One visitor to the Gemini in its heyday was Richard Kuklinski, the contract killer, who became a close working associate of Roythat's after . In 1927, Joe E. Lewis was a top singer and comedian appearingat Chicago's Green Mill Night Club. . In the 1960s the bar was frequented by many. . Spillane was #1 on Jimmys hit list and he tried for years to kill him. Law enforcement experts have said that more than 100 individuals were lured to their deaths in the apartment. They took part in almost all of the killings that took place in the apartment behind the bar. Barboza would go into the witness protection program and be moved to San Francisco. When the thug pointed to a man leaving the apartment build and identified him as the target Magoon drove past him, turned around, and as they passed the man for the second time Parisi shot him multiple times. Gaggi ordered the hit on Rothenberg while DeMeo followed through by leading him down a Long Island alley and shooting him in the head. 10 of The Mob's Most Deadliest Hitmen . The Gemini Lounge. But Sullivan had no hesitation about going into enemy territory to kill his victims. In 1968 Harrelson was paid the sum of $2,000 to kill a Texas grain dealer named Sam Degelia, for which he was tried with the result of a hung jury. After graduation he set up a practice in St. Louis, often offering free dental services for those unable to pay for them. In fact he was actually convicted of killing 43 people and confessed to killing over 70. A Brooklyn building that once housed the infamous Gemini Lounge where Gambino crime-family soldiers carried out countless, unspeakable mob murders has become the Flatlands Church of God . When Jimmy and his crew murdered connected loan shark Ruby Stein, Coonan found himself in hot water with the Gambinos. When Coonan saw Whitey and 3 others head out to smoke a joint, he stalked them out and shot Whitehead in front of all the witnesses. After Buchalter ordered the elimination of several Murder Inc. associates and other low-level mobsters who could implicate him in multiple murders and other crimes, some gangsters turned to the authorities, offering information for protection. DeMeo owned a Brooklyn tavern at 4021 Flatlands Ave. that he named the Gemini Lounge. In 1940 Abe Reles was picked up on suspicion of murder and decided to cooperate by describing the activities and organization of Murder Inc. Abbandando was arrested for the murder of George Rudnick, who had been killed in a Brooklyn garage in 1937. Roy, the most prolific mob killer of all time, became a mentor to Jimmy. What was the Vincent Mangano family would become the Anastasia family, which would eventually become the Gambino family. Bobby Belucci's (Emile Hirsch) life falls apart after he discovers his wife (Ashley Greene) is having an affair. 267. The Gemini Lounge was a bar and at one time the headquarters of a notorious Gambino Mafia Family crew headed by Roy DeMeo that is suspected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of between 75-200 murders from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. Pittsburg Phil was the go to guy for Murder Incorporated when they wanted someone swiftly eliminated. Roy DeMeo was born to working-class Italian parents on Sept. 7, 1940, in New York City. Martin Scorsese. Roy DeMeo was a made-man in the Gambino Crime Family. Murder Inc. ran like a fine oiled machine for years, smoothly and quietly eliminating any problems. The most famous hit they did was the one on notorious gangster Dutch Schultz. And one hitman even came up with a unique method of killing that allowed him to get away with more than 200 murders in the mid-20th century. Anthony Spilotro was so ruthlessly effective as a Mafia enforcer and killer that, in 1971, he was sent to Las Vegas to oversee the Chicago mob's casino cash skimming and criminal operations in the rapidly expanding gambling mecca. Menu. The use of Murder Inc. by the Italians and the relative lack of resistance of the Purple Gang signaled the end of the latter as the dominant element of the Detroit underworld, and from that time on the Syndicate assumed control of the criminal element in Detroit. When it was decided that Roy would be killed, the job went to the twins who symbolically put a bullet behind each of Roys ears. There was evidence that he had tried to lower himself using a rope made of bedsheets to the fifth-floor window below, but it was likely planted. There must have been many times that Dracula couldnt take a shower because the bathroom had a current operation going on. Reles was a short but powerfully built man, who built a crew in Ocean Hill and Brownsville which eventually dominated the illegal gambling, bootlegging, extortion, and loansharking rackets, eliminating their rivals through murdering them. A Brooklyn building that once housed the infamous Gemini Lounge where Gambino crime-family soldiers carried out countless, unspeakable mob murders has become the Flatlands Church of God, drawing faithful every Sunday to sing praises to the Almighty. Killed so nephew could take over business property. Privacy Policy. He was convicted of the murder and sent to death row in Sing Sing. He would take risks that no one else was willing to take. They later became known as the Gemini twins because they were always together hanging out at their boss Roy DeMeos bar, the Gemini Lounge. EXCLUSIVE: Emile Hirsch (Once Upon a Time In Hollywood) has signed on to star alongside actor-director Danny A. Abeckaser in his latest feature, The Engineer. Roy DeMeo was born to working-class Italian parents on Sept. 7, 1940, in New York City. The increasing influence of the Italian mafia placed it in direct conflict with the Purple Gang. Roys bullet riddled and frozen body was found stuffed in his trunk under a chandelier in January 1983. Roy DeMeo began his career in crime by developing a loansharking business while he was still in high school. More than once, he bit chunks out of a debtors face off as punishment. . The onetime underboss of the flying street gang on pell street in NYC fox. Throughout the '20s, Al Capone battled George "Bugs" Moran for control of Chicago's organized crime operations, especially bootlegging and alcohol sales. Millman had previously been involved in disputes with another member of the Detroit Partnership, Pete Licavoli, a close friend of Bommaritos. Eduardo Razo. Tommy Pitera was a kid who grew up idolizing Bruce Lee. Jimmy was a teenager at the time and the incident had a lasting effect on him. He soon started doing killings for the Bonannos. At 6-feet-5-inchesand nearly 300 pounds, Kuklinskiwas also physically well suited to his chosen vocation. The five police officers who were guarding him were demoted after Reless death. DeMeo and Gaggi were extorting pornography mogul Paul Rothenberg, who had been questioned by authorities about a litany of suspicious payments. With his contract about to expire, he accepted a much more lucrative offer to appear at the Rendez-VousCafe. He worked for the Jewish section of Murder Inc., run by Lepke Buchalter. The Gemini Lounge cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. He was battered and had money stuffed in his mouth and anus when he was found, a message was sent. The Inside Story Of The Syndicate Killing Machine Available on Amazon. It was his work as a butchers assistant, however, that became his true calling card as he perfected a form of dismemberment that the Mafia had a need for. Charles Harrelson, the father of American actor Woody Harrelson, was a killer for hire. In 1973, The UpStairs Lounge was a gay bar located directly above the Jimini Bar. It was his work as a butcher's assistant, however . Although Harrelson was convicted of the judges murder he claimed that he did not kill him, but merely claimed to in order to collect his fee. True Crime. Dubbed the "Ice Man" by law enforcement, they eventually connected him to the murders of five people, mostly his friends and business associates, and he was sentenced to life in prison in 1988. Reles gave prosecutors information regarding scores of murders and their perpetrators, including Buchalter, Abbandando, Louis Capone (no relation to Al Capone) and several more, all of whom were convicted and sent to the electric chair. The things that went on there in the 1970s and early 1980s was like a never ending horror film. Curley was a friend of both Jimmy and another vicious gangster named Eddy The Butcher Cummisky. The body parts were then bagged and thrown out with the garbage. Within a few hours, the police arrested Magoon at the safe house. In this video, we get into some of the murders they committed and what ultimately happened to them. Keep reading below to see some of the most violent murders ever committed by the Mafia. If this list was about facilitating murders, Anastasia and Lepke Buchalter would rank 1st and 2nd. Eventually though through paranoia and deceitful behavior the world came crashing down. Then the body would be deposited in a bathtub where it would bleed out as much as possible. By the late 1930s, his luck avoiding conviction was running out. Avola knew that the bosses were likely to have him killed. It was the front half of a two-story brick building located on a corner lot at 4021 Flatlands . After all the blood is down the drain, they would saw the body up right there in the tub, or lay it out on a tarp. It became a very organized process. Kuklinskiquickly became involved in Gambinopornographybootlegging, collections, and, occasionally, contract murders. Gaggi promised DeMeo far more money if he worked for him and his boss, Paul Castellano. Anyone that doubled crossed him would be lured to the Gemini Lounge. A hundred men were convicted because of Avolas testimony. The killing of Caponigro was a commission sanctioned hit, and Sullivan was the man they chose for the job. 'The Day The Music Died': Inside The Tragic Story Of Buddy Holly's Death, The Most Shocking Christopher Columbus Facts That The History Books Ignore, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Advertisement 5. Killed so nephew could take over business property. Multiple witnesses said that Coonan and Eddy both got drunk at a bar after hours with the head propped up on top of the bar. Divorce lawyers are frequently the target of hired killers, as are business associates, lovers and ex-lovers, perceived enemies and the targets of grudges, and those who will pass on large estates or insurance settlements. One time he killed a man named Harold Whitey Whitehead at a bar in a spur of the moment rage. March 14, 2022. The same guy who lied on the stand about the # of murders he did and he also denied ever dealing drugs which Anthony Casso totally contradicted since Gaspipe sold Sammy Gravano dope, coke and weed. Coonan and Cummisky killed and then dismembered Dugan. When boss Joey Aiuppa was sent to prison in the spring of 1986, he ordered that Spilotro be killed. Professional Reviews. His methods were diverse and includedstabbing, shooting, blunt force trauma, and even employing cyanide from a spray bottle, an especially difficult method to use. The two other killers shot into the pile, too, obliteratingthe victims. Other locations were sometimes used when the victim could not be lured to the Gemini Lounge. A second trial in 1973 led to his conviction and a five to fifteen-year sentence, and he was released in 1978. Albert had his first known kill at 19 years old when he bludgeoned and beat a man named George Turino to death on the docks. 10 Celebs Who Nearly Got Killed. He often stayed in town an extra day so he could get a copy of the next days paper, where he could read the headlines about his deed. They took part in almost all of the killings that took place in the apartment behind the bar. He would freeze his dead victims in an industrial freezer, sometimes for years, before thawingand dumping them, completely obscuring their actual date of death. Where do we find this stuff? 2022 - April: The film was set to Pre-Production status. He also killed Spillane associate Tom The Greek Kapatos. He is most famous for being portrayed by actor Ray Liotta in the 1990 blockbuster movie, Goodfellas as a Lucchese family associate involved in several high profile robberies, murders, scandals, and finally as an FBI informant. The victim was then dragged to a bathtub and the blood drained. When Murder Inc. killers inadvertently murdered the wrong man a crackdown, including protection deals for informants, spearheaded by Thomas E. Dewey led to its demise. Reles crew became the core of Murder Inc. after it attracted the attention of Louis Buchalter, and was used by the syndicate to carry out the executions ordered by the Five Families and approved when necessary by the Commission. Joe Barboza was Portuguese but still had illusions that he could one day become a made man in the Italian mafia. Over the years the mob have used many social clubs in order to hold meetings, the following are a look at some of the most popular clubs used by the likes of the Gambino's and Genovese crime families, then and now. A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. The potential victim was lured to the Gemini Lounge clubhouse, where he was shot, stabbed in the heart, and then sawed apart. Hitmen, contract killers, guns for hire, and many other descriptions have long been applied to those willing to commit a killing for a profit, and the business has thrived since ancient times. Another member of Murder Incorporated, which was called The Combination by its leader, Louis Buchalter, Frank Abbandando was a contract killer who came to the organization from street gangs in the Ocean Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. In a perpetual struggle over illegal power and money, murder is practically an occupational hazard. At least one time he axed a man to death in the middle of a movie theater. Vertical Entertainment has secured North American rights to "The Gemini Lounge," a mob thriller set in the world of "the DeMeo crew," a crime family who reigned over New York in the '60 Albert made the call to Midnight Roses Candy Store and then the team would go to work. His specialty weapon was an icepick and hes also used an axe but he generally used what was available since it was the 1930s. Their body parts were then wrapped in plastic, placed into cardboard boxes and dumped at a landfill on Fountain Avenue. 7. There he would stalk his prey before finishing them at the most opportune moment. ! Castellano now viewed DeMeo as a loose end and ordered none other than Gaggi to kill him. Strauss was always eager and willing to do a job and Murder Inc. had unlimited work for him. Jerry Capeci is considered one of the world's foremost authorities on the Mafia and organized crime. Download Right click and do "save link as". After the murders and disbandment of the DeMeo Crew, the Gemini twins shifted their alliances over from the Gambinos to the Lucchese crime family under Anthony Gaspipe Casso. Geminis Are Highly Adaptable. Reles had served other terms as a youth, including one in which he was sent to a juvenile workhouse and reform school for a term of two years. The Cabinet of Dr Mystery. Usually, his bonus was $500. The crew loansharked, sold drugs, extorted businesses and individuals, shook down other drug dealers and did contract killings. Greg Finley joins crime thriller 'Gemini Lounge'. Within a short time, Pitera was a very skilled martial artist. Then they all went back in the bar and kept drinking. He also worked as a collector, and when asked, as an executioner. Cookie Notice The Gemini Lounge was a bar and at one time the headquarters of a notorious Gambino Mafia Family crew headed by Roy DeMeo that is suspected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of between 75-200 murders from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. If the plan needs to change to fit the situation then Geminis are able to do so. Some enjoyed killing so much they couldnt even stop after they became FBI informants. After appearing on numerous crime documentaries discussing his methods and life, Kuklinski died in prison in 2006. Method: Shot and stabbed to death. The chilling murders committed by the members of Murder Inc. are frightening in the cold-blooded manner in which they were performed, but no more or less so than those committed by others every day, all around the world. It was one mans word against the other and the judge directed acquittal. Reenacted in the 1995 film Casino, Spilotro kidnapped Billy McCarthy, another criminal who found himself at odds with the mob. He acquired the nickname Dasher while in custody. The group run by Roy Demeo and Nino Gaggi killed dozens and possibly hundreds of people by various methods but ultimately through a process they used in the Gemini Lounge. Spilotro was assigned to discipline the individuals responsible for this transgressionand he quickly identified the professional theft ring involved. McCarthy gave up his partner's name and Spilotro rewarded him by slitting his throat. When the Gambino Family was looking to have Wilfred Willie Boy Johnson killed, they called on Tommy Pitera as outside help. They left him to bleed out. This is where he and his crew did a good majority of their hits. And Strauss was sent out to do many killings around the country. Reles testimony was corroborated by other gangsters cooperating with the authorities in the hope of leniency, but Abbandando denied everything. As the victim struggled, theyd painfully choke themselves to death. Harry Millman was a member of a predominately Jewish Detroit organized crime group called the Purple Gang. BigPapiFrmMexico Gemini Lounge . When the Outfit suspected that one William "Action" Jacksonhadturned informer to the feds, he was assigned to Spilotro, who tortured him for two days. Reles was in protective custody at the Half Moon Hotel, on the morning of November 12, 1941, the day he was scheduled to testify at Anastasias trial for the murder of a longshoreman. The Gemini Method required one crew member to rapidly wrap a towel around that bullet wound as another stabbed the victim in the heart to stop blood flow. He named his refined method after the Gemini Lounge, a bar he owned. Sullivan took out a couple of Irish boss Mickey Spillanes top lieutenants. Abbandando was accused of several rapes, but was never convicted of one. He smuggled China white heroin into the city in the 80s. 1. . Officially it was declared an accidental death, but rumors that the guards were bribed by Frank Costello and that Reles was pushed out the window began immediately. Murder for hire has existed throughout history and will continue as long as there are those who desire someone dead enough to be willing to pay for it and those who find no difficulty in accomplishing the deed. DeMeo eventually fell into disfavor with the mob as the FBI investigated the number of missing persons who had last been seen either in the company of members of his crew or entering the Gemini Lounge. After revealing his real identity to a friend there, word got back to the Boston gangsters where Barboza was. The national crime Syndicate was born shortly afterwards, headed by Lucky of course. He was beaten, sliced up with knives and razor blades, burned with a blowtorch, had his skin ripped off of his 300-pound frame, and ultimately hung by the rectum with a meat hook until his heart gave out. And mob murders are some of the grisliest to take place because they are meant to send a message. From his earnings he purchased an extensive and flashy wardrobe, preferring dark suits and expensive silk ties, shoes with spats, and costly watches and other jewelry. The victim would then be taken to a back room of the club. Jimmy Coonan is a ruthless Hells Kitchen Irish mobster. Hes done a few interviews over the years where he has been candid about his crimes. Donald Williams, pastor of the mob killing-field-turned-Pentecostal church at Flatlands . Abe Reles would end up mysteriously . This would eventually be Kuklinski's undoing. Harrelson died in prison in 2007. They eventually called the hit off when Cuomo came with an army of bodyguards and a bulletproof car to travel in. The crew was suspected to be involved in 75 to 200 murders throughout the mid-1970s and into the 1980s. Danton pleaded guilty to the charges but later changed his position, claiming that the target was not to have been Frost, but instead Dantons father, Steven Jefferson, from whom Danton was estranged. Reportedly, hundreds of wise guys never left the bar at all, unless you count the garbage pickup. After his partner Frank Gangi flipped, he was able to lead police to a mafia graveyard in Staten Island. His services were available to anyone who could pay the price. Caution: They're disturbing.) This classic was written by prosecutor Burton Turkus Murder Inc. Buchalter also ordered the elimination of several gangsters who were threatened with prosecution, fearing that they would provide the authorities with information tying him to hundreds of murders and other crimes. Joe Sullivan was possibly the most brazen and fearless hitman in modern history. Born in Catania in 1962, this hitman killed an estimated 80 victims for the Santapaolo family of the Sicilian mafia. Roy DeMeos murderous Gemini Method saw victims dismembered and packaged into boxes. Here are our sources: When Big Heist Is Pulled, A Trail Of Death Follows, by Nicholas Pileggi, The Chicago Tribune, March 19, 1986, The Valachi Papers, by Peter Maas, 1986, We Only Kill Each Other: the Life and Bad Times of Bugsy Siegel, by Dean Southern Jennings, 1967, I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank The Irishman Sheeran and the Inside Story of the Mafia, the Teamsters, and the Last Ride of Jimmy Hoffa, by Charles Brandt, 2004, Murder Inc.: The Story of The Syndicate' by Burton B. Turkus and Sid Feder, 2003, Abe Reles Killed Trying to Escape, by staff reporters, The New York Times, November 13, 1941, Kill the Dutchman: The Story of Dutch Schultz, by Paul Sann, online, How Prohibition made Detroit a Bootleggers Dream Town, by Jenny Nolan, The Detroit News, June 15, 1999, THIS WEEK IN SOUTHSIDE HISTORY: Southside dentist left trail of murder victims, by Jim Merkel, Saint Louis Post-Dispatch, September 22, 2009, fell from the window in his room on the sixth floor, most powerful group in the Detroit underworld. When he was growing up, a man named Mickey Spillane was the long time boss of the local mob. Privacy Policy. Lucky was making maneuvers to put himself at the top of the New York mafia, and in 1931 he did just that with the help of his young assassin Albert Anastasia. When he was he was tried for the murder and acquitted. When discussing his number of killings, the variation gets wild. Suspected in several additional murders, he was convicted of five, the first three in 1985, and two additional convictions in 1999. . Maybe no building in America has more demons than 4021 Flatlands Avenue in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, New York. The decision to dress some of the assassins in police uniforms proved to be wise, as gang members grumbled but felt intimidated enough to agree to line up against a wall for what they presumed would be petty arrests. Anthony was also killed before he could say a prayer. Abbandando and Reles, besides working as contract killers for the Five Families, took steps to eliminate the members of the rival Shapiro gang, a group of mostly Jewish gangsters who encroached on some of their own rackets in Brownsville. Not sure if this has been posted but I have never seen the interior of the apartment until now. Coonan would rack up dozens of hits on his way up and during his reign as Westies boss. A few years later, Roy DeMeo himself got in hot water with his Gambino bosses. and our He had barely graduated from high school when he became a loan shark. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Michael was tackled, a rope was placed around his neck, andhe was strangled, kicked, and beaten. Library of Congress. Steven Spielberg, Kate Capshaw donate USD 1 million to Ukraine relief. If you want more great crime and mafia content, go check my podcast \"The Sitdown\" here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sit-down-a-mafia-history-podcast/id1561478045ALSO CHECK OUT MY FRIENDS AT www.omertamia.com for everything in Mafia inspired clothing, stickers, art and more. The same year he was hired by a drug dealer to execute the federal judge before which the drug dealer was to be tried. Taraji P Henson to star and produce film 'Time Alone'. After establishing loan-sharking headquarters at his Gemini Lounge in Brooklyn, he shipped scores of stolen luxury cars to Kuwait, distributed drugs (one of his crew was the chief supplier of cocaine at Studio 54), and wholesaled child pornography. The Westies and Gambino Family Connection. Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #geminilounge, #geminiqueen, #gemini_queen, #queengemini, # . Magoon was then a witness in other trials of Murder Inc. hitmen, providing evidence which led to several more convictions. The Deadliest Mafia Hitmen In History And The Gruesome Stories Behind Them. Magoon was known as Blue Jaw among his colleagues, because of his appearing to constantly be in need of a shave. Roy Albert DeMeo was an Italian-American mobster in the Gambino crime family of New York City. The Purple Gang rose in the 1920s, challenging Al Capones operations there during Prohibition and became notorious for their violence and their brutality. By the end of the 1960s, DeMeo had a well-established crew within the Gambino family. He set his sights on taking over the entire west side, and decided he would eliminate anyone who got in his way. Avola shared later on that there was a plot to target former New York governor Mario Cuomo. Kuklinski claimed to have been responsible for DeMeo's murder, although the available evidence and testimony points to the murderers being fellow DeMeo crew associates Joseph Testa and Anthony . Anastasia participated in the murders of both Joe The Boss Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano, the two leaders of warring factions that ran New York. As they entered the basement, a dozen men were waiting for them. It was named for the Gemini Lounge, the frequent hangout spot of DeMeo and his associates. In a world where violence is practically second nature, these are some of the most brutal killers and gruesome murders associated with the Mafia. This is when the real work began, the body would be hung upside down in the tub for a couple hours to drain the blood out. Kuklinski also employed an additional processto thwart investigators. They each had their own tool kits that they would bring, consisting of different knives and other devices used to cut a body apart. Below are 10 of the most notorious mafia hitmen with a little bit of a background story for each one. When the mafia needed a piece of work done, they could always count on the ruthless Sullivan. His murder had been authorized by the head of the Gambino family, Paul Castellano, who was eventually indicted for it and many other crimes, but he was executed at the order of John Gotti while he was on bail during his trial. One murder led so easily to another that soon the ``Gemini method'' was used on anybody who . The New England mafia was led by Raymond Patriarca. Book Overview. Unfortunately for the FBI, Barboza was later exposed as a liar. Joey and Anthony were there for just about every killing and dismemberment that took place in the apartment behind the Gemini. Roy DeMeo emerging from Dracula's apartment, with unknown associate. One thing the martial arts did not do was put Pitera on a positive path in his personal life. Phils lounge was in Brooklyn, New York. Body dismembered. Biography. Method: Shot and stabbed to death. MafiaHitters.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Maurizio Avola was arrested after a murder in 1993. He headed a group referred to as the "DeMeo crew", which became notorious for the large number of murders they committed and for the grisly way they disposed of the bodies, which became known as "the Gemini Method". Sammy The Bull Gravano confessed to 19 murders. The shooter was nearly always Roy DeMeo, according to the testimony of eyewitnesses who later cooperated with authorities. The death house was an apartment over a joint called the Gemini Lounge in Canarsie, Brooklyn. In either event, Reles beat the man severely, for which he was sent to prison for a brief term in the 1930s. Despite his participation in dozens of murders, Avola is actually going to be a free man again very soon. The first attempt to kill Millman was through a bomb in his car, which detonated, blowing out the windows and leaving the cars roof on the roof of a five-story building, but Millman was not in the car at the time. The process was called the Gemini Method, named after the crew's popular hangout spot, the Gemini Lounge where most of the murders happened. where does james crowder live,