# New York Bureau of Investigation letter on the Purple Gang pictures in the Lindbergh inquiry (1 June 1932)

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/fbi-vault-purple-gang-p02-new-york-lindbergh-letter-1932/

Letter of E. J. Connelley, Special Agent in Charge at New York, enclosing for the Director 'a collective picture of the various members of the so-called Purple Gang in Detroit' and suggesting the pictures go to the New Jersey State Police.

The letter is dated June 1, 1932, on Bureau of Investigation letterhead from Post Office Box 251, Grand Central Station, New York City, and is captioned "Re: Unknown Subjects, Kidnaping & Murder of Chas. A. Lindbergh, Jr." It refers to reports of May 27 and 28, 1932 on interviews about a man named Bauermiester and says Joseph Perrone "failed to identify him."

Connelley writes that he is enclosing copies of pictures shown to Perrone, "also a collective picture of the various members of the so-called Purple Gang in Detroit, it being noted that in previous reports it is indicated that Joe Tocco is reputed not to be a member of the Purple Gang." He suggests that the Bureau "refer copies of the reports in question to the State Police" so that the pictures might be shown to John F. Condon.

The letter shows the Detroit police pictures circulating in the Lindbergh inquiry in the spring of 1932. It does not say that any member of the Purple Gang was a suspect. The collective picture is not in the scanned pages read.

## Sources

- FBI Records: The Vault, Purple Gang Part 02, p. 29: https://vault.fbi.gov/Purple%20Gang%20%28aka%20Sugar%20House%20Gang%29/Purple%20Gang%20%28aka%20Sugar%20House%20Gang%29%20Part%2002/view