Cornelis Wilhelmus Joannes Maria "Cornelius" Willemse (30 September 1871, Rotterdam - 11 July 1942, Manhattan) was a New York City policeman and detective from 1900 to 1925.
In that memoir and "A Cop Remembers," published in 1933, Willemse makes candid revelations of the often brutal police methods used at the time, as well as a rare law enforcement perspective on the gangs of New York during the Prohibition and pre-Prohibition era.
[2] His books, which were well received at the time and are now frequently quoted in historical literature, Willemse discusses at length his use of "third degree" interrogation methods on prisoners.
Willemse also describes his confrontations with major gang members of the early 20th Century, including Kid Dropper, Little Augie Orgen and Tom Flanagan.
I'll admit that when a hold-up mob is brought into court with faces bandaged, it can be assumed that all of them didn't fall down stairs or roll off a cell bunk, accidentally.