Introduction
Louis J. Tortu was born Luigi Tortu on February 17, 1916. He was living at 426 Line Street at the end of 1937. In December of that year he was arrested and questioned the month before regarding another series of robberies along with Evelyn Buffa (or Buffalo), Frank Luggi, Nicholas Dandrea, and Frederick Gasperone. Tortu and Buffalo were released after questioning, the other three were held for the grand jury.
In January of 1938 Luigi Tortu and Evelyn Buffa were again questioned by police, this time in connection with an armed robbery of a poker game at a home on Penn street where Angelo Malagas was mortally wounded. He was eventually cleared of any involvement in the incident.
Louis Tortu was last a resident of Riverton NJ. He passed away on March 3, 2001.
Cops Find No Trace of Man Identified as One of Bandits
Camden Courier-Post —
One of Pair Shot During Robbery Struggle in Serious Condition
8 HELD AS WITNESSES
Camden detectives and police of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware, are hunting for a suspect in the holdup of a card game at 725 Penn street, early yesterday, in which two men were wounded, one seriously. The identity of the suspect is known and local detectives who visited his haunts yesterday found the man had disappeared.
With him at the time of the hold-up was another bandit, whose identity police do not know. While this search is in progress, Angelo Margolis, 38, of 1110 Langham avenue, is in Cooper Hospital, shot through the arm, and in a serious condition from loss of blood, received in a battle with the robbers.
Ross Pandeladia, 37, owner of a restaurant at 6846 Market street, Philadelphia, slightly wounded during the battle that followed the “stickup,” had his burns treated at the Jefferson Hospital and was held as a material witness in $500 bail for a hearing on the case January 18.
Other card players, all held in the same sureties as material witnesses include George Summers, 46, 2592 Baird avenue, known as a “sportsman;” Samuel Bosco, barber shop proprietor on Broadway, whose home is at 811 South Fifth street, while Samuel Ermlios, cook in a restaurant, at whose home the card party was held, was held in $500 ball [sic] as a material witness and also $1000 bonds on the charge of maintaining a disorderly house.
George Caras, 45, of 581 Mickle street; Michael Dandrea, 47, 1667 Norris street; George Matros and his wife, Annie, living at the Penn street house, also were held as material witnesses.
2 Girls, Youth Held in Probe of Fatal Card Game Holdup
Camden Courier-Post —
Arrests in Delair and Here Follow 14-Day Hunt for Dum-Dum Bandit
Two girls and a man are held incommunicado by the Camden city and county police, pending an official examination of the brain of Angelos Malagas, a restaurant cook. Malagas died in the Cooper Hospital on Sunday, 13 days after he had been the victim of a holdup and alleged assault.
Malagas was one of the victims held up in a card game at 725 Penn street on January 11 and died after making a valiant fight for life.
The three prisoners are Luigi Tortu, 21, of 426 Line street, Camden; Pearl Wills, 18, of 7900 Day street, Delair, and Evelyn Buffa, 18, of 810 Florence street, Camden. Tortu was arrested yesterday in Delair as he was keeping a “date” with the Wills girl. He was seized by Detectives Harry Kyler and Thomas Murphy, of the city detective bureau, and James Mulligan of the county staff.
Second Girl Arrested
The Wills girl also was arrested and after the pair were questioned the sleuths came to Camden where they picked up Miss Buffa.
None of the detectives last night would give an inkling as to the reason for holding the prisoners “on ice,” or if any charges would be preferred against them.
Meanwhile Coroner Franklin P. Jackson III refused to give a certificate of death until the chemical test of Malagas’ brain is made by Philadelphia experts. Dr. David S. Rhone, county physician, sent the organ away yesterday, after Dr. Rhone had performed an autopsy. Dr. Rhone refused to disclose result of the post-mortem at this time.
Malagas’ funeral will be held from his home, 1110 Langham avenue, at 3 p.m. tomorrow, and from the Schroeder home, 715 Cooper street. Burial will be in Locustwood Memorial Park.
Hunted for 13 Days
Thirteen days’ hunt for Tortu came to a climax yesterday when the detectives learned that the young man was calling frequently on the Wills girl at her home. Armed with this information they went to Delair, posted themselves in the vicinity of the Wills’ home and waited for their quarry.
They were there a short time when Tortu appeared and was arrested immediately. The Wills girl and her friend, Miss Buffa, are said to be held as material witnesses, but the detectives refused last night to tell where they were detained.
Two men were identified with the holdup, according to the victims’ story told to the police. A search by the police of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware for the fugitive, who is believed to have severed Malagas’ arm with a “dum dum bullet” has been in progress since the crime was committed.
Also wounded in the holdup was Ross Pandeladia, 37, owner of a restaurant at 6846 Market street, Philadelphia.
Police do not have the identity of the bandit who accompanied Malagas’ assailant. The fugitive suffered a beating about the head with the pistol which was said to have been used on Malagas. Police recovered the weapon at the holdup scene.
The occupant of the place, Samuel Ermlios told police he had merely invited friends to the house for a friendly game, and that when the bandits entered shortly after midnight he and his guests were ordered to line up against the wall and throw their money on the table. More than $600 was taken.
As one of the bandits reached for the money the players struck him over the head with a chair and a struggle for the weapon ensued. The pistol was discharged during the struggle.
Eight material witnesses arrested after the holdup will be recalled to the office of Prosecutor Samuel P. Orlando and re-examined. They are Pandeladia, George Summers, 46, of 2592 Baird avenue; Samuel Bosco, proprietor of a Broadway barber shop; George Caras, 45, of 581 Mickle street; Michael Dandrea, 47, of 1667 Norris street; George Matros, and his wife, Annie, living at the Penn street address, and Mrs. Ermlios.
Tortu was arrested late in December, 1937, when detectives took four suspects whom the police sought to identify with various holdups committed in South Jersey during the latter part of last year.
Tortu then gave his address as 426 Line street. Arrested at the same time was a girl who said she was Evelyn Buffalo, and who gave the address, 322 Penn street, as her home. It was at the Penn street house that the suspects were arrested.
Others captured at the time were Frank Luggi, 21, 322 Penn street; Nicholas Dandrea, 27, of 529 Line street, and Frederick Gasperone, who gave a false address when he was booked.
Justice of the Peace George Wilkinson, of Stratford, held Luggi, Gasperone and Dandrea for the grand jury, on the charge of breaking into the garage of Albert Weston at Stratford on Thanksgiving. Tortu was discharged.
Coroner’s Quiz Ordered In Holdup Victim’s Death
Camden Courier-Post —
Rhone Calls Inquest in Fatality Linked to Card Game Shooting,
SUSPECT NAMED IN $600 ROBBERY
A coroner’s jury will decide the cause of the death of Angelos Malagas, restaurant cook, who was shot during the holdup of a Penn street card game January 11.
County Physician David S. Rhone yesterday ordered Coroner Franklin P. Jackson, 3rd, to conduct an autopsy, and the coroner’s inquest will be held as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Luigi Tortu, 21, of 426 Line street, one of three persons arrested Monday for questioning concerning the holdup, was released.
Coroner Jackson will confer with the prosecutor’s office today in regard to the inquest, it was learned, and an effort will be made to start the procedure at once. The last coroner’s inquest held in Camden county was in 1933, in the death of Thomas Timothy Sullivan, and previous to that none had been held in 25 years.
Choice of Jury Allowed
Under state law, the county physician may order an inquest, with 12 persons on the jury of the coroner’s choosing. The jurymen may be taken from the present panel or be picked at random. Material and police witnesses will be called to testify. The grand jury does not have to indict on the basis of the inquest.
The funeral of Malagas, father of 13 children, was to be held at 3 p.m. today at his home, 1110 Langham avenue, and at the Schroeder home, 715 Cooper street. However, Coroner Jackson said that if it is found necessary, the body will be held.
Coroner Jackson refused to give a certificate of death until the chemical test of Malagas’ brain is made by Philadelphia experts. Dr. Rhone sent the organ away Monday after performing an autopsy, and said a report may not be ready for 10 days. He refused to disclose result of the post-mortem at this time.
Assistant Prosecutor Isaac W.