As teenagers,we were too young to walk into a liquor store and buy beer, The purchase was made by proxy or, according to today's terminolgy, "straw purchase". In other words,for a couple of dollars, an adult would make the purchase and give it to us.
As we exited the school's recreation hall, we were faced by a sqad car backing up the street with doors open and another cop running down the sidewalk yelling,"stop or I shoot." With that, the policeman fired a shot in the air and the person stopped and put his hands up.Suddenly,we recognized our friend Pat. As it happened, Pat attempted to make a "straw purchase" and the guy hept the money instead.Not willing to accept it, Pat pulled out a windup Dick Tracey gun that shot sparks and said,"The money or the beer." The man,thinking the gun was real, said,OK" and then went in and called the police instead. Now,the chase began. The parish priest went to the precint to rescue Pat. When he arrived, Pat had the police lined up against the wall and while pointing the DicK Tracey gun at them he said,ala James Cagney, "One move from you dirty screws and I will blow your heads off." The outcome was that Pat had to give up the Dick Tracey gun and told us the story the next day in class. Such was life in Woodlawn during the good old days before The Black P Stone Rangers moved in.

TomC The Kid From Woodlawn