Dragnet.
Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to auto theft detail.
The recovery rate of stolen automobiles in your city has dropped far below normal.
Evidence points to an organized gang of car thieves. Your job, break it up.
It was Tuesday, June 14th. It was hot in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out of auto theft detail.
My partner is Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Nelson. My name is Friday.
We were on our way out from the office and it was 1127 A.M. when we got to 2564 Dewey Avenue.
Apartment 3G.
Want to try it again?
Oh, hi Joe, Frank.
Hi, Whitey.
Morning.
Thanks.
Come on out in the kitchen.
Washing out some socks. You don't care if I finish up, do you?
No, go ahead.
I got up this morning. I figured I'd better get it done.
I haven't got a clean pair to my name.
Try your chair and sit down.
Thank you.
What did you want to see me about?
A couple questions.
I'm not in the fire, am I?
Not with us.
Couldn't remember anything. You never know.
No.
What is it?
You still working at that garage?
Night shift. Check in at four.
Just got something to do with my job?
Might have, yeah.
Look, fellas, you know their history. I'm not going to try and hand you a lot of slush, but I'm clean.
Half a dozen guys will tell you that.
I haven't got off the line since the last time I was tagged.
Well, you're in no trouble, Whitey. We figured maybe you could give us a hand.
Here's the switch.
Me giving you some help. It usually works the other way.
What are you looking for?
A lot of cars going someplace, Whitey. We're trying to find out where and who's driving them.
Thought maybe you might have heard a rumble.
There's always something going around.
You got anything?
Won't do me any good if it goes outside.
They won't open the door.
There's supposed to be three of them.
What do you know about them?
Two men and a woman. Two fellas are supposed to be pretty heavy.
Any names?
No, they're planted pretty close. Even the rumble's not solid.
A couple of days ago, I talked to a guy down at the garage.
He was telling me about the operation. Said it was big.
He know the people?
Enough to be in the same bar.
Told me he tried to get a piece of the action, but they're not cutting any of it.
Can we talk to this guy?
I can't stop you, but I can't give you a hand either.
What do you mean?
I can't tell you where to find him.
Does he come around the garage much?
No, he comes in once in a while. Talks. Nothing regular.
What does he do for a living?
Drives.
Hmm?
Stop car races.
Oh, I see. Does he got a name?
Call him Tops. I don't know the rest.
You know what he's talking about?
I think so. He likes to yak, but he's on it straight on this.
Did he give you any details on the operation?
I didn't ask a lot. I figured the less I know about deals like this, the less I can get in trouble.
Yeah.
Look at that.
Huh?
The way that sock is worn. Argyle. Good ones.
Cost me five bucks.
Look at that hole in the heel. Right in the middle of the two covers.
How do you mend a sock like that?
What do you mean?
Well, how do you sew it up? Use one color and it louses up the argyle part.
Use the color of the argyle and it'll go into the foot part.
Sock people ought to figure some way around it.
Yeah.
Might as well throw them away.
Any word on what they're doing with the cars?
I didn't hear it.
They turning up?
No, not where we can find them.
Smart.
Are they local people, why not?
I don't know. I don't think so. I can't tell you why. I just don't think they're from L.A.
Mm-hmm.
They scoring pretty good?
Yeah, they are.
Last two weeks we figured they've taken a half a dozen cars.
Well, how do you lay it on them?
Well, the way they're working, the M.O. points to the same gang.
What's the pattern?
Cars are taken in the early morning hours from in front of the owner's house.
Jumper wires?
Yeah, all late models.
They won't touch anything that isn't fully equipped.
Any special make?
No. As long as the car has a radio and a heater, white sidewalls, they want it.
They're not turning up?
No.
Maybe they're getting them out of the country.
No, that doesn't figure.
We've had the border checked. San Diego's working on it.
Two of the jobs, we had the broadcast out within a half hour after the car was taken.
We couldn't turn anything. Just seemed to disappear.
You must have a big parking lot.
You said the two men were heavy.
That's right.
How'd you come up with that?
Well, the guy who told me the story, you know, Tops?
Yeah.
When he laid the rumble out, he said he talked with one of the fellas at a bar.
Mm-hmm.
Told the guy he'd like a piece of the action.
About that time, the roof fell out.
What do you mean?
Well, the guy got real rough.
Said there wasn't going to be any split.
The action was going to stay in the same corner.
Mm-hmm.
Showed Tops a gun.
Said if anything about the operation got out, he'd use it.
The way Tops put it, he wasn't kidding.
Did you get any kind of a description of the man?
No.
Did this Tops fella tell you where the bar was?
No.
Well, okay, Whitey.
If you hear from him again, we'd love to know.
Sure.
Call you at the office?
That's right.
I wish I could have given you more.
I'll nose around, see if I can pick up anything.
We appreciate that.
Don't go out in the limo.
You don't have to worry about that.
I'm not going to line myself up for any trouble I don't need.
Well, we'll check you later, then, huh?
Yeah.
Hope I'll have something for you in the next couple of days.
Well, if you do, it'll put you way ahead.
Hmm?
We've been on it two weeks.
Yeah?
We haven't got a place to start.
On Saturday, May 27th, the first day of the operation,
the victim said he parked his car in front of his house
and returned an hour later to find it gone.
An immediate local and APB had been gotten out,
but the vehicle wasn't found.
Three days later, on May 30th, there was another theft, same MO.
In spite of all our precautions, the thefts continued.
To date, seven automobiles had been taken,
and none of them had been recovered.
All possible sources of information had been checked out without result.
Outlets for stolen cars had been kept under 24-hour surveillance
without netting any new information.
The stats office had made runs on each theft and on the general MO.
When the list they returned to us was checked,
we were no closer to the thieves.
Pressure from the victims and their insurance companies began to build,
but there apparently wasn't anything we could do to stop the operation.
Frank and I went back to the office and ran the name and description
of the man known as Topps through the moniker file.
There was no record of such a person.
Two more days passed. Another car was stolen.
People in the immediate vicinity were questioned,
but none of them had seen the thief.
Saturday, June 18th, 1140 a.m.
Okay.
I'll have that, Smith.
Yeah?
Oh, yeah. Can you hold him?
Right. He'll be right there. Yeah.
It's Coke. It was Whitey calling from the garage.
What's he got?
That fella Topps. Yeah.
He just walked in.
Frank and I left the city hall and drove over to the garage
where our informant worked.
He pointed out an elderly man on the rear of the place.
We identified ourselves and asked him to step into the office.
What do you want to see me about?
Just a couple of questions.
Well, I ain't done nothing.
No reason for you to roust me around.
You're not being rousted.
Well, it sure looks like it from here.
Who wants to sit down?
I'd rather stand up. It's all the same to you.
All right. Suit yourself. You want a cigarette?
I'll have a cigarette.
I'll have a cigarette.
I'll have a cigarette.
I'll have a cigarette.
I'll have a cigarette.
I'll have a cigarette.
I'll have a cigarette.
I'll have a cigarette.
I'll have a cigarette.
Yeah.
Frank?
Yeah, thanks.
I got a light.
All right.
What's your real name, Tops?
Henry Grayson.
What do you do for a living?
Well, I can get a car, I race.
Stock car?
Yeah.
Where?
Well, on different tracks.
You live here in L.A.?
Most of the time.
Come back when I'm not working.
You got a job now?
No.
Figure to go back East next week.
Think I can line something up.
Hey, look, you maybe got a lot of time to kill.
I haven't.
Why don't you tell me what this is all about so I can get out of here?
You ever been arrested?
Huh?
You ever been in jail?
Yeah.
What charge?
Well, they didn't make it stick.
Well, what were you arrested for?
Rancid.
Auto or money?
Auto.
Do any time?
I told you, they didn't make it stick.
Where'd this happen?
Idaho.
That's your only arrest, huh?
A couple of times for a bag.
They hold you?
No.
Give me a floater.
Come on, come on.
You guys are after something.
What is it?
You know anything about a gang of car thieves that have been working here in town?
What?
Stolen cars.
Why should I have anything on it?
Well, you did.
From where?
We heard it.
Is it true?
Lousy whitey.
He told you, didn't he?
It's not important where we got the information.
We're trying to find out if it's true.
Then you'll have to look someplace else.
I got nothing for you.
Where'd you get the nickname Tops?
Huh?
It's a funny name.
How'd you get it?
When I was a kid, I had real blonde hair, almost white.
Other kids called me Cotton Top, shortened it down.
Mm-hmm.
You like driving for a living?
It's all right.
Better than working.
You do pretty good at it.
Hmm?
Is there any money in driving?
It depends.
I've got a couple of bad ones.
Depends.
How do you do?
I'm not starving.
Mm-hmm.
Well, what do you want to know about the stolen cars?
What can you tell us?
Not much.
We'll take what you got.
I got to talking with a guy one night.
Subject come up, we kicked it around.
Turned out he had a deal going for him.
A friend of yours?
Never saw him before.
All right, go ahead.
Well, that's it.
He had this deal working.
I don't know anymore.
Why don't you do yourself a favor?
Why?
If you're not mixed up in this thing, why are you holding out?
I'm not.
I'm giving you what I know.
I'm not telling the guy's life story, but it's all I got.
All right.
From the beginning, tell us, will you?
What?
Everything this fella said.
You got nothing to hold me on.
As far as I'm concerned, it's okay if you do pull me in.
A couple of days on the city, give me rent and food bills.
All right, let's go.
Look, if I had any information, I'd give it to you.
No reason for me to hold out.
That's right.
I never saw that guy before.
I haven't laid eyes on him since.
Then what do you stand in front of him for?
What?
Makes you look like the patsy for the piece.
Anybody takes a beef, it's going to be you.
For what?
Sitting in a bar, listening to some drunk?
There's more than that and you know it.
I can't tell you.
Why?
These guys too heavy for you, are they?
Is that why you won't go along with us?
You scared?
If you got to tie it down, that's the reason.
They won't get near you.
You can guarantee it?
We can.
Okay, I'll go.
What do you want to know?
The whole story now.
There's much to tell.
It was in this bar one night, two fellas come in, they were both kind of guests.
They sat down next to me and started to talk.
To you?
No, but they were right next to me.
I could hear what they were saying.
Go on.
We were talking about this deal.
I was all set up.
First off, I didn't know what it was all about.
Then I heard one of them mention something about cars.
It's like saying something about a new kind of camera around a photographer.
As soon as I heard the word cars, I started to listen.
Good.
They were having a beef about something.
One of them wanted to start unloading right away.
The other guy said they should wait for a while, dump them all at once.
Well, they stood there and talked like that for a while.
Then one of them noticed me listening.
Go ahead.
He leaned over and said something to the other guy.
The next thing I knew, I was surrounded.
One of them on each side leaning on me.
I didn't want any trouble.
I could see those two guys had a pocket full of it, so I went along with them.
What happened?
Well, they asked me if I liked what I heard.
I told them I didn't hear anything.
Said I had very bad ears.
They didn't believe it.
Said they wanted to talk me outside the bar.
I figured if they got me out there, I'd end up with something broken, so I didn't go.
Tried to push me around, but the bartender came over and they moved away.
What happened then?
Came back.
Told me if I said anything to anybody but what they were saying, they'd get me.
One of them had a gun.
He kind of pulled his coat back.
I could see it in his belt.
They weren't kidding.
Word that I'd talk to you gets back to them, I'm as good as dead.
Well, don't worry about it.
Did you try and cut yourself in on the deal?
No.
We heard you did.
Well, it's not true.
I told Whitey that, but it never happened.
Why'd you tell him I did?
Well, I don't know.
Trying to be a big man, I guess.
Yeah.
These two fellas hang around the bar?
Huh?
Have you seen the two men around the bar before?
No.
It's the first time.
Any of the other people in the place seem to know them?
Mm-mm.
They leave the place before you did?
Yeah, finished up their drinks and walked out.
They have a car?
If they did, I didn't see it.
I stayed where I was.
Figured maybe they were waiting for me.
Didn't leave the place until just before 2.
You think you'd know them again if you saw them?
Yeah, I'm sure of it.
Well, wait.
I get to come downtown and look through some pictures.
Well, I don't like to be a finger.
Well, you haven't got much choice, fella.
I suppose not.
All right, let's go.
Now, don't forget, you guys said you'd take care of me.
We will.
Those fellas find out I'm on your side, they'll try to kill me.
Nothing's gonna stop them.
Yeah, we think there is.
What?
What's the matter with us?
We took Henry Grayson back to the city hall and had him check the mug books.
He was unable to identify the suspects.
We ran his name through the record section and found that he had no arrests in the state
of California.
At his own request, it was returned to his home.
Local broadcasts and APBs were put out carrying the description of the two male suspects.
A week passed without result.
Monday, June 27th.
I got it.
Auto theft Friday.
Yes, sir.
That's right.
When was that?
No, we can't take one over the phone.
Oh, well, I'm sorry, too.
That's right.
You live in Hollywood?
I see.
Well, now, if you'll get out of the police station on Wilcox Avenue, that's right, in
Hollywood, they'll take it for you.
1358 between Sunset and Santa Monica.
That's right.
You betcha.
Bye.
Bye, Seth.
Bicycle.
The fellow says his kid left it in front of the house, came back, and it was gone.
That's right.
Something we can do for you?
I'd like to talk to somebody about a stolen car.
Well, sit down.
We'll take the information.
Yes, sir.
Thank you.
All right, sir.
What can we do for you?
You're a policeman?
That's right.
It's Frank Smith.
My name's Friday.
How do you do?
I'm Joel Pennant.
All right, sir.
What do you want to see us about?
I think I bought a stolen car.
Why do you think it's stolen?
Well, just the way it was handled, the whole thing's got something funny about it.
Where's the car now?
I got it parked outside in the other street over there.
You have the license number?
Yeah, I have.
Do you want it?
Yes, sir.
We can check it for you.
I got it written down here.
All the information's someplace.
Pink slip, too.
Oh, yeah, here it is.
All right, fine.
Thank you.
I'll take a check.
Okay.
Thanks.
I sure hate to put you in all this trouble.
That's all right.
I feel silly if it turns out okay.
Why do you think the car is stolen?
Well, I own this little place up near Lancaster.
It's kind of a bar and a couple of cabins for tourists.
We're out of town a ways.
We don't do a lot of business.
Enough to make a pretty good living, but it's all hard work.
Yeah.
Day before yesterday, that was Saturday, this guy came in to the place, had something to
eat.
We got to talk.
You know, nothing important.
Yeah.
He told me he's on his way back east to find a job.
Talked about how he's having a lot of trouble, lost his job and all.
He had this new car parked right outside.
Said he just bought it.
Asked me if I knew anybody who'd buy it.
You mean he wanted to sell the car?
Yeah.
He just got it and he needed the money to get wherever he was going.
Told me he paid cash for it and he wanted to get some money out of it.
Yeah.
Said he didn't want to take a loss, but he didn't have the price to gas for it.
So he wanted to sell it.
All right, go ahead.
I asked him how much he wanted, quoted a figure, a couple hundred dollars under wholesale.
It seemed like a good deal, so I bought it.
Yeah.
But then other guys come in and want to sell things.
I learned the hard way, so I asked him if he could prove he really owned the car, that
he didn't steal it.
Yeah.
I didn't say it like that, you understand.
If the deal was honest, I didn't want to scare him off.
Yeah.
I went to Pinkslip and told me where he bought the car.
It's a place called Brompton Auto Service in Hollywood.
Did you contact them?
Yeah, I put a call right through.
What'd they say?
Well, they went through a big thrash about it.
I talked to a couple of secretaries before I got to the sales manager.
He checked the records and he said the car had been purchased from them.
He gave me the man's name and everything.
Nothing about the deal then to make me think there was anything wrong.
Pinkslip, the car people.
Yeah.
I bought it.
Gave the man a check.
We drove into town and I dropped him off at the bus terminal.
He said he'd cashed the check on Monday.
That's today.
Yeah.
I had a friend come into town this morning, checked at the bank and they told me that the check had cleared.
That it was cashed first thing.
They opened the doors.
I got worried about it and decided I'd better talk to you.
Yeah.
How about it?
Well, it's stolen all right.
I had a feeling.
Anything on it?
No, I checked the report.
Yeah.
It's the bunch we're after.
While the victim, Joel Pennant, looked through the mug books,
Frank and I went over to the bank and picked up the check the suspect had cashed.
The name on the Pinkslip had been run through R&I, but there was no record on it.
The check was handed over to Larry Sloan in handwriting.
The Pinkslip was sent to the crime lab where it was found to be a forgery.
We checked the phone book for a listing on the Brompton Auto Service, but we found none.
The victim had made a note of the phone number and from it we were able to obtain the address where the telephone was installed.
It was a large office building on 7th Street.
Frank and I went over to see the superintendent.
Yeah, this is where they were at 926.
When did they move out?
Oh, sometime over the weekend. I'm not sure of the day.
I'm off on Saturday and Sunday.
I see.
They hardly ever come down to the building on my day off.
Yes, sir.
How long were they in the office?
Oh, a couple of weeks. They wanted a place for a month.
They paid for it in advance. They told me if things worked out, they'd take a lease.
Yes.
I guess things didn't work out.
Did they leave any forwarding address?
No, they didn't.
What can you tell us about them?
Not much. I only talked to them a couple of times. Seemed nice enough.
Did they tell you what kind of business they were in?
No, said they were trying to get a new product started.
Told me most of their work would be over the phone.
Did they pay for the office by check or cash, you know?
Cash.
Said they didn't have their checks printed up yet.
They use the name of any kind?
I don't think I understand you.
Did they call each other by name?
Yeah, they did when they were looking over the office.
Do you remember them?
Let me think a minute.
When it comes to me, one of them was called Tom.
The other one was named Ralph.
No last name?
No, I didn't hear them.
What about the woman?
They called her Lerner. Remember that when they introduced her.
Nicky Lerner.
Has the office been clean since they left?
No, it hasn't.
All right, sir.
We'd like to have some men from our office go over the place.
Sure, glad to help any way I can.
Fine, thank you.
Can you come downtown and look at some pictures for us?
The criminals?
Well, of some possible suspects.
See if I can pick them out, huh?
That's right.
Better will. Wait here, I'll get my coat.
Go right with you.
Second thought, you'd better wait in the lobby.
We can go right out the door. It'll be faster.
I'll be fine.
Let's go.
I can't hardly wait to get home and tell my wife what's happened.
She's all the time after me because I never have nothing interesting to tell her at night.
Yes, sir.
It's going to be different this time.
Give her a story that'll really make her mouth hang open.
She's going to be a dozer.
You guys could do me a favor, though.
What's that?
Could you drive me home after I look at the pictures?
We'll see what you get there, yes, sir.
I'd like you to be in a black and white car, if you can swing it.
All right.
Make the story more exciting, you know, heart-hitting.
Yeah.
Something else if I come home in a black and white police car.
What's that?
My wife will believe me.
We took the superintendent down to the city hall, but he failed to identify the suspects.
The crime lab crew went over the office they had used, but they were unable to find any useful information.
Another week passed.
During that time, we had reports that four of the stolen cars had been sold.
The circumstances in each case were the same.
In each instance, we checked out the address the suspects had used as a front without result.
Tuesday, July 5th, Frank and I walked into the squad room.
Well, it's not the same, Joe.
It's not the same at all.
It's all changed.
It has.
Sure?
It doesn't make any difference how you try. It just doesn't come off.
What are you talking about?
The fourth, Joe. The fourth.
The fourth, huh?
Yeah.
Remember how when we were kids they had firecrackers and them torpedo things you threw against buildings, stuff like that?
Yeah.
No more.
All they got now is sparklers.
Sparklers and them fountain things.
Is that so?
Yeah.
Well, they're nice. They look pretty, but it's not the same.
Mm-hmm.
I remember getting up on the morning of the fourth.
You see who the first kid in the block was to get a can in the air.
Real contest light.
What?
Get a can in the air.
You know, put a firecracker under a can, light it off.
Real contest in our block so you could be the first one in the morning of the fourth.
Didn't you ever do that?
Yeah.
We sure did.
Never forget it.
It's not the same now.
Yeah, but it's a lot safer now, isn't it?
I'll get it.
Autosap Friday.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
That sure might be.
That's worth checking anyway.
Right. We'll be right over.
It's Mott over in forgery.
Yeah?
Just picked up a printer that had been cashed with checks.
Checked his plant, found something we might be able to use.
What?
65 pink slips.
We went over to room 29 and met with Sergeant Hal Mott.
He told us that he and his partner had picked up a suspect on suspicion of forgery.
When they searched the man's home, they found a printing plant
where the suspect had been making up phony checks.
They'd also found master plates for automobile pink slips
and a quantity of the slips themselves.
Under questioning, the suspect admitted to forgeries
but denied any knowledge of the automobile registrations.
Frank and I took him to the interrogation room.
Their true name is Harry Larwill, is that right?
Yeah.
You want to tell us about those pink slips?
I don't know anything about them.
You printed them, didn't you?
I guess so.
Well, then don't you know?
I printed them.
What were you going to do with them?
I did it for kicks, nothing more. For practice.
Yeah.
You think a story like that's going to stand up in court?
Look, I copped out to the forgery rep. Isn't that enough for you guys?
We want to know about those pinks.
I already told you.
How many counts did they get on you?
I don't know, 10 or 12.
Well, then you know you're not going to do that stand on your head.
Hmm?
You'll stand 1 to 14 on each count.
A lot of time if they run consecutively.
Now, come on, why'd you print the slips?
What happens to me if I tell you?
What do you mean by that?
We'll make it an easier army?
We don't decide that.
But you see, the judge knows, huh?
We'll put it down like that, yeah.
Now, tell us about it, will you?
I made them up for Tom and Ralph.
Who are they?
A couple guys I know. They come to me with this deal.
Said if I make them 100 slips, they give me 1,000 bucks.
I needed the money, so I did the job.
Yeah.
Well, after I made them, Ralph said they could only use 45 of them.
Then we had a beef.
He gave me 500 and I gave him the pinks.
You know where you can pick up your friends?
Yeah, a bar for not in Hollywood.
The girl there, too?
Who do you mean?
I understand her name's Mickey.
Oh, yeah, yeah, Ralph's wife.
I guess she should be around.
When did you see them last?
Yesterday. Ralph called me in the morning.
He told me they were interested in the rest of the slips.
Wanted to know if we could make a deal.
What'd you tell them?
That we could.
I'm supposed to meet them this afternoon.
Where?
Drugstore in Sunset.
He told me three of them were gonna leave town.
All right.
You gonna pick them up?
That's right.
Guess they had a good thing going for them.
Sure were raking in the dough.
Yeah.
Ralph told me about it.
Said they were coining money.
Kind of hate to see it broken up.
You do?
Yeah. Good deal like that.
Good ones are hard to come by these days.
Takes a lot of time to set one up.
Break this one up, they'll have to sit down
and figure another way to make a book.
Kind of hurts to think about it.
It does.
Yeah. Good deal like that shot.
It really hurts me.
Think what it's gonna do to them.
The story you have just heard is true.
The names were changed to protect the innocent.
On November 10th, trial was held in Department 89,
Superior Court of the State of California
in and for the County of Los Angeles.
RALPH NORWOOD-PRESCOTT
RALPH NORWOOD-PRESCOTT
Ralph Norwood-Prescott, Thomas Dean Bolton,
and Nicky Lerner-Prescott
were tried and convicted of grand theft auto five counts
and received punishment as prescribed by law.
Grand theft auto is punishable by imprisonment
for a period of from one to ten years
in the state penitentiary.
Ladies and gentlemen,
careless driving is kid stuff.
Most automobile accidents happen
when we forget to act our age and drive carefully.
Letting off steam, defying authority,
showing off risks a driver's life
as well as the lives of other people.
In your car, act your age.
The life you save may be your own.
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