Dragnet: The Big Broad 01/15/1957

Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio

In this classic episode of 'Dragnet,' Detective Sgt. Friday investigates a series of robberies committed by a male-female duo known as 'The Big Broad.' The case centers on a liquor

Key takeaways

• The duo's modus operandi involves coordinated robberies with one member distracting while the other takes control.

Main topics

• Criminal investigation
• Robbery tactics

Notable quotes

"They've been doing the same thing for a couple of weeks. I don't understand it." – Charles Osborne

Conclusion

The episode concludes with the arrest and confession of Geraldine Winston, who

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) Welcome to Choice Classic Radio, where we bring to you the greatest old-time radio shows. Like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, and thank you for donating at choiceclassicradio.com. Speaker 4 (0:13) The Speaker 3 (0:23) story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Speaker 1 (0:28) Drag men. Speaker 3 (0:37) You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail. A pair of thieves has been terrorizing the merchants in your city. They're described as a man and a woman. From their actions, you know they're capable of murder. Your job, stop them. Speaker 7 (0:55) It was Wednesday, July 23rd. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the night watch out a robbery detail. My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Chief of Detectives Stab Brown. My name's Friday. I was on my way back from the main jail and it was 8.16 p.m. when I got to room 27A. Robbery detail. Speaker 6 (1:12) Hi, Slats. Joe, any Speaker 7 (1:14) word from Frank? Yeah, I talked to Skipper this morning. He said they were having a little trouble with that extradition. Anything big? No, I guess not. Chief Brown said the authorities back in St. Louis would get it straightened out. Frank ought to be back in the middle next week. Mm-hmm. Skipper said he wants me to work with you on that liquor store thing. Speaker 6 (1:28) Gaffney and I can use some help. We've run down just about every lead there is. They all Speaker 7 (1:32) end up in the same place. Well, I got a little of it. You want to fill me in on the rest? Speaker 6 (1:35) Yeah. Speaker 5 (1:37) Hot shot, I'll get it. Speaker 6 (1:45) You can get it firsthand. Yeah? They just scored again. Speaker 7 (1:53) Sergeant Slats Henry, Tom Gapme, and I went downstairs to the carpool. We took out our robbery car and we rolled on the call code 3. It took us a little over 10 minutes to get to the corner of Alexandria and Burns Avenue. The place that had reported being robbed was a small neighborhood liquor store. By the time we'd gotten there, a radio card answered the call and a felony car from Hollywood Division had gotten there. While Gaffney talked with the men in the felony car, Slats and I went inside the store to see the victim. The uniformed officer who was with him told us that the elderly man's name was Charles Osborne. We got what information the officer had been able to get and while he went to his unit to get out a broadcast on the suspects, Slats and I talked to Osborne. Speaker 4 (2:31) Well, there's much to tell. I guess they worked it the same way they've been doing. Just the way Art tells the papers. Speaker 6 (2:37) The same. There were two of them, were there? Yeah, a man and a woman, two. Might be better if you told us just exactly what happened. Speaker 4 (2:43) Well, just pick up any paper. It's all there. They've been doing the same thing for a couple of weeks. I don't understand it. I don't. What's that, Mr. Osborne? Well, these two just walk into any store and take what they want. You guys don't seem to be able to stop them. You go great guns after they've held up somebody, then you're great. But where are you when they're doing the robbing, huh? Where are you then? Where? Speaker 7 (3:04) Well, if you'll just calm down here and tell us what happened, we might be able to do something about it. Speaker 4 (3:08) Oh. Well, they come in just like always. About what time was that? Well, it must have been around eight. I was a little too busy to look at my watch. Do you want to go ahead? Well, there was two of them, man and the woman. Yes, sir. Man and the woman stood over there at the door. Woman walked right up here at the counter, right up, stood there. First off, I thought she had a cold or something. Wasn't long that thought held on, though. No, sir, not long at all. Yes, sir. Turned out to be a mask. Actually, you know, right across here. Right here across her face. About that time, of course, I realized that something was wrong, you know. Anybody walks into a store with a mask on, they don't mean no good. Oh, none. Speaker 7 (3:53) Yes, sir. Did you get a good look at the pair before they put the masks on? Speaker 4 (3:56) No, sir, not at all. No, no. They had them kind of up over their mouths when they come in, kind of like they was going to call for something. Then they took their hands away, and I could see that the handkerchief was tied right on. Tied. Yes, sir. Do you want to go ahead? Well, this woman come over to the counter and asked me for a bottle of Canadian whiskey. Just as calm as can be. I spot right out. I walked over, you see, there. Yeah, that's where I keep the Canadian stuff. And got a bottle. I Speaker 7 (4:24) see. Speaker 4 (4:25) Got it right down and I turned around. There she was, just standing there with a mask on. Had it tied right around. Tied. Speaker 7 (4:33) Yes, sir. What happened then? Speaker 4 (4:34) Well, I asked her what the big idea was. I thought that maybe there was playing a little joke, you see. They was. But it was on me. Woman told me to put the bottle in the paper bag and put the money in the bag, too. Told me to open the register and just put all the money right in the bag. Did Speaker 5 (4:51) you see if they were armed? Speaker 4 (4:53) No wonder you haven't caught them. Speaker 7 (4:55) Sir? Speaker 4 (4:56) You got a life-size picture of me giving them the money if there wasn't an arm. You got that kind of idea? Speaker 7 (5:02) Well, sir, we just want to know if they had guns. Speaker 4 (5:04) Well, of Speaker 7 (5:04) course they had guns. Did you see them? Speaker 4 (5:07) Well, naturally. Right out in the open. No, no, no, no. Wait, wait, wait a second. Come right down to it. I didn't actually see them. The fellow, he was at the door over there. He had his hand in his pocket. She had her hand in a purse, see, like this. You see? Like this, kind of. Come right down to it, I didn't really see them, no. But I'm sure they was there, I'm sure. Speaker 7 (5:33) Yes, sir. Well, what happened after the woman asked for the money? Speaker 4 (5:36) Well, her and the fellow just told me not to move for five minutes. Had me to keep real still. That I wouldn't get hurt. I just took it easy. And they left the store. Speaker 7 (5:46) Did they walk away from the place? Speaker 4 (5:48) Oh, no, no, sir. They had a car parked right out in front. Right in front. Got into that and roared down the street. I counted to a hundred by ones and then called you. Did the uniformed officer get a description? Yes, he did. Right off. Speaker 7 (6:04) All right, Mr. Osborne, if you'd give us a description of the pair. Speaker 4 (6:07) Well, the woman was about, oh, maybe five foot three. Around in there, waiting around, oh, 130. Just flaming red. Had blue eyes. What color were Speaker 7 (6:19) the eyes? Speaker 4 (6:21) Flaming red. Flaming red. I told you that before. Not Speaker 7 (6:23) her eyes. Her eyes. Speaker 4 (6:25) Yes. Her eyes. Oh, I'm all confused here. Well, her eyes were blue. Yes, sir. That's how I knew that. Hair was bright red. What was she wearing? Oh, had on a kind of barrette. Green. Kind of green coat, red purse, red shoes, low heel. The front was cut