The Big Bunco
from Friday - The Dragnet Podcast
Originally Aired: April 17, 1952 Dragnet #149, "The Big Bunco," Sergeant Joe Friday faces a formidable challenge when an experienced confidence man sets up shop in Los Angeles, swindling two elderly women out of more than $8,000 through an elaborate business investment scheme. The bunco artist operates with a polished method: renting expensive offices, hiring attractive secretaries, placing enticing want ads for business opportunities, and convincing legitimate plant owners to unknowingly participate in his cons. Working with the skeletal leads of the suspect's description and method of operation, Friday pursues the case even as he undergoes a significant personal transition. As the investigation heats up, Friday must break in a new partner, Bill Lockwood, a young detective with no bunco experience who happens to be the nephew of Friday's former partner, the late Ben Romero. While his colleague Charlie expresses concern about relying on a green partner during such a dangerous investigation, Friday remembers his own early days and the patient guidance Ben Romero once provided him. Now Friday must simultaneously track down a clever criminal and mentor the next generation of detective, honoring his former partner's memory through training his nephew.
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