Old Geezer teaches punks a lesson

[pgg]

Blue Flame owner kills two: Harlem's restaurant supply owner shoots two dead after botched robbery

Blue Flame owner kills two: Harlem's restaurant supply owner shoots two dead after botched robbery
BY Kerry Burke, Alison Gendar and Bill Hutchinson
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Friday, August 14th 2009, 5:07 AM


Keivom/News

Charles Augusto, (in blue shirt and white T-shirt) owner of the Kaplan Brothers Blue Flame Co. is led out after apparently shooting four people with a shotgun during a robbery.

A shotgun-wielding owner of a Harlem restaurant-supply company blasted two robbers to death and wounded two others on Thursday when he caught them pistol-whipping his employee, police said.

Turning the tables on the brutish bandits, 72-year-old Charles (Gus) Augusto opened fire with a 12-gauge shotgun he kept handy for such occasions, cops and witnesses said.

"He's been robbed before, so I'm not totally amazed," said Stefany Blyn, who rents a space above the store from Augusto.

"They ran into some tough stuff today," witness Vernon McKenzie, 48, said of the stickup men, including one whose bloody corpse was splayed on the sidewalk in front of Augusto's store on W. 125th St. near Amsterdam Ave.

The robbers stormed into the business, Kaplan Brothers Blue Flame, just after 3 p.m. demanding cash.

"He did a large cash business," a police source said. "They were probably watching the place and made a move after a sell."

Neighbors said Augusto, who was not charged last night, had sold a stove earlier in the day.

The stickup crew - three 21-year-olds and a 29-year-old - came prepared with a pistol and plastic handcuffs. They tried to tie up two of Augusto's employees - a 35-year-old man and his 47-year-old female co-worker, said Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne.

"The male employee started to struggle, and then, as he did that, the perp with the gun struck him once in the head," Browne said.

"... That's when the owner opened fire with the shotgun."

As the bandits bolted from the store, Augusto squeezed off three blasts from the pistol-grip shotgun from 20 to 30 feet away from the pistol-whipped employee.

He was deadly accurate. The four bandits - who were all from Manhattan - were hit.

Two of the robbers were struck in the back. One, identified as James Morgan, dropped dead inside the store among the sparkling gas stoves, a pistol near his body.

The other - Raylin Footmon, a nephew of a cop in the NYPD's 25th Precinct - made it across the street before collapsing on the sidewalk, police and witnesses said. He was later pronounced dead at St. Luke's Hospital.

The furious employee who had been pistol-whipped ran out of the store and leaned over the mortally wounded Footmon, cursing at him, witnesses said.

The worker went back into the store and dragged Morgan's body onto the sidewalk, yelling at him and kicking him, witnesses said.

"He stood over the body cursing him and shaking him, even though he was dead," said Matthew Viane, 38, who lives in the neighborhood. "He was screaming at him and stomping him. "He [the employee] said, 'You were going to kill me? Now you're dead!'"

Viane said he overheard the 35-year-old employee - whom cops took away from the scene in handcuffs, but later released - thanking Augusto.

"Gus, you saved my life. You saved my life," Viane quoted the worker as saying.

A man who worked at Blue Flame a couple of years ago unloading trucks said Augusto was just sticking up for himself.

"He's a respectable businessman. ... He wouldn't hurt a fly. He found a deer by his house and nursed him back to health. He loves animals," said the man, who declined to give his name.

Cops followed a bloody trail to Amsterdam Ave., where they found the third suspect, Bernard Whitherspoon. He was in police custody last night at St. Luke's where he was being treated for his wounds. He was in stable condition.

The remaining robbery suspect, Shamel McCloud, was nabbed at 128th St. and St. Nicholas Terrace after being identified by a witness. He was also in stable condition at St. Luke's last night.

Augusto told cops he bought his shotgun after a robbery nearly 30 years ago. Browne said it was unclear Thursday night if Augusto has a license for the weapon.

"He's being treated as a witness and the victim of an attempted robbery," Browne said of Augusto. "He has not been arrested or charged."

A police source said that if Augusto is hit with a charge, it will be a minor one. "It doesn't look too bad for him," the source said.



Read more: Blue Flame owner kills two: Harlem's restaurant supply owner shoots two dead after botched robbery


Read more: Blue Flame owner kills two: Harlem's restaurant supply owner shoots two dead after botched robbery

[MacLean]

If they charge him with anything, they should be ashamed of themselves.

[Captain America]

Buy that man another box of shotgun shells.

[Odd]

Well done, Gus.

A license for a shotgun? Someone want to fill me in what that's about?

[pgg]

Well done, Gus.

A license for a shotgun? Someone want to fill me in what that's about?

Its New York City

[MacLean]

Buy that man another box of shotgun shells.

Good idea, and I have a box.

Anyone in NY get me an address?

[Wolven]

If they charge him with anything, they should be ashamed of themselves.

I'm with you on this one.

[GASheepdog]

Charges? Give this guy a medal.

[bayern]

From a NY Post article.

A 72-year-old Harlem business owner turned Bernie Goetz on four would-be robbers this afternoon, pulling a pump-action shot gun from beneath his desk and opening fire, killing two and wounding the others, cops said.
The four men barged into Kaplan Bros. Blue Flame Corp. -- a restaurant supply company at 523 W. 125th St. -- around 3 p.m. and one of them pulled out a handgun and began pistol whipping an employee.
That prompted the owner to pull out the 12-gauge shotgun and fire three shots, striking all four men, cops said. The four robbers ran, but two collapsed to the ground just outside the store. One fell right in the doorway and was declared dead at the scene. The other was rushed to the hospital where he died.
The other two ran but were picked up nearby and hospitalized.
Public records identified the owner of the business and the building it is in as Charles Augusto Jr., 72, of Irvington, NY.
Witnesses described a wild scene as the four men came running out of the business, pursued by one of Augusto's angry employees.
"I heard two blasts," said Vernon McKenzie who rents an apartment in the building from Augusto. "I came down and saw one of the guys who works there over a man in the doorway screaming, 'You're dead! You're dead!"
"He's been robbed before and I guess he was prepared," McKenzie said. "Those dudes ran into some real tough stuff today."
Several witnesses said the employee than dragged the man into the middle of the pavement where he died.
"The man pulled him from inside the store," said a woman who watched from her window across the street. "His face had blood all over it."
The man's body remained on the sidewalk covered by a sheet for several hours - his right shoe lying next to his head - as police investigated the crime scene.
Augusto and his employees were being questioned at the 26 Precinct late yesterday and no charges were immediately filed. It was unclear if Augusto was licensed to carry the gun.
A woman who answered the phone at Augusto's home late yesterday only said, "Thank you, but I have no comment" before hanging up.
Stefany Blyn, 56, who has lived above the business for 25 years described Augusto - who she said was known as Gus -- as "very laid back, very relaxed."
"Gus has been robbed a few times over the years. There have been attempts made before - some successful," she said. "He wasn't afraid of the neighborhood."
Augusto has run the business in Harlem for as long as most residents could remember. Records show that it first opened in 1920, selling professional gas ranges to commercial kitchens and home owners alike.
Additional reporting by Jamie Schram

[213th]

http://officerresource.com/forums/f5...-lesson-37303/

[bayern]

http://officerresource.com/forums/f5...-lesson-37303/

Yeah, I know. I tried to delete after it was posted but couldn't. Sorry about that

[deputysykes]

Exactly why our rights are there...

[Xiphos]

Well done, Gus.

A license for a shotgun? Someone want to fill me in what that's about?

The People's Republic of Bloomberg. No guns allowed.

[jmur5074]

The People's Republic of Bloomberg. No guns allowed.

Reee-diculous.

[jmur5074]

Threads merged

[Odd]

Where else do you need a license for a shotgun? This is news to me, even for NYC.

Wonder if Gus would like a change of scenery. We could use a straight shooting Senator...