If you have ever seen the movie "Ocean's 11," then you have gotten a glimpse into the mind of a burglar. Well, imagine meeting one in person.
I had the opportunity to do just that on October 16. Author Allen Hornblum came to speak about his new book, "Confessions of a Second Story Man: Junior Kripplebauer and the K and A Gang." Along with his book, Hornblum also brought along two former police officers assigned to the case about which he wrote: Bob Shubert and John Del Carlino. He also brought three former members of the K and A gang: Marty Bell, John L, and Chick Goodroe. It was an eye opening experience.
Hornblum read an excerpt from his book and then allowed time for questions and answers from the crowd. The men told unbelievable stories of their days as burglars in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Some started as young as 16 years old! They targeted upscale neighborhoods, such as Chestnut Hill, and a suit and tie was the gang's uniform of choice; however, they considered themselves more of a crew than a gang. The title of the book pays homage to one of their entrance locations.
Most people lock the windows and doors on the first story of their homes and do not think about the second story, but according to these former burglars, a person can easily get into a second story window without having to break glass or hinges. To break into locks, the crew would try a variety of keys; if that failed, they would used a brute, which is a large screwdriver, and this tool could pop the lock right off. Houses with alarms were like Christmas morning for the men. At the time, when alarms were armed, they would brightly blink red. This red light showed them that no one was home and there were valuables in the house that needed to be protected. Once in the house, the team would split up to search different sections of house. One would go right into the master bedroom, one would be a lookout at the front door, and so on. An important and interesting aspect of the crew's burglary was that they never carried weapons; they were against violence. Even if they came across a gun, they would empty out the shells and flush them down the toilet or throw them out.
Tension rose when an audience member questioned their morals during the question and answer session. But the former gang members accounted for their ways by explaing that they robbed homes as a job, a way to support their families. From the gang's perspective, the victims had too much and could afford the loss. Many in the community saw them as "Robin Hood" figures. For example, if the men bought a cup of coffee, they would tip five dollars. They also helped many businesses stay open and gave back as much money as they could to the community. Tension arose again when the author's credibility was questioned when family members of a person in the book corrected some information.
It is so important to realize that these men did face consequences for their actions and served time in numerous prisons. Bell was even shot in a sheriff's office almost 32 years ago and has had to use a wheelchair ever since. These men truly are a part of Philadelphia's history. They paid their debt to society and lived to tell about it.
2008 Woodie Awards
