1987.
After a 25-mile chase and shootout in Allentown, police apprehended the so-called Scranton Gang. Officers took into custody two brothers, ages 16 and 13, and a female cousin, 13. Following a bank robbery at a JNC branch in Stroudsburg three days before, the gun-toting, fast-driving teenage lawbreakers had invited comparisons to Bonnie and Clyde. Eyewitnesses reported the female gang leader fired shots…
This article and others I find in the microfilm archives go on to describe the girl as being a suspect for also shooting at a police officer as the gang fled Stroudsburg. The teen trio briefly went into hiding before heading south and showing up in Allentown in a beat-up, stolen, 1974 orange Ford Maverick.
An observant 7-Eleven employee called the police before the brothers came inside to buy snacks and three Slurpee drinks while their cousin filled the Maverick’s tank with self-serve gas.
I continue reading and discover that when Allentown police approached the 7-Eleven, the 13-year-old female gang leader—had to be Teresa Gonzalez, of course—fired a weapon toward several officers as the three fled in the car. Fortunately, she missed.
The chase ended when the Maverick crashed and rolled on the highway. The 13-year-old male—and that must have been Bobby Taylor—jumped out of the car and fled on foot, but police quickly apprehended him. They arrested all three and took the juveniles to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
I study a bank surveillance camera photo of a gun-toting Teresa robbing a teller. She has on sunglasses while a baseball cap hides her hair and face, making it difficult to see her features. So young and already holding up banks—unbelievable. Was she really just a kid bad to the bone, or had something traumatic happened to her that led to such an early life of crime?
After their arrests, the story quickly went cold, because the Taylors and Gonzalez were juveniles with sealed records. But one comment from the police catches my eye—that the Scranton Gang was trying to get to Orlando, Florida to start a new life near Disney World. In addition to being bank robbers, it seems Bobby, Joe, and Teresa were also everyday kids who fantasized about visiting the famous theme park.
But what does Bobby Taylor have to do with my brother’s girlfriend, Juliana Wentworth? And who is this Teresa? Then, too, what about Frankie, the other name in the beak of the dead bird in the box? Where does he fit in?
Chapter Eight
The class is spread out in pairs on the mat at the dojo, and I come at Will Benson with an overhead strike called
shomenuchi
. I attack him as if my extended arm is a sword and my hand is the blade (often referred to as
tegatana
or
hand sword
). My intent is to slice Will in half, starting right down the middle of his skull.
Actually, when practicing at the dojo, we aren’t supposed to beat up or hurt each other, as that isn’t the intent in Aikido. Certain types of attacks in Aikido, like
shomenuchi
, are based on sword movements, which may be a far cry from what happens on the street—but practicing in this manner eventually prepares us to deal with any type of attack. That’s the plan anyway.
We also learn how to blend our energy with that of our attacker and apply techniques based on the physics of motion, using circular movements. Rather than forcing our opponent with football-player testosterone, we attempt to redirect our attacker’s own power and throw him to the ground or immobilize him with joint locks.
So back to the mat. I attack Will with a
shomenuchi
strike, and he executes a technique we call
irimi nage
or
entering throw
. Often called the twenty-year technique,
irimi nage
encapsulates the essence of Aikido movement and, hence its nickname, takes a long time to master.
As I move forward and attack Will, he disappears by entering in behind me. Before I know it, he takes over my assault by grabbing my neck, controlling my spine, and redirecting me in
After a 25-mile chase and shootout in Allentown, police apprehended the so-called Scranton Gang. Officers took into custody two brothers, ages 16 and 13, and a female cousin, 13. Following a bank robbery at a JNC branch in Stroudsburg three days before, the gun-toting, fast-driving teenage lawbreakers had invited comparisons to Bonnie and Clyde. Eyewitnesses reported the female gang leader fired shots…
This article and others I find in the microfilm archives go on to describe the girl as being a suspect for also shooting at a police officer as the gang fled Stroudsburg. The teen trio briefly went into hiding before heading south and showing up in Allentown in a beat-up, stolen, 1974 orange Ford Maverick.
An observant 7-Eleven employee called the police before the brothers came inside to buy snacks and three Slurpee drinks while their cousin filled the Maverick’s tank with self-serve gas.
I continue reading and discover that when Allentown police approached the 7-Eleven, the 13-year-old female gang leader—had to be Teresa Gonzalez, of course—fired a weapon toward several officers as the three fled in the car. Fortunately, she missed.
The chase ended when the Maverick crashed and rolled on the highway. The 13-year-old male—and that must have been Bobby Taylor—jumped out of the car and fled on foot, but police quickly apprehended him. They arrested all three and took the juveniles to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
I study a bank surveillance camera photo of a gun-toting Teresa robbing a teller. She has on sunglasses while a baseball cap hides her hair and face, making it difficult to see her features. So young and already holding up banks—unbelievable. Was she really just a kid bad to the bone, or had something traumatic happened to her that led to such an early life of crime?
After their arrests, the story quickly went cold, because the Taylors and Gonzalez were juveniles with sealed records. But one comment from the police catches my eye—that the Scranton Gang was trying to get to Orlando, Florida to start a new life near Disney World. In addition to being bank robbers, it seems Bobby, Joe, and Teresa were also everyday kids who fantasized about visiting the famous theme park.
But what does Bobby Taylor have to do with my brother’s girlfriend, Juliana Wentworth? And who is this Teresa? Then, too, what about Frankie, the other name in the beak of the dead bird in the box? Where does he fit in?
Chapter Eight
The class is spread out in pairs on the mat at the dojo, and I come at Will Benson with an overhead strike called
shomenuchi
. I attack him as if my extended arm is a sword and my hand is the blade (often referred to as
tegatana
or
hand sword
). My intent is to slice Will in half, starting right down the middle of his skull.
Actually, when practicing at the dojo, we aren’t supposed to beat up or hurt each other, as that isn’t the intent in Aikido. Certain types of attacks in Aikido, like
shomenuchi
, are based on sword movements, which may be a far cry from what happens on the street—but practicing in this manner eventually prepares us to deal with any type of attack. That’s the plan anyway.
We also learn how to blend our energy with that of our attacker and apply techniques based on the physics of motion, using circular movements. Rather than forcing our opponent with football-player testosterone, we attempt to redirect our attacker’s own power and throw him to the ground or immobilize him with joint locks.
So back to the mat. I attack Will with a
shomenuchi
strike, and he executes a technique we call
irimi nage
or
entering throw
. Often called the twenty-year technique,
irimi nage
encapsulates the essence of Aikido movement and, hence its nickname, takes a long time to master.
As I move forward and attack Will, he disappears by entering in behind me. Before I know it, he takes over my assault by grabbing my neck, controlling my spine, and redirecting me in
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