Kleiner’s Korner: The Motor Parkway and the Bellmore Bank Robbery
On April 4, 1924, a daring burglary (and murder) occurred in broad daylight in Bellmore, LI in which The Motor Parkway played a key role. The story made headlines for the next 10 years as evidence was found, mobsters were tracked down and captured and re-trials were held.
Scene of the Crime
Corner of Bedford and Grand Avenues in Bellmore.
Current view - the building has remained very much the same. (Google Earth)
Solving the Crime
The crime and how it was solved was described in the May, June and July editions of True Detectives Mysteries! (True Detective Mysteries, May, 1930)
Handling the case was Nassau County Detective Felix De Martini.
The Nassau County Bakers association offered $11,000 for the arrest of the robbers.
Summary of the crime! (American Bankers Association Journal, June, 1924)
The Newbridge (New Bridge) Road Motor Parkway Bridge was where the crooks exchanged the get-a-way car for the one that brought them to freedom! (The Nassau Daily Review, February 3, 1926)
The Nassau Daily Review, February 3, 1926
True Detectives Mysteries, May 1930
Looking north on Newbridge Road in today's Levittown. Only a five minute walk from my home of 39 years! (True Detectives Mysteries, May 1930)
1908 construction view of the bridge.
The car used by the murder suspects was found in Hicksville.
Planning the Robbery!
The New York Times, February 4, 1926
The Motor Parkway was part of the testimony - "Give it to him" "There was a shot" . . . (The New York Times, February 4, 1926)
Ten years later during a re-trial of one of the mobsters, the Motor Parkway's involvement was recanted. (NYS Court of Appeals, March 14, 1935)
The route the gangsters took between the scene of the crime and where the get-a-away car was picked up on the Motor Parkway. (E. Belcher-Hyde, 1927)
Detective De Martino was successful in apprehending and prosecuting several individuals. However, various re-trials occurred over the next 10 years. (NYS Court of Appeals, March 14, 1935)
This one in 1935 pertained to the murder conviction of a key participant in the crime . . . (NYS Court of Appeals, March 14, 1935)
resulting in a new trial being ordered. The result of that new trial and the others will have to wait until the next issue of True Detective Mysteries (or Kleiner's Korner). (NYS Court of Appeals, March 14, 1935)
Comments
Very interesting story Art! I too grew up just a 10 minute walk from the Newbridge Road Bridge. The event took place long before Broderick Crawford and the Highway Patrol were around. He would have nabbed them for sure!
From Art Kleiner:
Thanks Mike - yes, I enjoyed researching it. Especially when I first saw it in “True Detective Mysteries” magazine. I wasn’t sold on it as “True”, but with so much local detail (and of course it being in the NY Times), I was convinced. The article spanned 3 issues with lots of information, and seemed like a TV drama scanning through it.
But sorry, I first thought Crawford was a NC detective, but looked him up and saw he starred in “Highway Patrol” as Dan Mathews. Now if you said Joe Friday (Jack Webb) I would have known right away!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broderick_Crawford
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Friday
Besides all this excitement, that’s actually a great image of the parkway bridge in 1930. Criminals in general must have utilized the LIMP for quick and relatively safe getaways. They still had to play it cool when approaching a toll ( doubt they had a parkway ez pass ). Pay the toll, try not to look suspicious and be nice to the lodge keeper.
The mention of “criminals” use of the LIMP. During Prohibition in the 1920s-early 1930s the LIMP was used by bootleggers as it was a private road and the police would have to enter it and know they were on private property to make an arrest. It wasn’t used to frequently I believe but I do know that it was indeed used , as my grandfather had a bootlegger who supplied him with scotch ( Black & White brand with the scottie and westie dogs on the label) and he recalled one evening his bootlegger showing up with the fellows brand new 1932 Chrysler Imperial 4 door sedan that was all scratched up on the sides - when the fellow was picking up his liquid haul on the south shore the police showed up and a quick escape had to be made through a hedge row! The fellow then made his way to the LIMP and got off at either Lakeville Rd. or Little Neck Pky area to head here to Floral Park.
There was a very well known car collector here on long island who was an electronics whiz and used to make equipment for bootleggers to fit to their boats known as “rum runners”. This was used to learn of the whereabouts of the police who were in their area to avoid them. But that is a story for another time and has nothing to do with the LIMP. WG
Walt, Re; your comments about the use of the Parkway by bootleggers. It was indeed used by bootleggers, actually to a great extent during the Prohibition era. So much so, in June 1921 the Parkway installed a night time toll collector at Rocky Hill Road even though there was no regular daytime toll collector at this location until 1928. By 1923 there was was so much traffic at night (almost all of it east bound and mostly in in the winter months, that some Rocky Hill Road toll ticket were printed up with a NIGHT designation. Some years up to 30% of the toll revenues from this lodge were collected at night.
WEST BOUND !!!! Some times I even forget what planet I’m on.
Since this robbery was solved with details later confessed, I wonder if toll collection tickets later included entry for number of occupancy in vehicles. I don’t recall seeing this in any Motor Parkway toll ticket.
How can we save this building? They want to knock it down to make an apartment building. I wouldn’t mind seeing the bowling alley go, but not this beautiful building.