Talk:Billy's Topless

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[edit] Headless Body in Topless Bar

I've heard this classic New York Post headline actually was about something that happened in Billy's. Perhaps something to do with that Daniel Rakowitz business? Unfortunately, whenever I try to google "Headless Body Found in Topless Bar", I can only find articles about what a batshit loony (and brilliant) headline that is. And nothing on what that article was actually ABOUT. Can anyone confirm that that was Billy's? Or at least explain what that Post story was all about? Ford MF 06:06, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

I researched this, and, though I could not find the original Post article, the New York Times of the same date (April 15, 1983) reports that the robbery/murder/rape/decapitation happened at Herbie's Place, Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica. Dickumbrage 18:37, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

I should note that the Times buried the lede. Not only did the article run under the skittish "Owner of a Bar Shot to Death; Suspect Is Held," but the paper doesn't even mention the freaking decapitation until the third paragraph, "Found in a box in the cab was the head of the slaying victim, Herbie Cummings, owner of Herbie's Bar at 182-41 Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica."

The story goes like this: Charles Dingle, out on parole walks into the Queens strip joint and gets drunk. He gets into an argument with Cummings (evidentally the victim's real name), shoots him in the head, and ties up three female patrons. Dingle forces a fourth woman, at gunpoint, to cut off Cummings's head. He gets coked up, rapes one of the women, and lets two of them go. With the other two in tow, he fails to start his car, calls a cab, locks the cabbie in the bathroom of the bar and drives to Manhattan with the two women in the stolen cab, where he passes out. One of the women escapes, gets the cops, and the Post runs the greatest tabloid headline ever. Dickumbrage 18:37, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Ah, that's a shame. I thought it'd be a nice addition to the Billy's legendarium. Ford MF 18:50, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

I just want to say I am impressed with the research that went into this article. I loved Billy's, and I'm happy that it lives on here. -- K72ndst 22:19, 28 August 2007 (UTC)