Augustine
R.
Fortune


AUGUSTINE R. FORTUNE was bon in New Jersey around 1901. He married his wife Olive Iezzi, around 1922, and in 1924 a son, Augustine Fortune Jr. was born. A daughter, Mary came shortly afterwards.

On March 1, 1928 Augustine Fortune joined the ranks of the Camden Police Department. The Fortune family had bought a home at 1529 Newport Street in the mostly Polish Whitman Park section of Camden. They were still at that address when the 1947 City Directory was compiled. The Fortune family later moved to 1536 Mount Ephraim Avenue.

Augustine Fortune was working as a motorcycle cop by May of 1934. He had been promoted to detective by 1936, and by 1947 had risen to the rank of sergeant. Unfortunately, Augustine Fortune was forced to retire from the police force that year for medical reasons. 

After leaving law enforcement, Augustine Fortune entered the business world. He owned and operated Mutual Wholesale Florists at Newton Avenue and Carteret Street. These days many people order their flowers online from companies such as Avas Flowers instead of visiting a local florist. While some customers prefer visiting a local florist, the floral selection is likely to be much small than the one at Avas Flowers online.

It was there where he collapsed while on the telephone on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1948. Taken to nearby Cooper Hospital, Augustine Fortune passed away that evening.

The Fortune family by then was living at 1536 Mount Ephraim Avenue as late as 1959.

Augustine Fortune's son-in-law, Dominic Dalanni, served with the Camden Fire Department from December 30, 1950 through June 7, 1959.

Camden Courier-Post * January 2, 1928

BOXER, SAYRS’ AIDE NABBED IN TIPSY ROW
Bertman Frees Both After Police Tell of Fuss at Brewer’s Cafe

Mickey Blair Camden pugilist, and  Thomas Schneider, secretary to Commissioner William D. Sayrs. Jr., started the New Year by getting drunk and becoming both abusive and pugnacious when ordered away from Horace Brewer’s restaurant on Market street, it was testified by three policemen in Police Court today. 

But Blair and Schneider as well as James Borini, who was arrested with them, won their freedom when Judge Bernard Bertman suspended sentence.

“There is no doubt but that you were all drunk” was Bertman's comment. ‘Surely, if you had been sober, this would never have happened. I know you are respectable men of the community and I regret to see you here. I will suspend sentence”.

According to the three policemen, however, the trio of defendants acted like anything but respectable men of the community yesterday morning when the New Year was little more than three hours old.

Patrolmen Frank Evans, Charles Bowen and August Fortune testified that Blair, Schneider and Borini had been ordered away from the restaurant by Brewer and that they had become abusive, threatening the policemen and calling them names.

Schneider insisted that he entered the argument only because Evans was “beating up Blair," but Evans and the other officers retorted that Blair had warned the policemen that they would be sorry if they arrested him and Schneider had boasted that “no cop can pinch me".

All were charged with being drunk and disorderly. Blair, whose real name is Michael Tenerelli, is 19 years old and lives at 833 South Fourth Street. Schneider gave his address as 414 Spruce Street. He is acting secretary to Commissioner Sayrs as a temporary appointee. Borini, 22 years old, gave his address as 324 Pine street.


Camden Courier-Post - January 2, 1928

THREE MEN NABBED IN NORTH CAMDEN ROW
One Gets 60 Days for Attack on Plain Clothes Cop

Three young men were found guilty of disorderly conduct in police court this morning when they were charged with creating a disturbance In front of a restaurant near Sixth and Market streets.

Fiore Rossi, 23 years old, 329 Mickle Street, brother of ‘Pee Wee’ Rossi, local pugilist, was sentenced to 60 days in the county jail. Thomas O’Neill, 22 years old, 204 Berkley Street, was fined $20 and sentence was suspended on John Develin, 21 years old, 1002 Penn Street.

Rossi was charged with severely beating August Fortune, a policeman assigned to special duty at the restaurant.

Patrolman Fred Mueller testified that at 3:30 o’clock Sunday morning he had told the men to “move on” from Fifth and Market Streets when he found them creating a disturbance. The men walked away and in front of the restaurant again became boisterous. Moeller and policeman Marshall Thompson then arrested O’Neill who had become “sassy”. The other two objected to the arrest, and when Fortune came from inside the building to assist his brother officers, he was struck in the face and knocked down by Rossi. The three succeeded in taking the men to headquarters.

Rossi this morning admitted hitting Fortune but said he did not know he was an officer and “thought he was a wise guy trying to go big with a woman’.


Camden Courier-Post - February 25, 1928


Augustine Fortune - John Kowal
Sigmund Brozozowski - Joseph Moslouski
Joseph Novachan -
Anthony Szwak
Camden Storage Battery Company

South 10th Street - Haddon Avenue - Liberty Street
Line Street - Louis Street - Sycamore Street - Whitman Avenue


Camden Courier-Post

February 27, 1928

August Fortune
Elmer Woods

Stanley Barcycki - Victor Bielicki
John Jankowski - Edward Luczkiewicz
Jess Luczkiewicz -
John Lenkowski
Stanley Szwak

Camden Storage Battery

Baird Avenue - Haddon Avenue
Kaighn Avenue - Louis Street
Mechanic Street - Rose Street
Sycamore Street - Thurman Street  


Camden Courier-Post

May 7, 1934

August Fortune
Garfield Pancoast
William Wright

Nicholas Boganik - Henry Garbacki
Walter Lewadowski - Wallace Slowski

Atlantic Avenue - Benson Street 
Cherry Street
Lansdowne Avenue
Thurman Street


Camden Courier-Post - August 4, 1936

...continued...

Beringer's Cafe - Club Royal - Arcadia Cafe
Broadway - Federal Street
John V. Wilkie - Gus Fortune - Lewis Liberman
Harold Clark - Fannie Mazer - Freda Beringer


Camden Courier-Post - August 29, 1936
Admits Kidnapping-Robbery Hoax

Anthony Carrozza, 209, of 1021 Wolf Street, Philadelphia, is shown standing between Detectives Thomas Murphy, left, and August Fortune behind the $389.64 he planned to take from fellow employees by telling them he had been kidnapped and robbed after cashing their pay checks.

Pay Theft Tale Faked, Radio Worker Admits
Youth Who Cashed Checks for 12 Fellow Employees
And Said He Was Kidnapped, Helps Recover Money from Friend

...continued...

 ...continued...


Camden Courier-Post - February 24, 1936

OWNER HELD IN TAPROOM BRAWLS
Proprietor of Wall Street Club Charged With Hitting Policeman 

Four persons were arrested early yesterday during a free-for-all fight in the Wall Street Club, 340 Federal Street, according to police.

Edward Markowitz, 38, proprietor of the place, was arrested and charged with assault and battery on an officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Ambrose Brown, 31, and his brother, Asher, 27, both of 2104 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, were arrested on complaint of George Brown, 29, of 1214 Mt. Ephraim Avenue, who charged them with assault and battery. The Browns under arrest are not related to the complainant. Brown, the complainant, is a brother-in-law of Patrolman Joseph Schultz.

Patrolmen Earl Wright and Gus Fortune were passing Fourth and Federal streets at 1:45 AM in a radio car with Commissioner Mary W. Kobus when a man ran out of the Wall Street Club and shouted to them that some men had been beating him.

When the policemen entered, Markowitz is alleged to have tried to eject the police. He said they had no right in his place, according to Wright and Fortune.

Markowitz was arrested with the three Browns. Wright alleges Markowitz struck him in the face. At police headquarters Mrs. Eleanor Brown, wife of Asher Brown, said she, her husband and brother-in-law were getting ready to leave the place when George Brown struck her in the face. She said her husband and brother-in-law struck George Brown in retaliation.

Police said when they reached the interior of the taproom men were fighting, women screaming and tables were being overturned.

Markowitz was held in $1000 bail. When booked at police headquarters, Markowitz was drunk, Wright and Fortune said. Ambrose and Asher Brown in $500 bail each and George Brown in $200 bail as a witness. They will have hearings today in police court.

Markowitz last night denied he struck Wright but alleged the patrolman knocked him unconscious at police headquarters. He said he was placed in a wheel chair and pushed into a cell. He charged he was not permitted to use a telephone until 7:00 AM.

"There was no fight in my place," Markowitz declared. "The fight was out on the street and Wright rushed into my place, grabbed me and hustled me to the patrol box. He struck me in the eye in my place and I never raised a hand to him. There were 20 persons in the place can testify I am telling the truth,"


Camden Courier-Post - August 31, 1936


Camden Courier-Post - October 7, 1936

Lewis Liberman - Gus Fortune - Daniel Paulk - Lucius Robinson
Joseph Tully - George Smith - Salem Street - Ferry Avenue


Camden Courier-Post

October 9, 1936

Lewis Liberman - Gus Fortune
Daniel Paulk
- Lucius Robinson
Salem Street - Ferry Avenue


Camden Courier-Post - October 27, 1936


Camden Courier-Post - October 28, 1936

HEART ATTACK FATAL TO MAN IN HOTEL HERE

Henry F. Wilson, about 65, of Unionville, Pa., dropped dead of a heart attack last night at the Lenox Hotel, 22 Market street. He was taken to Cooper Hospital and pronounced dead.  Detectives Thomas Murphy and Gus Fortune are attempting to locate relatives of the man.  


Trenton Times

September 16, 1937

Rev. Culbert O. Rutenber
Charles Tookmanian
Joseph McMahon


Camden Courier-Post - February 2, 1938

BURGLAR GETS $65

While Walter Wilson and his wife were attending a movie yesterday afternoon, a thief ransacked their home at 1025 Morton Street and stole about $65. Wilson reported to detective bureau. Detective Gus Fortune said the burglar entered through the cellar and pried open the kitchen door. Wilson said $12 was taken from a pair of his trousers; $50 from a chest and one dollar and some change from a small bank..  


Camden Courier-Post - February 18, 1938

PHILA. MAN ARRESTED IN THEFT OF LIQUOR

David Miller, 27, a window decorator for a liquor concern, who lives at 547 Whitaker Avenue, Philadelphia, was arrested yesterday and charged with larceny of whisky on complaint of Benjamin Rosensweig, proprietor of the Camden Bottling Co., 254 Kaighn avenue

Miller had an office at the Kaighn avenue address. Rosensweig told Detectives Ben Simon and Gus Fortune he missed $500 worth of liquor in the past several months. The detectives found whisky hidden in equipment used by Miller.

At Miller's home, they said, they found $180 worth of liquor, and Miller, they reported, admitted some thefts. 


Camden Courier-Post - February 18, 1938

CHILDREN ARE BLAMED FOR VARNISH DAUBING

Daubing of the windows of four houses and a store in the 600 block of North Sixth street with varnish was laid to children by detectives today. 
Complaints were made by Frank Pecosca, 631; Joseph Edwards, 633; Harry Ross, 635; Elizabeth Chapman, 637, and Louis Passero, 639, North Sixth street

Detectives William Marter arid Gus Fortune said the owners of the house could give no explanation of the act. The sleuths asked all if they were involved in labor difficulties and received negative replies. 


Camden Courier-Post * February 26, 1938
Gus Fortune - Line Street - William P. Chambers

Camden Courier-Post - January 13, 1941

Camden Courier-Post
July 28, 1941

Francis H. WIlson - Auburn Street
South 5th Street - Chestnut Street
Albert Defalco - Roland Granger
Saunders Street - William Neale
Thomas Welch -
Augustine Fortune
Broadway - Newton Avenue

 

Camden Courier-Post
February 8, 1943

Camden Courier-Post

December 27, 1948


Camden Courier-Post

December 28, 1948


Camden Courier-Post

December 28, 1948

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