Confessions of a Second Story Man : Junior Kripplebauer and the K and A Gang

In this history of the most successful group of burglars, or "second story men" ever, Allen Hornblum, bestselling author of Acres of Skin, takes the reader on a ride through the gritty streets of working-class neighborhood of Kensington. Once the center of the city's manufacturing might, it was also home to Junior Kripplebauer and his notorious gang of thieves.Through interviews, police records, and historical research, Hornblum offers a glimpse into the history of Kensington, organized crime in Philadelphia, the way ethnic crime oganizations worked together. He shows the transformationg of the K&A gang from a group of thieves working in conjunction with the Mafia to a gang that also sold drugs and expanded their ring of burglaries to most of the east coast. Most importantly, he paints a vivid picture of the gang's leaders, from Junior Kripplebauer, who became one of the most wanted men by the FBI, to people like Roy Stocker, Bill "Billy Blue" McClurg, and others, some who ended their lives in jail, some on the run, and some who found new life after crime.

Allen M. Hornblum is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Urban Studies at Temple University.