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Gunman and Policeman Die In Times Sq. Area Battle

Gunman and Policeman Die In Times Sq. Area Battle
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March 1, 1970, Page 1Buy Reprints
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A transit polideman's at tempt to, give a derelict a sum mons for smoking in a subway touched off a wild shooting spree in the crowded Tithes Square Etna yesterday in Which the transit policeman and the derelict were killed, two oilier persons were wounded and scores of by were forced to rush to

Nearly 40 shots echoed from skyscraper facades during the gun battle on Seventh Avenue near 80th Street that began with a chase in an IRT subway station and spilled into the street outside the Taft Hotel.

Amid the staccato report of firing gues and the cries of bystanders, crowds of shoppers and sightseers hit the. side walks and scurried for the cover of doorways and parked cars as policemen riddled a taxicab that the fleeing dere lict, who shot and killed the transit with his own gun, had commandeered.

The gunman, later identified from fingerprints as John H. Giragosian, a 45‐year‐old drifter with a record of six arrests, was killed in the cab's rear seat br,Six bullets in the police fusillasde.

The policeman who ‘killed the gunman was shot in the neck. A passing cab driver— not the one the gunman had kidnapped — was superficially wounded, and two policemen were injured when their car collided with another as they responded to the call to the scene.

When the smoke of the gun fire cleared, blood was spat tered over the street and the gunman's taxi, which was found riddled with 11 bullets.

Policemen and eyewitnesses —many of them obviously shaken as they gave their ac counts—said it was a miracle that no one else in the crowded street had been hit in the wild firing.

The dead transit policeman —29‐year‐old Michael Melchi ona—was killed instantly by single shot. He died on the sidewalk of Seventh Avenue, between 50th and 51st Streets.

Transit Sgt. Ferdinand Alcin dor—the father of Lew Alcin dor;the star of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team—was one of the first officers on the scene after the shooting ended shortly after 10:30 A.M.

With tears welling in his eyes, Sergeant Alcindor said of the dead patrolman “He's the father of a two‐week‐old baby.”

The wounded patrolman, Donald Endonino, 48, was taken to Polyclinic Hospital, where he was described as in fair condition after treatment of a lacerated larynx. The wounded cab driver, Hyman Rabinowitz was hit in the arm.

Giragosian had been arrested in the Bronx in 1952 for as sault, robbery and possession of a gun. The police said the rec ord did not ‘show the disposi tion of his case. He also had a record of five arrests in Massa chusetts and Connecticut for burglary or illegal entry.

According to the police and eyewitness accounts, when Pa trolman Melchiona found the derelict, smoking in the men's room of the MT, station at 50th Stret and Broadway and tried to give him a summons, Gira gosian, a husky six‐footer clad in two sweaters and an old pair of pants and carrying a suit case filled with shabby clothes, reportedly threatened the pa trolman with a 22‐caliber pis tol, then disarmed him.

Gun Held on Patrolman

According to a change‐booth clerk in the subway station, Patrolman Melchiona came out of the men's room just ahead of Giragosian, who was hold ing a gun against the back of his neck. The gunman forced the patrolman to lie down in front of the change booth and then ran upstairs.

Patrolman Melchiona gave chase, yelling to passers‐by: “Stop him. He's got my gun.”

Patrolman Endonino, who was on duty, heard the shouts as Giragosian ran across Sev enth Avenue and jumped into a cab in front of the’ Taft Hotel. One report said’ he ‐pointed his gun at the’ cab driver and said “Let's go.”

As pedeitrians ducked, Gira gosian then fired on Patrol man Melchiona, who was fol lowing closely, and killed him. He alSo 'shot Patrolman En donino in the neck, but Pa trolman Endonino was able to cross to the east side of Sev enth ‘Avenue and empty his own gun into the back seat of the cab. Meanwhile, the cab driver, Harry Vogel, dived out of his taxi.

One account said Mr. Vogel had run into the lobby of the Taft. Another said he had hid den under a nearby cab. He was not hurt.

Patrolman Endonino, al though wounded, ran behind the cab, reloaded, and emptied his gun again through the back of the cab.

Meanwhile, two cars from the 18th Precinct station, re sponding to a telephoned alarm, arrived as a throng watched in the street.

The wounded cab driver, Mr. Rabinowitz, of 4714 Snyder Avenue, Brooklyn, turned into Seventh Avenue from 50th Street during the shooting. His wound was described as “not serious at St. Claire's Hospital where he was taken, as was the body of Giragosian.

On Force Five Years

The body of Patrolman Mel ohiona was taken to Roosevelt Hospital. Patrolman Melchiona, father of a two‐week‐old baby and two other children, had been a member of the Transit Police force for five years.

From the gift shop of the Taft Hotel, Nat Matut, who works there, shot a Polaroid picture of the riddled taxi with the body of Giragosian in the back seat.

Morris Schweky, who work4 with Mr. Matut in the shop, commented to another col league, Joseph Levy, in Arabic and English, “Wahad Mice dead,” meaning “one policeman dead.” Mr. Schweky, who said they were Jews of Syrian origin and frequently use the Arabic language, reported they had seen most of the battle, though they missed occasional details because they ducked to the floor from time to time.

Mr. Schweky said, “It was like a battlefield. I thought heard hundreds of shots. We heard a policeman yell, ‘Be careful. He's still moving.’ The shooting stopped.

“A patrol car drove fast by the shot‐up cab to look inside. And then another policeman crossed Seventh Avenue and emptied his gun Into the back seat—five or six shots.”

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