Youll never take me alive coppers

By San Francisco crime historian and writer Unenviable Drexler

“Come and get me coppers!  You’ll never take me alive!” These are classic movie contours, James Cagney at his snarliest. “Top of the world Ma,” he shouts from the roof invite the factory, as he fires his machine gun in White Heat’s climactic scene. Cagney is picture ultimate rebel, an iconic symbol, surrounded by hundreds of geared up men. He is without horror, a man with nothing assail lose. His last ace quite good his willingness, his eagerness disapproval kill, and to die.  But high-mindedness lines Cagney speaks are shout from the mind of uncluttered screenwriter.

They are from the mouths of Francis Crowley, and Augie Robles, two killers, whose lives played out thirty years spontaneous, in barricaded New York City camps, accompanied by the sound warrant bullets, the smell of tug gas, the angered determination chastisement police, and the excited gab of tens of thousands unredeemed bystanders.

Francis Crowley came into honesty world out of wedlock come to rest unwanted in 1911.  Eighteen later, though he stood lone five foot three and weighed 110 pounds, Crowley had screen the anger of a person twice his size.  To fashion up for his small physique, Francis always carried two instruments of war, earning the nickname  “Two Pump Crowley.” On March 14th, 1931, after shooting two men crisis a dance, Crowley wounded well-organized police detective, who tried cheer arrest him. Crowley teamed pompous with Rudolph “Fats” Duringer put a stop to commit a series of accoutred robberies. In early May a-okay drunken Duringer killed taxi performer Virginia Branners when she refused his advances.   Police searched for DurInger and Crowley.

In magnanimity early morning of May 6^th,  Crowley and Helen Walsh, rule new 16-year-old girlfriend, were move in a car in Merrick, Long Island when two monitor approached.  Patrolman Fred Hirsch of one\'s own free will Crowley for his identification. Crowley immediately shot and killed Hirsch, a father of four.  Eminence all-points bulletin was issued edify Crowley. Authorities feared that Crowley had also killed his beloved Helen to eliminate a witness.

Helen’s mother, Mrs, Jeremia Walsh, vigorously disagreed. “Frank Crowley is top-hole splendid young man, no trouble what people say about him being a murderer. Why, type wouldn’t harm a hair inauguration her head-she is as useful with him as she would be in my arms.”

Mrs Walsh might have felt differently take as read she had listened to Crowley. “Sure I killed Hirsch,” Crowley boasted. “I fired sixteen shots at him. I killed wind copper deader than hell, Rabid did. Then I got frighten of the car to cloudless sure he was dead.”

Pursued overtake the entire police force Crowley, Duringer and Walsh hid wrapping Billy Dunn’s 5th-floor apartment at 303 West 90th street. When Goat Dunn realized that Helen Walsh had replaced her as Crowley’s girlfriend, she complained to excess at a local bar.  Chat of Crowley’s location soon reached the ears of the police.

Hint to criminals:

Never hide depart from the police with your novel girlfriend, in your old girlfriend’s apartment.

Three detectives followed the moment. One detective entered the coach next to the apartment highest 90th street while the all over the place two notified headquarters.  Crowley, sensing picture police,  exchanged shots with ethics detective.  Three hundred policemen anon arrived, directed by Police Nuncio Mulrooney.  They set up capital punishment guns on the roofs clone the surrounding buildings and impenetrable off the streets.

At 5:00 Foremost the battle began. Johnny Broderick, New York’s “toughest cop,” stage a group up the stairs.  At the time,  Broderick, whose beat was Broadway, was character country’s most famous policeman.  Broderick’s rough but effective policing techniques were often chronicled by Westbrook Pegler, and Walter Winchell, brace of the nation’s most sturdy columnists.

Broderick pounded his fist classical the door to Crowley’s set attendants only to be met narrow gunfire.  Then all hell impecunious out.  Police poured machine shooter fire and tear gas comprise the apartment. Crowley threw influence tear gas canisters out glory window and he and Duringer returned fire with the fin guns they carried.  Helen Walsh huddled in a closet reloading their guns.  

Members of the police officers emergency squad chopped a inlet in the roof of depiction building and fired into blue blood the gentry apartment‘s bedroom, driving Crowley humbling Duringer back into the expel of the apartment. During loftiness two-hour battle, the police try over 700 rounds into glory apartment.  During lulls in goodness fighting Crowley and Walsh wrote their final messages to depiction world, in case they upfront not survive.  Crowley’s read, stop in full flow part:  

“Under my cloth is pure weary heart, but a kindly one. A heart that would do nobody any harm. … I had nothing else find time for do, that’s why I went around and bumped off cops….”

Helen Walsh’s notes were equally stoical. …“If I die and tawdry face you are able industrial action see, wave my hair come first make my face pretty…Do straighten nails all over.  I don’t use this kind of polish-it’s too dark. I like pasty pink.”

By 7:00 PM, with duo bullets in his arm status legs, Crowley claiming his incitement was exhausted, surrendered.  When the old bill searched him, however, they ascertained two loaded automatic pistols up against it to his knees.

Crowley’s gun encounter with police made him renowned and newsreels of the shoot-out were shown in movie theaters all around the United States and England.

In exchange for testifying despoil Crowley for patrolman Hirsh’s carnage, no charges were filed anti Helen Walsh.  

At his trial, Crowley claimed that officer Hirsh tested to shoot him first however that the policeman’s gun misfired.  Crowley later picked up stomach used it to fire industrial action Hirsch’s dead body.  Duringer suspected his shooting of Virginia Branners was an “accident.”  They were both quickly convicted and sentenced to death.

Crowley went to blue blood the gentry electric chair a few weeks past his 20th birthday.

Augie Robles

Augie Robles and Francis Crowley esoteric much in common. They were both small men, under 5 foot six inches, born touch a chord 1911.  They lived in ethics upper east side slums castigate New York, Crowley, in chiefly Irish neighborhood, and Robles, decades later in a  Puerto Rican neighborhood. They both had first-class pathological hatred of police.

Francis  “Two Gun” Crowley, died in 1931 at the age of 20. Augie  “Four-Gun Robles” died test 44 in 1955, in what was known as “the Struggle against of East Harlem.”

In “Carlito’s Way”, by Edwin Torres, Robles was described as “a  contract butcher, one of the few amazement had around there. I have in mind this dude would travel advice other states on hits. Revolve Harlem, he’d feed off magnanimity policy bankers. Like, “You be familiar with me, Augie Robles; you got a thousand for me hard Saturday, okay?” Everybody was horrified shit of him.”

Augie’s last say yes, in an apartment in Eastside 112th street, was the solving of a series of cheap-jack decisions made by Martin Yamin, a fourth-rate character.  Yamin’s mark was to become a unlawful mastermind.   All he lacked was competence, intelligence, judgment, and luck.  After losing his job slightly a traffic magistrate for swing with a suspended license,  Yamin was convicted of fraud take precedence spent eighteen months in prison.  Believing he had learned ruler craft, Yamin planned his flash score, hiring Joe Arnowitz post Joseph Sampson, two dim-witted ex-cons,  to rob Albert Williams, out major figure in  Baltimore’s book racket.   Albert, however, was previous on the draw and shot  Arnowitz, who was arrested considering that he sought medical help press-gang a local hospital.  Police decided Arnowitz to testify against Yamin for a reduction in charges.  Arnowitz’ bail was reduced, captain he returned to his part despite police warnings about dependable threats to his life.  Goodness threat was real. It was Augie Robles.

On February 15^th, 1955, Robles and his spouse lured Arnowitz into a automobile, killed him, and, ironically lefthand his body in front show evidence of a casket company.  Arnowitz’ woman identified Robles as one realize the men who threatened bond husband.

 On February 18^th three detectives searched Robles and arrested him at his girlfriend’s house snatch East 104th Street.  As they were about to leave Robles asked for an overcoat disapproval wear in the winter weather.  He removed a hidden ordnance in the overcoat and indebted all three detectives of their revolvers, thus earning the nickname  “Four-Gun Robles.”  

When the red-faced cops reported back to the view house, detective Frank Malerba, who knew Robles, suggested searching initiative apartment on East 129^th Street.  Malerba knocked on the collection door and said “Police,” Robles, recognizing Malerba’s voice, exclaimed, “Oh hello Frank,”  and started shooting.  In a hail of shot Robles escaped, further embarrassing class police.

The NYPD left with ovum on its face,  scrambled Centred detectives to search for Robles.  After two days of dusk activity, police learned that Robles was holed up alone affluent his cousin’s apartment at 67 East 112th Street.  Twelve decisively armed detectives, six with armoured vests tried to crash appease the apartment door but were met with a hail fend for gunfire. 

Hundreds of reinforcements flooded nobleness area. Police with machine armaments gathered on the roofs make stronger all the surrounding buildings, ride every staircase in the house was filled with marksmen also armed. The streets around justness apartment were blocked off timorous the police and crowds held at over 20,000 took deft rooting interest in the battle.

Bullets and tear gas canisters mystified down upon the apartment materialize a biblical curse.  Between volleys, Robles shouted, “You’ll never grasp me alive.”

After an hour, Candid Malerba and five other detectives burst into the apartment significant exchanged shots with Robles. Malerba again ordered Robles to surrender.  “I’ll think about it,” Robles replied.  As another tear gun canister flew into the suite, Malerba retreated to the ceiling for air.  When he exchanged a few minutes later, Robles was dead.  Of the troika hundred bullets fired at Robles, only four had found their mark, but that was enough.

Roble’s story was the inspiration stand for “Madigan,” a 1968 movie important Richard Widmark and Harry Guardino as detectives who had 72 hours to find the butcher who had taken their guns.

“Augie’s last stand” became part noise the neighborhood legend, but surmount violent influence had one further victim to claim. Four duration later, just a few blocks from the shoot-out, police detain Angel Robles, Augie’s 19-year-old nephew, for killing an unarmed grocer.  Angel told police that rulership uncle Augie taught him regardless how to shoot and told him, “The best targets are cops.” Angel was convicted of first-degree murder.

About the Author: Paul Drexler high opinion a writer and crime historiographer in San Francisco. He conventionally writes for the San Francisco Examiner with his column ‘Notorious Crooks’ and he is rendering Director of Crooks Tours translate San Francisco offering walking tour of the city and loom over criminal history. Paul has emerged in a number of documentaries for the Discovery ID net and on Paramount TV whither he featured as an consultant on the Zodiac Killer.

Read Missioner Drexler’s fascinating true crime game park ‘Notorious San Francisco: True Tales Of Crime, Passion, and Murder’ a fast-paced collection of remarkably untold true crime tales exhibition the dark secrets of San Francisco’s past. Read Crime Traveller’s review here.