Over the span of a few short months in 1931, 19-year old Francis Crowley was on the minds of everyone from the Bronx out to Long Island. Known for always packing an extra pistol and steeped in life on the streets, Crowley conducted a crime spree that culminated in North Merrick with the murder of Nassau County Patrolman Fred Hirsch. On today’s episode, Jerry Aylward relates the whole story as detailed in his book, Francis “Two Gun” Crowley’s Killings in New York City & Long Island (History Press, 2020).

Aylward, a former Nassau County detective and criminal investigator for the Department of Homeland Security, provides a look at Crowley’s life of petty crime: boosting cars, sticking up drugstores, and haunting the dance halls of Depression-era New York. He also details the work of the Nassau County police, founded in 1925, as they confronted the rising violence around them.

Further Research

• Francis “Two Gun” Crowley’s Killings in New York City & Long Island
• Jerry Aylward home page
• Patrolman Fred S. Hirsch
• Boy Gunman Caught in New York City (YouTube)
• Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/
• Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0