Introduction
James V. Paradise
JAMES V. PARADISE was born in New York around 1892. His father, John Paradise, brought him and his siblings to Camden in 1893. John Paradise was politically active as a Republican and worked in Camden’s highway department for many years. James V. Paradise was also politically active and was appointed to the police department in 1918.
James V. Paradise married at the age of 21, his wife Angelina a New Jersey native. By January of 1920 he was serving as a member of the Camden NJ police department. The Paradise family, which included a daughter, Mary, then lived at 439 Division Street in South Camden, a short walk from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church.
Brother Anthony “Babe” Paradise was arrested in 1922 and in 1928 on drug-related charges. He was sent to state prison both times, and was sent up for a third time in 1935 for receiving stolen goods.
James V. Paradise had been promoted to detective by April of 1930, when the Census was taken. At that point he and his wife were renting a home at 441 Cherry Street in South Camden. His neighbor at 447 Cherry was Joseph Mardino, who also had a long career as a Camden policeman. He appears to have been reduced in rank late in 1931 or in early 1932.
James V. Paradise retired from the police department in 1943. He was then living at 569 Spruce Street. He last resided at 1030 Collings Road. James V. Paradise died in June of 1957. Angelina Paradise, last a resident of Oaklyn NJ, passed away in 1981.
Ask Route to New York, 2 Held as Car Thieves
Camden Courier-Post —
Arrested last night for the larceny of an automobile when they asked two plain-clothes policemen how to get to New York, two 20-year-old boys were taken back to Pennsgrove this morning by Robert W. Kidd, chief of police.
They gave their names as Francis Riley and Joseph Nelsen, both of 70 Poplar street, Pennsgrove. They admitted to Captain John Golden they had stolen the car of John S. Taylor, Pennsgrove, yesterday afternoon.
The youths were arrested by Policemen Guthrie and Paradise. The two officers had been standing at Broadway and Spruce street when the young men pulled up to them and asked directions to New York. Suspecting the car to be stolen, Guthrie asked for their owner’s card. As he did the car started up but Paradise jumped on the running board and succeeded in bringing the car to a halt.
New Vice Squad in 3 Raids Nabs 6 as Suspects in Bandit Gang
Camden Courier-Post —
Police Believe Prisoners Know Something of Wierman Murder
PROSECUTOR BALDWIN SEEKS SPEEDY TRIAL
Indications Point to Sextet Staging Recent Holdups Netting $25,000
Arrested by the new Camden police vice squad today in three East Camden dwellings, four men and two women are believed by county authorities to be members of a bandit gang which collected $25,000 and murdered a Camden man in a series of eight holdups during the past two months.
Prosecutor Baldwin expressed belief that the suspects were either implicated in, or know who executed the shooting of William “Big Bill” Wierman, alleged Camden beer runner, during a holdup April 28 at the Bellmawr County Club.
He announced he would ask the grand jury this afternoon to indict them on charges made against them this morning by the city police, and would probably place them on trial here next week.
Meanwhile, all victims and witnesses to the daring holdups in and near the city will be summoned to the courthouse to attempt to identify the prisoners.
He highly complimented the newly created vice squad on its efficient raids made after a week of painstaking investigation.
Firearms Seized
In each residence police seized a veritable arsenal of revolvers, sawed-off shotguns, repeating rifles and hundreds of ammunition, all hidden in closets or secret caches under the floors. An opium “layout,” hacksaw, pairs of colored eyeglasses and silverware were also confiscated.
The discovery of the tinted eyeglasses in the residence was of significance to Police Lieutenant Ralph Bakley, who pointed out that one of the armed bandits who held up the son of Freeholder Leonard Brehm at Front and Kaighn avenue two weeks before the Wierman slaying wore green glasses to escape identification.
The detectives aided by state troopers executed their raids with a precision which prevented any of the suspects from resisting or escaping. Two men attempted to slip through the ring, but one surrendered after a single shot was fired at him, and the other was captured while trying to scale a rear fence.
The suspects gave their names as:
John Fisher, 38, of 41 South Thirty-third street, Camden.
Nicholas Bartluci, 23, of 764 South Berwick street, Philadelphia.
Joseph Conti, 34, of 708 South Eighth street, Philadelphia.
Catherine Christman, 28, of 2202 Filbert street, Philadelphia.
Marco Reginelli, 32, of Apartment 2, at 143 North Thirty-fourth street, Camden.
Mrs. Mary Reginelli, 24, his wife, same address.
Committed Without Bail
All six were arraigned before Judge Pancoast in the city police court this afternoon. As they were arrested in a joint complaint charging each with carrying concealed deadly weapons was lodged against them by Detective Louis Schlam, member of the vice squad. An additional complaint charging possession of narcotics was placed against Conti and Catherine Christman.
All of the suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded to the county jail without bail. Prosecutor Baldwin stated he did not immediately fix bail, but would hold them for further investigation. They will be finger-printed and “mugged” so that county authorities can obtain their police records.
Bartluci has been arrested four times in Philadelphia since 1926, but each time was released or exonerated. The charges were inciting a riot in 1926.
[The page-one text breaks off here; the lines joining it to the page-two text below are not in the crops.] suspicion of hold-up and robbery in 1927, 1928 and 1929.
Conti is a familiar figure in the Philadelphia underworld, according to police, and it is believed that he may be the same Joseph Conti who was arrested as a witness in a recent gang murder in that city.
All of the prisoners treated their arrest with levity. Conti, while being led from the courtroom after his hearing jocularly remarked to Patrolman Everett Joslin:
“Wait, and I’ll get a machine gun out of my shoe for you.”
All the men were handcuffed when arrested in police court.
Conti and the Christian [sic] woman were arrested when police broke down the door of a house at 3719 Highland avenue, Camden. Fisher and Bartluci were seized at the South Thirty-third street address, while the Reginellis were captured in their apartment.
Conti made a desperate bid for freedom when he saw the detectives, armed with shotguns, repeating rifles, revolvers and tear bombs. The suspect dashed through the rear door, but came to an abrupt standstill when a member of the vice squad, Detective James Paradise, fired one shot at him.
Bartluci also attempted to escape and was clambering over a rear fence when he fell into the arms of Detectives Walter Smith and Vernon Jones.
All were arrested “on information received,” the only explanation the police would give. It was revealed that the special vice squad, organized by police heads a few days after a Camden bank messenger was robbed of $6700 in broad daylight May 23, has had the three dwellings under surveillance for the past week.
The raiders first visited the Highland avenue place at 5:15 a. m. An automobile was in front of the house, and Conti and the Christman woman were in it, according to detectives. When the suspects saw the police, they leaped from the car and ran into the house, locking the door after them.
Batter Down Door
Under the leadership of Detective Theodore Guthrie, the vice squad members quickly surrounded the place, and Detectives Smith and Jones knocked at the front door. There was no response, and the detectives then battered the door down, rushing into the dark interior with drawn revolvers.
They found Catherine Christman, but Conti had fled out the rear. Detective Paradise’s shot changed his mind about escaping.
Then a thorough search was made of the premises for weapons or possible loot. In closets, under beds, the detectives found weapons of all description. Baseboards and the floors were hammered, and several traps were found to contain weapons when floor boards were ripped up.
The raiders took their prisoners to City Hall, and then descended upon the South Thirty-third street house, at 6:30 a. m. There they had to force open the front door when their demands for entrance met no response. They arrested Fisher, who made no attempt to resist when he saw it was futile. Bartluci, however, dashed into the rear yard, but was captured.
Here, another thorough search uncovered weapons, and when the prisoners and confiscated material had been disposed of, the raiders sped to the North Thirty-fourth street apartment, forcing the front door open at 7.30 a. m., after surrounding the place.
Those who participated in the raids were the following members of the vice squad, headed by Detective Guthrie: Paradise, Jones, Walter Smith, Clarence Bunker, Louis Schlam, Clarence Arthur, Howard Smith and Joseph Mardini. With them were Sergeant Wilfred L. Dube and Detective Andrew Zopesky, of the state police.
Seized in Raid
The following is a list of what was seized in each place:
At 3719 Highland avenue: One automatic 12-gauge shotgun, serial numbers filed off to prevent tracing to the buyer; one bolt action high-powered .38-calibre rifle; one .38-calibre short-barrelled revolver, loaded; one .38-calibre long-barrelled revolver, loaded; one hacksaw and blade; one box of 50 12-gauge buckshot cartridges, one pair of green glasses, three dozen silver spoons, 10 rifle bullets, 33 .38-calibre bullets, two bunches of keys, one handbag and a complete opium layout, including an extra pipe and a quantity of opium.
At 41 South Thirty-third street: One .45-calibre Colt automatic, loaded; one .45-calibre side-break revolver, loaded; one extra clip of 20 bullets, one 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun, two barrels; four dozen 12-gauge shells, four dozen rifle bullets, 32 .38-calibre bullets and three .45-calibre long rifle bullets.
At 143 North Thirty-fourth street: One automatic .12-gauge shotgun, Remington, Model 11, serial number 324870; one sawed-off shotgun, serial number filed off; one .32-calibre Savage automatic, six dozen 12-gauge shells, 13 .38-calibre bullets for a Luger revolver, eight dozen .32-calibre bullets, one dozen .25-calibre bullets and a pair of amber-colored glasses.
Vice Squad and ‘Arsenal’ Seized in Raids
Camden Courier-Post —
The arsenal collected by Camden’s special vice squad in raids on three East Camden houses today is shown above. Members of the squad are shown with various exhibits, including repeating rifles, shotguns and revolvers. From left to right they are Detectives Walter Smith, Vernon Jones, Lieutenant Walter Welch, Joseph Mardini, Theodore Guthrie, James Paradise and Howard Smith. Four men and two women were arrested in the raids, and are being held on suspicion of being members of the bandit “mob” which conducted eight large holdups, netting them $25,000, and murdered an alleged Camden beer runner.
—Courier-Post Photo
Military System Adopted for Cops
Camden Evening Courier —
Dickinson Makes District Heads Responsible for Men; Vice Squad Disbanded
Following closely upon the heels of disbanding the special vice squad, Major C. V. Dickinson, deputy director of public safety, today announced that the commander of each of the four police districts will be responsible for the conduct of the men under him.
The same system of burden of responsibility existing in military services will be in effect in the Camden police department, the major averred. Each patrolman will be responsible to his sergeant, each sergeant to his lieutenant and the lieutenants to the deputy director.
Major Dickinson, Camden’s new “police czar,” also reiterated that he is demanding strict adherence to the police regulations and rules. One rule requires that no member of the police department, whether he is in uniform or plainclothes, on duty or off, may enter a soft-drink parlor or other drinking resorts “except in the strict commission of duty.” He has also informed the police heads to instruct their men to faithfully observe all other rules, including those requiring salutes to superior officers and those regulating neat appearance.
Major Dickinson completely abolished the special vice squad last night, reassigning the remaining five members to other units in the department.
Three of the squad were assigned to special duty and will work directly under Major Dickinson. They will be stationed in his offices at city hall and will take orders from him alone.
They are Detectives Theodore Guthrie, former head of the squad; James Paradise and Clarence Bunker. Guthrie and Paradise both live in the Sixth ward, the home bailliwick of Major Dickinson, while Bunker lives in the Thirteenth ward, within a few blocks of the residence of Dr. Rhone.
Of the two remaining members, Howard Smith is assigned to detective headquarters and Clarence Arthur was ordered to report to the Fourth Police District today in uniform. Smith, a resident of the Second ward, will take up his new position at 4 p. m. today. Arthur was appointed to the police department from the Third ward.
Other Changes Made
Two other changes in the department were announced yesterday by Major Dickinson. Henry Lutz, a patrolman in the Second district, was appointed a member of the mounted squad under Sergt. Clarence Thorn. John Kowal, who was an acting district detective in the Fourth district, was shifted to police headquarters as a member of the bandit chaser crew stationed there.
The vice squad was formed by Police Chief Lewis H. Stehr on May 26 after a series of holdups had been perpetrated. The squad originally consisted of nine men, but gradually became smaller as the members were reassigned to the various districts.
An order was sent to all district commanders compelling members of the department on patrol duty to remain in their district until relieved. In order that this may be carried out all policemen must report at their various station houses 15 minutes earlier than previously. Instead of each shift leaving the station houses on the hour they will leave ten minutes sooner thus reaching their districts before the man they are relieving has reported off for the day.
Police rules and regulation books have been issued to all men and they will be expected to “learn the contents by heart,” according to Major Dickinson.
New Cafe Applications
Dr. Rhone, director of Public Safety, announced yesterday that new application forms for 1931 soft drink permits will be made. A drastic change will be made in the forms.
They will delve extensively into the personal character and integrity of the applicant. He will be asked if he is naturalized, and if so when he obtained his final papers. He must tell if he has ever been arrested and the disposition made of his case. He will be asked if any place of a like nature operated by him has ever been raided or padlocked.
If the applicant can satisfactorily answer all questions on the form and his permit granted a $100 fee is charged. The permits will probably be granted the latter part of January, Director Rhone said. He will endeavor to keep the number below 100.
James V. Paradise
Camden Courier-Post —
James V. Paradise, 65, died Saturday after a long illness at his home, 1030 Collings rd. Born in New York City and a Camden resident for 64 years, he was a member of the Camden police force until his retirement in 1943. For the past few years, he was employed as a guard by Acme Stores Co. He was a member of the Sixth Ward Republican Club and the New Jersey Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.
Surviving are his wife, Angelina, and two brothers, Anthony and Paul, of Camden.
Requiem high Mass will be celebrated at 9 a. m. Wednesday at St. Joan of Arc Church. Relatives and friends will meet at 8 o’clock at the Rocco Funeral Home, 4th and Walnut sts., where they may call Tuesday night. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery.