Camden Evening Courier, March 23, 1945View transcription
DE SANCTIS DIES IN PARKED CAR, PAL WOUNDED
Police Character Arrested in Night Slaying of Grand Jury Witness
VICTIM SPURNED TIP TO KEEP ALIVE IN JAIL
Camden police early today arrested a Delaware township ex-convict for investigation in the slaying last night of Romeo DeSanctis, star witness against suspects in the recent Casablanca roadhouse holdup.
DeSanctis, released in bail last week as a material witness to the holdup, was killed as he sat with a companion in a parked car, a few hours after he testified before the grand jury in connection with the holdup.
The companion, Leon Grenkwicz, a well-known police character, is in critical condition in West Jersey hospital from bullet wounds of the face. He walked three blocks to the hospital from the scene of the shooting on Mt. Ephraim avenue near Kaighn.
Warned to Stay In Jail
Joseph C. Putek, 35, who has a record of 12 arrests and several convictions on charges that include holdup and robbery, was taken into custody today at his home on Fulton street by Captain Koerner and Detective Carr, of the Camden police. He was booked on suspicion and for investigation. He insisted he was in Philadelphia when DeSanctis was shot.
Prosecutor Mariano said DeSanctis was killed because he testified before the grand jury. Released from jail when his bail was reduced from $50,000 to $7000 as a result of a writ obtained by his family, DeSanctis met a fate feared by the authorities, Mariano revealed. "I told him he had better stay in custody," the prosecutor said. "I warned him he might be killed."
"Let Us Have It"
Grenkwicz, conscious in the hospital, told police he and DeSanctis were seated in his car, facing north. He said a large, dark colored sedan drew alongside and just ahead of his car.
A man holding a gun, Grenkwicz said, leaned out of the window and "let us have it." Police said the weapon was either a machinegun or a sawed-off shotgun with extra large buck shot as ammunition.
"I was a damned fool to be with DeSanctis," Grenkwicz added.
The left side of DeSanctis' head, police said, was nearly blown off. Grenkwicz was struck in the face and left hand.
Slugs Rip Through Auto
Slugs tore through the left door and window, the windshield and hood of the car and some struck a plate glass window of a bakery at 1212 Mt. Ephraim avenue, directly behind the car.
The killers' car continued north on Mt. Ephraim avenue, turned east on Kaighn avenue and disappeared. A police alarm description of the auto was broadcast immediately.
The shooting occurred 80 yards from an alleged speakeasy DeSanctis is said to have operated on Mt. Ephraim avenue and only about 300 yards from Cappy's Restaurant, 1105 Kaighn avenue, where Stephen Burns, now under arrest as a suspect in the roadhouse holdup, was employed as night manager. Burns was arrested Feb. 14 as he left the restaurant.
Patrolman Oliver Morgan reported he saw DeSanctis in the restaurant between 6 and 6.30 p. m. last night. Prosecutor Mariano immediately ordered police to obtain the names of all persons in the eating house yesterday. Mariano said Grenkwicz denied he was in the restaurant.
Charles Cook, a city fireman, of 1142 Mt. Ephraim avenue, near Kaighn avenue, ran to the scene
(Continued on Page 2--Column 4)
(Continued from Page One)
from his home after hearing the shooting.
Cook and four employes, two women and two men, of Cappy's restaurant, made statements last night in Mariano's office, where county, city and state police assembled to coordinate their investigation.
"Cappy" Roman, proprietor of the restaurant, later was questioned. Roman, police said, told them both DeSanctis and Grenkwicz ate dinner in his place last night about 6 o'clock.
Freed in $7000 Bail
DeSanctis, who lived at 1351 Decatur street, was released about 10 days ago in $7000 bail as a material witness in the Casablanca holdup. The roadhouse was held up at 2.55 a. m. Feb. 27 when five masked bandits herded 50 or 60 patrons into the kitchen and robbed them of their money and emptied the club cash registers.
Leaving the roadhouse, the bandits singled out DeSanctis and ordered him to accompany them as a hostage. When they reached the outside, however, they were fired upon by Delaware township policeman Power. DeSanctis dropped to the ground as the bandits escaped in a waiting car, which had been spotted by the policeman.
DeSanctis was arrested later in the day and held incommunicado for seven days before he was arraigned as a material witness and held in $50,000 bail. DeSanctis' family later obtained a writ of habeas corpus and subsequently he was released in $7000 bail.
Meanwhile, police arrested Burns, Leonard Lutz and James McBride, all ex-convicts, as suspects in the robbery.
McBride Brought to Camden
McBride was lodged in a cell in Camden jail today after being extradited from Philadelphia. Extradition proceedings were delayed by an application in his behalf for a writ of habeas corpus, but at a hearing on the writ before Judge Brown in Philadelphia this morning, the suspect's attorney, Louis F. McCabe, withdrew the writ after stating identification had been established for extradition purposes. McBride then was turned over to Mariano and County Detectives Mulligan and Dube and brought to Camden.
Burns and Lutz are in the county jail awaiting action of the grand jury.
It was reported that testimony given the grand jury yesterday by DeSanctis was for the purpose of obtaining indictments against Burns and Lutz.
Grenkwicz, who gave his address as 118 Pershing road, Brooklawn, has a long police record including holdup and robbery. He was arrested in 1933 as a suspect in the $11,000 holdup of the Radio Condenser Co.
Police Study Bullet Holes in Death Car
THE PATTERN OF BULLETS which killed one man and critically wounded another at Mt. Ephraim avenue near Kaighn last night is shown on the left side of the death car, being examined by Patrolman Andruzza. Romeo (Rocco) DeSanctis, left, was slain shortly after appearing before the grand jury in connection with the Casablanca Roadhouse holdup. Leon Grenkwicz, also shown, was wounded critically as they sat in Grenkwicz' car. The even row of bullet holes directly under the window indicates a machinegun was used in the murder. The shots through the upper part of the car were made by shotgun blasts, detectives said.
Police Character Arrested in Night Slaying of Grand Jury Witness
DeSanctis, released in bail last week as a material witness to the holdup, was killed as he sat with a companion in a parked car, a few hours after he testified before the grand jury in connection with the holdup.
The companion, Leon Grenkwicz, a well-known police character, is in critical condition in West Jersey hospital from bullet wounds of the face. He walked three blocks to the hospital from the scene of the shooting on Mt. Ephraim avenue near Kaighn.
Warned to Stay In Jail
Joseph C. Putek, 35, who has a record of 12 arrests and several convictions on charges that include holdup and robbery, was taken into custody today at his home on Fulton street by Captain Koerner and Detective Carr, of the Camden police. He was booked on suspicion and for investigation. He insisted he was in Philadelphia when DeSanctis was shot.
Prosecutor Mariano said DeSanctis was killed because he testified before the grand jury. Released from jail when his bail was reduced from $50,000 to $7000 as a result of a writ obtained by his family, DeSanctis met a fate feared by the authorities, Mariano revealed. "I told him he had better stay in custody," the prosecutor said. "I warned him he might be killed."
"Let Us Have It"
Grenkwicz, conscious in the hospital, told police he and DeSanctis were seated in his car, facing north. He said a large, dark colored sedan drew alongside and just ahead of his car.
A man holding a gun, Grenkwicz said, leaned out of the window and "let us have it." Police said the weapon was either a machinegun or a sawed-off shotgun with extra large buck shot as ammunition.
"I was a damned fool to be with DeSanctis," Grenkwicz added.
The left side of DeSanctis' head, police said, was nearly blown off. Grenkwicz was struck in the face and left hand.
Slugs Rip Through Auto
Slugs tore through the left door and window, the windshield and hood of the car and some struck a plate glass window of a bakery at 1212 Mt. Ephraim avenue, directly behind the car.
The killers' car continued north on Mt. Ephraim avenue, turned east on Kaighn avenue and disappeared. A police alarm description of the auto was broadcast immediately.
The shooting occurred 80 yards from an alleged speakeasy DeSanctis is said to have operated on Mt. Ephraim avenue and only about 300 yards from Cappy's Restaurant, 1105 Kaighn avenue, where Stephen Burns, now under arrest as a suspect in the roadhouse holdup, was employed as night manager. Burns was arrested Feb. 14 as he left the restaurant.
Patrolman Oliver Morgan reported he saw DeSanctis in the restaurant between 6 and 6.30 p. m. last night. Prosecutor Mariano immediately ordered police to obtain the names of all persons in the eating house yesterday. Mariano said Grenkwicz denied he was in the restaurant.
Charles Cook, a city fireman, of 1142 Mt. Ephraim avenue, near Kaighn avenue, ran to the scene from his home after hearing the shooting.
Cook and four employes, two women and two men, of Cappy's restaurant, made statements last night in Mariano's office, where county, city and state police assembled to coordinate their investigation.
"Cappy" Roman, proprietor of the restaurant, later was questioned. Roman, police said, told them both DeSanctis and Grenkwicz ate dinner in his place last night about 6 o'clock.
Freed in $7000 Bail
DeSanctis, who lived at 1351 Decatur street, was released about 10 days ago in $7000 bail as a material witness in the Casablanca holdup. The roadhouse was held up at 2.55 a. m. Feb. 27 when five masked bandits herded 50 or 60 patrons into the kitchen and robbed them of their money and emptied the club cash registers.
Leaving the roadhouse, the bandits singled out DeSanctis and ordered him to accompany them as a hostage. When they reached the outside, however, they were fired upon by Delaware township policeman Power. DeSanctis dropped to the ground as the bandits escaped in a waiting car, which had been spotted by the policeman.
DeSanctis was arrested later in the day and held incommunicado for seven days before he was arraigned as a material witness and held in $50,000 bail. DeSanctis' family later obtained a writ of habeas corpus and subsequently he was released in $7000 bail.
Meanwhile, police arrested Burns, Leonard Lutz and James McBride, all ex-convicts, as suspects in the robbery.
McBride Brought to Camden
McBride was lodged in a cell in Camden jail today after being extradited from Philadelphia. Extradition proceedings were delayed by an application in his behalf for a writ of habeas corpus, but at a hearing on the writ before Judge Brown in Philadelphia this morning, the suspect's attorney, Louis F. McCabe, withdrew the writ after stating identification had been established for extradition purposes. McBride then was turned over to Mariano and County Detectives Mulligan and Dube and brought to Camden.
Burns and Lutz are in the county jail awaiting action of the grand jury.
It was reported that testimony given the grand jury yesterday by DeSanctis was for the purpose of obtaining indictments against Burns and Lutz.
Grenkwicz, who gave his address as 118 Pershing road, Brooklawn, has a long police record including holdup and robbery. He was arrested in 1933 as a suspect in the $11,000 holdup of the Radio Condenser Co.
Police Study Bullet Holes in Death Car
THE PATTERN OF BULLETS which killed one man and critically wounded another at Mt. Ephraim avenue near Kaighn last night is shown on the left side of the death car, being examined by Patrolman Andruzza. Romeo (Rocco) DeSanctis, left, was slain shortly after appearing before the grand jury in connection with the Casablanca Roadhouse holdup. Leon Grenkwicz, also shown, was wounded critically as they sat in Grenkwicz' car. The even row of bullet holes directly under the window indicates a machinegun was used in the murder. The shots through the upper part of the car were made by shotgun blasts, detectives said.
