Remembering Detective Sergeant John Nagle and Police Officer Anthony Perri

 

A Robbery Gone Bad

On October 27, 1967 a bank teller at The Northlake Bank activated an alarm when she saw three people wearing ski masks running into the bank. The alarm rang to Northlake Police Department, which was about a block away from the bank.

Del Raine, Gargano and Clifton – armed with carbine and several small automatic weapons – held 15 employees and seven customers at gunpoint. One of the robbers entered the vault and filled a bag with money, and a second one forced tellers to empty their drawers of money into another bag. The robbery reportedly netted about $83,000.

Not even two minutes after entering the bank, one of the gunman saw a police car with Perri and Patrolman Michael Cain inside. The police cruiser pulled into the parking lot with its red lights flashing.

Without warning, the three robbers charged the glass doors and fired through them at the two police officers.

One of the bullets shattered a window of the squad car. Four bullets struck Perri as he crawled out of the car with his shotgun. Lying on the ground, Perri was shot again in the head at close range by one of the gunmen.

Nagle and Patrolman Earnest Hustedt pulled up in another squad car. Both officers were sprayed with bullets. Nagle was fatally shot in the head and abdomen as he stood next to his car.

Gargano and Daniels escaped in a getaway car driven by a female accomplice. Del Raine was shot in the right arm and was taken to the hospital. Gargano and Clifton were captured four days later in Indiana. They were all charged with murder and all pled guilty and were sentenced to 199 years in prison.

Perri was survived by his widow, Antoinette, a son; a daughter; his mother; a brother; and seven sisters. He was buried in Queen of Heaven Cemetery.

Sgt. Nagle was survived by his widow, Marlene; three sons; and his father and mother. He was buried also at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.

Life of Crime

Del Raine, Gargano and Clifton were all career criminals. Del Raine had already served prison time for robbery, burglary, armed robbery, assault and interstate transportation of firearms by a felon prior to the murders of Sgt. Nagle and Officer Perri. Gargano spent his entire adult life either in prison or on parole.

Two weeks prior to murdering Sgt. Nagle and Officer Perri, Del Raine and Gargano attempted to kill Canton, Ohio Police Officers Nick Nitzu and Earl Schoenman. On Friday, October 13, 1967, Del Raine and Gargano were on parole and armed with guns. They went into the Canton A& P Store in hopes of committing yet another robbery. While the robbers were holding the clerk and customers at gunpoint, Officer Nitzu and Officer Schoenman drove up in their police cruiser. Gargano and Del Raine saw the police officers and started shooting at them. Nitzu took a bullet to the back and Schoenman suffered five gunshot wounds. Gargano and Del Raine then fled the scene. Officers Nitzu and Schoenman were rushed to the hospital, and they both survived. Charges were never filed due to the fact no one believed Gargano and Del Raine would ever be granted parole after they killed Detective Sergeant Nagle and Officer Perri.

One Dead, Two Eligible For Parole

One of the cop killers, Clifton O. Davis, died in prison.

Unbelievably, the second cop killer, Henry Michael Gargano, was granted parole by The U.S. Parole Commission. Neither the officers families nor the Northlake Police Department was notified of the parole hearing. The Northlake Police Department adamantly opposed Gargano’s release. Gargano’s parole has now been postponed pending a “special consideration hearing” to consider new “adverse information.”

The third cop killer, Ronald Del Raine, faces his next parole hearing in 2012.

Update: Ronald Del Raine died in federal prison on May 27, 2012. Henry Gargano died in federal prison on October 13, 2011. Justice has been served. Thank you to everyone who submitted letters to block these paroles.Rest In Peace Det. Sgt. Nagle and Officer Perri. You will never be forgotten.