Weegee, “On the Spot,” 1939 (Weegee’s World, p.56)

On Saturday, December 9th, 1939, David (“The Beetle”) Beadle went out dancing, at the Palm Garden, with his wife, Eleanor, his two brothers and their wives. Beadle was a 32 year old dock boss and considered one of the toughest hoodlums in Hell’s Kitchen. The longshoreman had a boatload of enemies. He had been arrested seven times, including once for homicide, had only one conviction for disorderly conduct, yet he had never been in jail. Around 1:25 a.m. the well-dressed Beadle entered The Spot Bar and Grill through a side entrance, asked for his brother, who wasn’t there, then drank a glass of water, and swallowed a few pills, his heart medication. Beadle stepped outside and was shot twice in the head and died instantly. He had two .32 caliber bullets in his skull. Four unidentified men shot Beadle, then fled. He was taken to the morgue at Bellevue. Despite plenty of witnesses the case was never solved.

The Spot Bar and Grill was located at 651 10th Avenue. This is now home to the Ryan Chelsea-Clinton Community Health Center and the Village Care Assisted Living Program.

The Daily News, Batavia, NY, December 16, 1939, p.7