Kleiner’s Korner: Another Murder on the Motor Parkway!
As a follow-up to a recent Greg O. post, here's another murder mystery on the Motor Parkway that appears to remain unsolved.
The victim of this murder, Antonio Marano, was found near the entrance to the Parkway near Great Neck. Sources include 1925 and 1926 editions of the "NY Daily News", the "Brooklyn Citizen", the "Brooklyn Daily Eagle" and the "Standard Union".
Art Kleiner
The body of Anthony Marano of Manhattan was found on February 5, 1925 near the Great Neck Lodge entrance to the Motor Parkway. As a result of this and other crimes law officers intended to ask Motor Parkway officials to better safeguard the road as they believed it to be "a favorite route of bootleggers and hijackers".
The problem was especially evident after midnight so they asked gates to be guarded 24 hours a day or made impassable. I doubt this ever occurred.
Police believed Marano's murder took place in Queens and his body driven into Nassau County.
Blood was found in the snow near the Bayside Motor Parkway entrance with the body believed to be taken to Long Island via the Parkway where it was eventually dumped.
The location where the body was found, near a Motor Parkway bridge near Great Neck! Any comments as to which bridge this is?
Clothing on Marano's body led police to his identification.
The body was found by an employee of one of the large estates in the area.
Sydney H. Jones, lodgekeeper of the Great Neck Motor Parkway Lodge, notified the police of the body.
Former business partner, Robert Demolin, of Astoria was charged with the murder in August of 1925.
After the state presented its case early the next year, a judge "directed" the jury to acquit Demolino as he said "the evidence presented was not sufficient to warrant further continuation of the trial". I guess the jury's opinion did not matter.
I would imagine the Motor Parkway has been associated with many other crimes (with bodies probably nearby) as its use diminished in its later years and its out of the way locations made it a prime get-away for those having broken the law. I'll document some of these in a later post.
Comments
If we take the articles at their word that the location is near the Great Neck Lodge, then we’re probably looking north on Lakeville Road with the LIMP parkway bride in the distance. It was a railroad trestle style bridge. The lodge entrance would be on the right, just past the bridge. Great article, Art. In my opinion, you should compile the articles into a book. You already have the title; “Murders On The Motor Parkway”.
That’s the Smith Farmway Bridge in the distance in Great Neck, just 1/3 mile east from the Great Neck Lodge entrance. I just learned of two “Bayside” sections in Queens still existing today, one by the Rocky Hill Rd entrance (Springfield Blvd). Unfortunately, criminal activity persist today
Thanks Steve for the nice words and suggestion about a book - I was thinking more like a movie! lol. Starring Howard as Willie K., and Al as Pardington! Will think about that.
By the way, I made contact with the NCPD Police Museum for any additional info they could find on the Marano case but nothing came up. An interesting topic for anyone interested in law enforcement back in the Motor Parkway days.
The bridge in question was the construction of the longest bridge under construction in Central Park/Bethpage north of Dead Mans Curve. The Central Park Historical Society has a Historic Marker documenting the area.
Art, Please cast me as A. J. Kienzle, the Parkway’s GM. He he lived in Mineola almost walking distance from my home in New Hyde Park. The building still exists.
Al - auditions begin soon! I’m contracting with Kienzle to use the Motor Parkway in the fall. Having a hard time finding a producer!
Art, Regarding a producer for the movie, might have a lead for you, The Vanderbilt Cup Race play on Broadway is ending it’s run end of this month. The producer is looking for another related project to take on.