pulps
Detective Magazine Cover: "Vendetta en Chicago"
This Spanish-language pulp serial, "Vendetta en Chicago," concerns a warehouse robbery and murder in Chicago's Jefferson Market. A cashier named Joan Fields witnesses five gunmen shooting three employees—William Parker, Clarence Boyd, and Franklin Curtis—during an armed holdup. Lieutenant Davidson interrogates witnesses, but most provide minimal descriptions; the perpetrators escape in a black Buick with no visible license plate. Detective Bruno Scarlatti, a Sicilian-American officer, accuses Sergeant John Carruthers of corruption, alleging he receives bribes from crime boss Nando Stressa in exchange for protection. Scarlatti presents evidence: three similar robberies occurred when Carruthers was on duty (May 7, May 20, June 11), each involving five gunmen; Carruthers visited Stressa's speakeasy days after each crime; and one perpetrator exhibits a distinctive trigger-happy signature—excessive shots to victims' backs. Scarlatti identifies the Simone brothers and others as Stressa's employees. Davidson warns Scarlatti that without concrete proof, pursuing this accusation risks his career, but grants him investigative latitude.