This place?
Alongside the Santa Claus holdup of December 1962 and the Brinks truck robbery of 1973, this has to be the most ambitious and disastrous of Montreal's famous stickups.
A team of thieves entered the tunnel at Ontario and Moreau on April 1, 1924 from the east. Two of 'em put a chain across and cut the tramway wire.
A shoot up ensued, with a security guard and a baddie both getting shot dead. The gang took off and delivered the money to some female accomplices on Belanger Street.
Louis Morel's place. Morel, a heroic one-time athlete had turned to crime after being kicked off the police force for trying to start a union.
Morel made sure that the widow of the dead holdup man would get his share of the $140,000.
But cops caught them and Anthony Frank, Giuseppe Serafini, Frank Gambino and Morel himself all went to the gallows at Bordeaux, heads held high on October 24, 1924.
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| Louis Morel |
Morel made sure that the widow of the dead holdup man would get his share of the $140,000.
But cops caught them and Anthony Frank, Giuseppe Serafini, Frank Gambino and Morel himself all went to the gallows at Bordeaux, heads held high on October 24, 1924.
What happenned, I could not tell (flood? Derailment), but this is the Ontario street underpass under the CPR tracks of Hochelaga yard, just west of Moreau street.
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no dogs says;
ReplyDelete?????
1er avril - L'attaque d'un convoi blindé transportant de l'argent pour la Banque d'Hochelaga sur la rue Ontario à Montréal fait 2 morts. Les bandits survivants repartent avec un butin de 142 000 $[10].?????
It's Ontario corner Moreau, but what happened?
ReplyDeleteFound it, l'Affaire Morel http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Myst/en/timeline/mcq/morel.html
ReplyDeleteA Hochelaga collection truck was held up in this tunnel on April 1, 1924. The thieves got away with more than
ReplyDelete$142,000.
It appears a large sum of money was being transported in an non-armoured Montreal Tramways electric 'Money Car'.
ReplyDeletePresumeably the funds were streetcar farebox receipts from the Hochelaga Car Barn being moved to the bank for deposit.
The crooks knew about the car, the route it would take and it's contents, then cut the trolley wire after the car entered the underpass.
Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteThe crime was committed on April 1, 1924 and they were executed on Oct. 24, 1924. What, no appeals ad infinitum for 15 years? Now, THAT is what I call swift justice.
The 1924 Bank Car Robbery - Part 1
ReplyDeleteOn April 1, 1924, at 1:53 p.m., a Ford, Banque d'Hochelaga's non-armoured car variously referred to as a "bank truck"; "bank car"; and "collection automobile" was held up by gunmen. Following a shootout, bank courier Henri Cleroux was shot dead and courier Rolland Fortier was wounded. Another courier in the car, Maurice Thibodeau, was ordered at gunpoint to raise his hands while one bandit reached inside to grab the money. Lucien Brunet was another courier sitting in the back seat. The holdup gang managed to take $142.288, $100,000 of it not subsequently recovered. In their haste, he thieves overlooked $103,000 which remained inside the bank car; total amount approximately $245.288. Later in 1924, the Banque Nationale and Banque d'Hochelaga merged under the name Banque Canadienne Nationale.
Grocer F.X. Tremblay at 1869 Ontario E. (now 3081 NW corner with Moreau) witnessed the cars involved in the holdup from his store window.
Getaway car: a stolen 1923 or 1924 Hudson "touring car" which was abandoned after hitting a telephone pole on Everett Avenue just west of Christophe Colomb. Bandit Peter ward alias Harry Stone--a well-known criminal--was laying dead across the back seat.
Witness Mrs. (Celina) "Treffle" Berthiaume of 2279 Boyer (later enumbered 7401? NE corner with Everett) from her balcony clearly saw a Hudson and a Ford parking on Everett facing westward at the NW corner of Christophe Colomb. Husband Mr. Desire Berthiaume (see Lovell's 1923-24 same address) later positively identified Giuseppe Serafini as cranking a Ford automobile parked in a field (an "open-air garage") near that same corner. Later in the day, he witnessed a speeding Hudson car pull up and Louis Morel jumping out with a satchell in his hand. Morel and the Hudson's other passengers then entered the Ford and drove away, leaving the Hudson with a body laying across the back seat, later identified by police as that of Peter Ward alias Harry Stone, age 43, who had been lodging at 53 Colonial Avenue (now 3485). The Ford was then driven to the corner of Drolet and Belanger where the cash was divided amongst the group.
A slip of paper found inside the coat of Harry Stone had a telephone number on it which was traced to 57 Coursol.
Address owner F. Swail of 57 Coursol (later 2327, later demolished) rented to Ciro Niegro (alias Nieri), age 35, and girlfriend Marie Emma "Lebeau" (real surname Leboeuf), age 28. Accomplices were Giuseppe Serafini, age 29, and wife Marguerite Serafini (Mary Wright), age 19. Part of the stolen money--$33,000--was found in a hidden cupboard.
The 1924 Bank Car Robbery - Part 2
ReplyDeleteAcccording to Nieri's testimony, the final stages of the robbery were arranged by ex-policeman and sports champion Louis Morel published as residing at 2954 Drolet, north of Mozart (now 7046-7048?). This is incorrect, as there was a U. Robitaille listed at 2954 for years around this time frame. Nieri probably deliberately gave this incorrect address or forgot the real one since Lovell's of 1921-22 has "Morel, Ls detective" listed at 2446 Drolet, south of Beaubien (the upstairs half of the duplex). Lovell's of 1922-23 lists 2446 Drolet but without a resident's name. Beginning with Lovell's 1926-27, the duplex was later renumbered from 2446-2448 to 6368-6370. Note: Lovell's for 1921-22 has Lavoie Ferdinand at 2448 Drolet and he is still listed there in 1931-32 Lovell's at 6370 Drolet--previously 2448. Trial witness Alphonse Gregoire, reportedly residing nearby (His name and address not found in Lovell's and presumably misnamed for anonymity) testified that he witnessed the women's comings and goings at 2446.
Nieri and Lebeau both testified as crown witnesses against the others in exchange for immunity. Nieri was aquitted. Six defendants were found guilty of murder and sentenced to hang, namely Louis Morel, age 40; Tony Frank (real surname di Vincenzo), of 1015 St. Hubert (later renumbered 3937 or 3939), age 42; Frank "The King" Gambino, age 37; Giuseppe Serafini, age 29; Leo Davis, age 23; and Mike Valentino, age 32. The latter two's death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment at the last moment. Marguerite Serafini was later aquitted. They served 15 years in prison. The four others were hanged at Bordeaux Jail on October 24, 1924 at 5:00 a.m. Adam Parillo was also sentenced to 15 years. Nieri, who was reported to have fired his gun at the bank car, was allowed to leave Canada for Italy where he was reportedly later killed. Proof of Nieri's murder, however, is yet to be researched as fact.
Summaries of the crime can be found on page 13 column 4 of the Montreal Gazette, June 24, 1924, heading entitled "Story of Crime" and the Gazette of October 24, 1924, page 6, column 3 article "Story of Crime Retold". Tony Frank, Frank Gambino, and Mike Valentino were reportedly the "fixers" in the case, conspiring and plotting the robbery.
Relevant Gazette articles continue from June 18, 1924 through June 26th plus, also through October 27, 1924 following the executions.
There's a great La Presse article from the 1990s that explains how this incident led to a big shakeup in the police department. I summarize it in my book.
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