were working the day watch out of Bunko Fugitive Division, pickpocket detail. My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Gideon. I was on my way back from communications, and it was 11.14 a.m. when I got to room 38. Bunko. Anything coming from St. Louis? Yeah, they checked the carnies' plan back there. No trace of back. The tip was wrong, then, huh? Yeah, it looks like it. Or two now. Well, about all we can do is sit and wait for a reply on the radio gram. He's got to be someplace, and he isn't going to stop working. We'll be worried on him somewhere. I'll be glad when we turn the key. Excuse me. Yes, sir? I wonder if you could help me. Well, we'll try, sir. Do you want to come on in? What's it all about? I've been robbed. Sir? They took my money, all of it, every bit. I don't know how, but they took it all. I don't know what to do. Well, do you want to sit down? Yes, please. I don't know how they did it. I tried to be so careful, but they took it all. 37 years doing without, and now I got nothing. Well, this is my partner, Frank Smith. My name's Friday. Maybe if you tell us what happened here, we could help you. Yes, maybe. I'm Lewis Bonning. Yes, sir. I live at 1820 Woodworth Court, Los Angeles, 12. I have a room there. I see. $14 a week in privileges. If you tell us what happened, Mr. Bonning, we might be able to do something for you. I'm trying to tell you. I'm trying to think of what happened. I don't believe it yet. I know you said you were robbed. Is that right? Yes, $5,200. All gone. Well, were you held up? No, nothing like that. If it was that way, I'd know. But just all of a sudden, I put my hand in my pocket to peel the money, and it wasn't there. Nothing was there. I had a pocket full of empty. And now, sir, do you usually carry that much money around with you? No, mister. I got it from the bank this morning. I'm going away. I was leaving Los Angeles. That's why I had the money, so I could leave. All right. I suppose you start right at the beginning and tell us the whole story, would you? Well, my wife passed on four weeks ago, Monday, April 4th. That's when it happened, April 4th. For her? We came to this country when we were both young. She died four weeks ago. Yes, sir, if you'd gone about the theft, please. Well, I thought I'd maybe go back to Chicago to live with one of my daughters. She asked me to come, and I thought I would, so I drew out the money. You took the money out of the bank? Yes, this morning. $5,200. That's what we'd saved. I couldn't leave it here in the bank if I was going to be in Chicago. Well, you could have had the money transferred, you know. I guess that's what I should have done, but it's too late now. Did you have the money when you left the bank? Yes. I rolled the bills up and put them here in my pocket. Here, this one on the left side. I kept my hand on the money so I knew it was there. Now, what'd you do after you left the bank? Well, I was going home. I thought I'd walk home. I went down the street, and then I thought I'd stop for some coffee. I was all packed at my room, so I didn't want to make a mess. I thought I'd have a cup of coffee out. I went into the big market. They have a coffee counter there, and I went in and sat down. All the time I kept my hand on the money. I could feel it through the pants. It was in my pocket. Yes, sir. I had the coffee, and then I went to go out of the market. As I walked through all the people, a box fell off a stack of boxes, and it almost hit me. I didn't think anything about it. Nobody was hurt. All the people in the market came over to me and asked if I was all right. But I said, yes, I was all right. Then I went out of the market. I got on the street when I remembered about the money, and it was gone. Now, it had been taken from you in the market. Is that right? Yes, mister. It was in the market, I think. Well, let's get this straight while you were in there. Did anyone bump into you? I don't understand. I mean anyone jostle. You bump into you without reason. No, no, I don't remember. Did anybody follow you from the bank to the market that you noticed? It was hard to tell, mister. There are a lot of people on the streets. It would be hard to tell if there was anyone. Yes, sir, I understand. But was there any one person you recall having seen this morning, one face that you might remember, maybe? No, mister. I tried to think about it, but there's no one. I see. Do you think you'll get it back for me? Sir? The money. It makes a big difference. How's that? Before, when I had the money, I could go and live with my daughter. With the money, I could be independent. It would be a different feeling. You understand, don't you? Yes, sir, I do. That's why it's so important you get the money back so I can go live with my daughter, so I can do that. That's the only reason I trouble you. The only reason I have to ask you to find the man. That's the only reason I got him. That's a little different with us, sir. Huh? We've got another one. For the past several weeks, we've been getting reports of the existence of an organized gang of pickpockets working in Los Angeles. Contrary to most opinion, a pickpocket seldom works alone. Like everything else, it's gotten to be a highly specialized operation. Normally, there are several men to each team. The jug mob, who usually spends his time in banks looking for the victim. The shover, who pushes or bumps the victim so his money can be taken. And the wire, who does the actual pocket picking. In certain types of operation, the jug mob is replaced by the short, who works street cars and spots people who have large amounts of money. Under normal circumstances, a professional group of pickpockets can take approximately $5,000 a day out of a tip or a crowd. 1147 a.m., we had the victim, Louis Bonning, look through the pictures of known pickpockets for a possible identification of the man who'd taken his money. He was unable to find anybody who looked familiar. We told him to go home, and we said that we'd be in touch with him. 12.35 p.m., Frank and I checked back into the office. They're rough on him. Yeah, they all come out that color, don't they? I sure hope we can do some good for him. Yeah, nice old guy. You want to get in touch with Slim Ramos? Let's go down and talk to him. He might be able to come up with something. Yeah, I'll get his number. Here's a new book. This one's getting almost impossible to use. Look at this. The number's all crossed out, you know, when they change the prefix. Yeah. I made a mess out of my book. Here it is. Hey, Slim, that's Frank Smith. Yeah. Good. Yeah, say Slim. Wait a minute. Now, the reason I called you, Joe, and I'd like to come down and talk to you if it's okay. Are you going to be there this afternoon? Uh-huh. No, nothing wrong. Just a couple of things we want to check over with you. Yeah. Okay. See you around 2.30, huh? Is that all right? Yeah. Okay. No, I know where it is. Right. See you then. He's going to be in all afternoon. Said he'd be glad to see us. Good. Maybe he's got something we can use on this thing. Well, he'll lay it out for us if he has. That's the one good thing about starting with nothing in it. Yeah. We can only go one way. 6 p.m. Frank and I checked out of the office and we started for Santa Monica. Slim Ramos had been one of the best pickpockets in the business. He'd been arrested and served a term in San Quentin. After he'd been paroled, he'd opened a small stand on one of the amusement piers near the beach. From his past record, Ramos had been cooperative with the police department and several arrests were attributed to his information. Ramos was operating a wheel of fortune booth at the end of the pier. Frank and I parked the car and walked out. Quite a place, huh? Yeah. I got to bring the kids down here some Sunday to get a real kick out of it. Yeah. That's Slim's booth there, isn't it? Yeah. I don't see him. He said he'd be here. He might be around back. Yeah. I'm sure he'll like to win one of those hams. Yeah. Big ones, aren't they? Slim! You around? Yeah. Hold on. Be right out. How are you? I was in the back, packing some groceries. I'd like to talk to you about a cannon operation. Yeah, I should have known. Come on back here. We can sit down. All right. Watch your heads on the counter. Yeah. Got a couple of chairs back here. Come on. I can finish up the sacking. All right. Go ahead. Oh, what's it about? Have you got any rumbles about a bunch working in the downtown area? What kind of operation? Jug mob. I think I heard something about a bunch coming in from the East. KC, I think. Seems I heard they worked a couple of still dates with a Connie back there. Boss didn't know they were working. When he found out, he had them kicked off a lot. You got any names for us? No, I'm not right off. Got to check around. I might be able to come up with them. What's the bet? Yeah, they've been scoring good work in the downtown area. Took an elderly man for his life savings this morning. Uh-huh. Figures? Huh? They always pick on the elderly ones. Bump into a young guy, might give you trouble. Pick the old ones. They don't seem to notice it. Yeah. How you been doing, Slim? Oh, good. Got it real good. I ain't killing the world, but my rent's paid. I know there ain't going to be a fuzz on my tail tonight. I got it real good. How long you been here now? Just been about a year. Thought if I could get permission, I might go out with a carny this year. You know, work the front end. Uh-huh. Got a letter from a friend that's got a grind store, one of the big ones. Says he might be able to get me in. A grind store? Yeah, you know, everybody plays, everybody wins. Pay a dime to win a piece of slum worth maybe a couple of cents. Well, this carny I might go with has got no grift in the front end, all percentage games. The way I figured, if you go out with a good one, the weather holds, we're going to do all right. Are you figuring come out better than you do here? Oh, sure. You see, we get a real good play over the weekends. Kind of slow. Go out with a big carny. You can draw crowds anytime. If the weather's good, bound to come out better. Uh-huh. You'll check into those names for us, will you, Slim? Yeah, I'll make a couple of calls. Can you make them now? No, I'll have to get in touch with the guys tonight. I'll get back to you first thing in the morning. All right, fine. Same number, Michigan 5211. That's right. Bunko fugitive. All right, I'll give you a call. Buy you guys a cup of coffee? No, thanks, Slim. We're just going to eat. Do you want to come along? We'll buy you one. Okay. Now, hold on while I check that. You go ahead. Okay. Now, watch the counter. I came up too fast the other day like to call the skin off my back. Yeah. Hold on a minute. I'll be right back. All right. Nice looking place, huh? Yeah. He's painted it since we were down here last time. Yeah. Well, let's go. You painted up the place, huh, Slim? Yeah. Thought I might turn a bigger tip of the place. Look good, you know. People like a clean-looking place. How are the rest of the boots doing down here, Slim? Pretty good. I told you. Do you want a lift down here? No, at least if there is, I haven't heard of it. Guy in the Santa Monica Police Department, Lieutenant Cunningham, he keeps the place real clean. Yeah, that's right. Last thing I heard about was a guy who was working with a camelback wheel. A what? Camelback. Like mine, only this was gaffed. How? Smoothest pitch around. The arrow is connected to a spindle. A spindle goes through a stand. Looks like it'd be no way to gee it. Plain pipe looks clean. What's it giving? Well, the frame rests on four pins. Pins are supposed to be what anchors it to the counter. Now, three of the pins do hold the wheel in place. The other one goes through a separate piece of wood on the booth side of the counter. There's a space between the board on the booth side and the one the three legs go through. Now, the pin in the fourth leg is loose. It's connected with a bunch of levers inside the pipe, acts as a break on the wheel. All the operator has to do is lean against the board and he's got complete control of the wheel all the time. That's a real nice deal of it. The way they figured it's perfect. In case they get a cowboy in the crowd, the mark can pick the wheel right up out of the counter. They'll prove it. Set it up with a couple of sticks in front. Let them win a couple of times. You got it made. That's the way they figure it. It doesn't work out though. Well, like on my wheel, I got 120 numbers on it. Figure I get good action. I'm going to have maybe half of them covered. Right off the odds are on my side. Out of the rest, there's only one winner. Half of them covered means a gross of about six bucks. I give away five dollars worth of groceries. Even with a winner, I come out every time. A percentage is proven. Look at that way, that's too bad more don't figure it like that. Yeah, I suppose. Took me a long time to find it out. Yeah, but you came up with the answers. I hope I can do the same for you on the cannon operation. So do we. It's funny. I get to think of when I was working so wire. Now we figured that any time we could lift a poke from the mark was a big laugh. A lot of difference now. Yeah. Yeah. Now I sleep night. 2.15 p.m. We continued to talk to our informant, Slim Remus. He said that he didn't know the name of the carnival the possible person came from. He said that he'd call some of his contacts and try to get the information for us. We set up a time for him to get in touch with us and then Frank and I drove back to the office. We contacted Captain Dittian and made arrangements for additional men to be assigned to help us. Sergeant John DeBetta and Danny Gilmore were asked to aid us in a search of the market where the victim had been robbed. We spent the next three hours in the market looking at the crowd in the hopes that we'd see a known pickpocket or even see a wire in operation, but the surveillance arrangements for the victim's bank to be watched the following morning. 6.15 p.m. Frank and I got back to the squad room. We're sure it does a good business, isn't it? Right. The market, Joe. A lot of people go in there. Yeah. What's the matter with you? Well, I was just thinking. I guess it comes down to the point where the only way to hang on to your money is to carry it in your hand and keep your fist closed. It's down close. I was talking with Lieutenant Jack Swan. He was telling me to take him up north. Had all his money in his shoe. In his shoe? Yeah. Had in his left shoe. Had the money all flat so we could walk on it. Figured it'd be safe there. Well, wasn't it? No. Dozed off for a minute. Next thing he knows, his shoe's off. The money's gone. How would anybody know where it was? I don't know. The guy that took it found it, though. Guy dozed off for a minute, loses his shoe, and all his money. Anything turn up on it? No. Again. Bunker Fusion of Friday. Yeah. What'd he say about it? No way, man. Right? Yeah. Here you go. Man, pencil. Pencil, too. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. All right, Slim, go ahead. Was it with a K? Uh-huh. What? O-L-C? C is in Charlie. O-T-T. Right. You know where the stand. Uh-huh. All right. We'll give us a call if anything more turns up, huh? Right. Okay, Slim. Thanks a lot. Right. Bye. How do you do? Well, pretty good. Three names of the guys who worked the Connie and KC. Yeah. Slim talked to a friend, got the information that the guys who work in the downtown area have been scoring real good. Say where we could find them? No. He's gonna try to get the address for us. Well, we took a big jump, just knowing who they are. The deal now is to make it work. What do you mean? Well, Slim says his bunch is pretty hinky. They're playing it real careful. Yeah. Words out, they got two more big scores to make, and then they're gonna leave town. You are listening to the authentic story of your police force in action. Given this, we're Howard Kremmer, Victor Leiden, and Edward Olcott. We had the names checked through our record bureau, but we found that none of the three men had been arrested in Los Angeles. We got a radiogram off to the police department in Kansas City, the last place the trail was known to have worked. We asked that all information on the thieves be forwarded to us. We also sent a teletype to George Bratton up at Sacramento, CII, asking him to check the names for us. The following morning, Wednesday, May 11th, we got word from Kansas City that the officials there were forwarding mug shots and descriptions of the three men. During the day, Frank and I met with Captain Didion, and a surveillance of the downtown area banks was set up. On Friday morning, when Frank and I checked into work, a special delivery letter was waiting for us. In it, we found the records and pictures of Kremmer, Leiden, and Olcott. The pictures were handed over to the photo lab, and they started to reproduce them. The descriptions were sent to the print shop and ammo sheets were made up. As soon as possible, the pictures and the bulletins were distributed to all bank guards in the area. Additional officers from Bunco Fugitive were placed in the vicinity. Frank and I maintained a rolling stake out in the downtown area. At 9 p.m. Friday night, the banks closed, and we'd gotten no report that the thieves had worked. Local broadcasts were gotten out on the men, but there were no reply. Monday, May 16th, the plan was put into effect again, no results. Tuesday, the gang didn't work. Began to look as if they might have closed up operations in Los Angeles and moved on. Wednesday, May 18th, Frank and I came back from lunch. I get it. Bunco Fugitive Friday. Yes, sir. That's right. Where? Right. No, don't do anything to let them know. Right. Let's go. Something good? The shover. Bank guard just spotted him. The call had come from a bank at the corner of 7th and Jackson streets. The guard told us that he'd seen one of the suspects enter the bank and under the pretense of the withdrawals that the customers were making. It took us a little under three minutes to get to the address. We checked with the guard and he pointed out the suspect. Frank pretended to make out a deposit slip while I waited at the new account desk. When we entered the bank, the suspect was standing at the teller's window. In front of him was an elderly man. As the line moved up, the suspect began to examine the slip that he'd made out. Then as the elderly man took his turn at the window, the suspect walked away and stopped by the door. He waited for the man and then as he passed through the door, the suspect fell and stepped behind him. Frank and I followed him down the street. As they walked through the crowds, he was joined by Edward Alcott, the shover in the operation. The elderly man entered a small tobacco store and as he went through the door, the wire, Howard Kremmer, joined the other two suspects. As the elderly man stood at the counter waiting to be served, the shover walked over to the magazine rack. He stood looking at the magazines for a moment and then as he turned away, he knew it was coming. We were watching for it and yet we missed the actual theft. The wire moved in and removed the victims' money so fast that we couldn't see it. The shover took the wallet from the wire and the gang was ready to move on. Frank and I stepped into him. All right, Mr. Police Officers, you're under arrest. For what? Stop dreaming. You know the rod. Now, come on. Beat it. Come on. Now, he left when the beast started. Better try to catch him. You're going to be sorry for this. You wait. We were taken into custody and brought downtown. The victim's wallet was found on the person of Edward Alcott. It was identified by the owner and booked as evidence. 3.15 p.m. We took the wire, Howard Kremmer, to the interrogation room. Do you want to give us a statement? For what? Come off it. You know what we're talking about. You've got to have me crossed with somebody else. I'm trying to level with you. I don't know what you're talking about. You want us to lay it out for you? I don't care much either way. You guys slam into a store where I'm trying to buy a pack of cigarettes and all of a sudden I got handcuffs on. You tell me I'm hooked and you're two friends tell a different. What two friends? Two fellas we picked up with you. This is a big town. A lot of people. You walk into a store. You don't ask who's standing next to you. They put the whole deal on you. Who? Lied and Alcott. Never heard of them. How long do you figure you're going to keep this up, mister? As long as it takes to get you on my side. They don't build days that long. That's your loss. I'm a nice fella if you take the time to get to know me. All right, Kremmer. This is way off the road. Now maybe you got all day we haven't. You can either give it an hour. How many times have you been arrested? Who says there was a first? How many times? You got the books. Look it up. We ask you a question. So I'm not a genius. I got trouble with addition. Take everything out of your pockets. What? Come on. Or why? Now look, you're running out of funny time here, Kremmer. Then you better ring the bell because I'll need more of it. You got a job? Yeah, I'm a president of a bank. You're going way out on this, Kremmer. I like the scenery. You work? Yeah. Where? They aren't going to be taken from you. You want to see what you're carrying. Okay. You boys deserve a break, but I'll tell you now, the numbers on my phone book are mine. Don't go near them. Come on. Get it up. Here's my watt. Handkerchief, comb, nail slippers and change. A couple of ticket stuff from a movie. A lousy picture. Cigarette slider, that's it. You got any money in that wallet? Yeah. How much? I don't know. I don't pay much attention to how much I'm carrying. You can't even come close to how much you got. Two. It comes up to $3,700. You must do real good at that salesman job. Company pays big commissions. I put the money in your pocket. Why don't you put it in yours? What'd you say? Look, cop, I've been around. I've been with most of the carties in the country one time or another. I know the score. There ain't a place in the world that the fix can't be put in. Now, why don't you just take the money? You drop it in your pocket and I'll forget I was ever in here. Won't be nobody hurt. The old guys may be out a couple of hundred bucks, but so what? He won't miss it. Why not put the fix now? The fix just curdled, Krimmer. What? You said we had the record what you called it. We got all the word about you. Way down the line you talk about how you worked with carties. How long? Huh? What's the longest time you ever stayed with one outfit? I like the move. Yeah, sure you do. That's the way the people who run the show want it. Decent carny doesn't want a guy like you around. You were anybody like you. You've been on the road taking money away from people who can't afford it for a long time. Now we nail you and you come in here acting like a big man. You do the indignant thing you've got it made on. We know we have. The other two guys really cop out? The whole thing. All comes down to how you engineered it. You abide what they say? We buy it. Then there isn't much more for me to say, is there? Not a great deal, no. Okay, let's go. How about a statement? Why? Make it easier on yourself. Easier if I cop out. You know what I mean? Yeah. All right. Bring the girl in. I'll give you a statement. Frank. Yeah. You mind if I have a smoke? I said you mind if I have a smoke? No, go ahead. Wild one, isn't it? What? Had it all down so fast. Good shover. Better jug ma. I'll sit in the front row with any wire in the business. All that and it don't add up to a win. That's like you said. Huh? You got trouble with the dishes. Nathan Kremmer, Edward Francis Hallcott, and Victor Frederick Leighton were tried and convicted on six counts of grand theft money and received sentence as prescribed by law. Grand theft money is punishable by imprisonment and the state penitentiary for a period of not less than one nor more than 10 years. Dragnet is a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service.