History Watch: “The Man Who Never Was”

History Watch:
"The Man Who Never Was"
On a fall day in early October of 1961, San Rafael Police Officers completed their morning briefing and they took to the streets to patrol the city.  At about 11:00 A.M., a San Rafael Officer was driving through the Montecito Shopping Center and when he passed by the Purity Super Market (Petco today) he spotted a man standing in front of the store that looked a little bit out of place.
The man got the officer’s attention for two reasons.  He appeared to be nervous and the Purity store had been robbed at gunpoint on April 20, 1960, a crime that had gone unsolved.  The Officer was concerned enough to park his patrol car and walk up to the subject to contact him.
The Officer spoke with the man, who could not give a good reason why he was in front of the store.  During the conversation, the Officer learned that the man was an ex con who had recently been paroled from San Quentin.  Based on this information, the Officer searched the man and he found a loaded .45 pistol in his waistband.  The man was promptly arrested and taken to the San Rafael Police Department for questioning.
Detectives interviewed the man who finally admitted that he was there to rob the store.  But he also told them that he wanted to make a deal with them to avoid going back to prison.  Since most cons who are in trouble with the law always want to make a deal, the Detectives were not impressed.  But when the con told them that he was part of a burglary and robbery ring that had been operating in San Rafael for several years, he got their attention.
After conferring with their bosses and the District Attorney, Officers presented a deal to the man and what he told the Detectives took them completely by surprise.  The con told them that the burglary and robbery ring that he was a part of was being run by San Rafael Police Officer Arthur Newman.  The Detectives grilled the man and learned that Newman was in charge of a group of ex cons who did crimes that were set up and directed by Newman himself.  Apparently Newman, who worked the night shift, would get meetings with other officers on adjacent beats and while talking with the other officer; his group would commit burglaries on the other officer’s beat, specializing in safe cracking.
Chief Charles J. Chiesa immediately started an investigation using investigators from the Marin County District Attorney’s Office as he was not sure if other San Rafael Officers were involved.  Stakeouts were put into play at businesses that had safes and they even went so far as to place recording devices in patrol cars driven by Newman.
After a three week investigation, Investigators had enough evidence to make an arrest.  Just past midnight on October 27, 1961, Chief Chiesa, along with Investigators, went to Newman’s residence in the Bret Harte area of San Rafael and Chief Chiesa personally placed Newman, 34 years, under arrest and booked him at Marin County Jail for multiple counts of burglary, robbery and conspiracy.  At his booking, Newman begged Officers not to put him in with any other inmates for his own safety.
At the time that Newman was arrested, he was wearing a ring thought to be taken in a jewelry heist at Macs located at 555 Francisco Blvd., where a total of $17,000 in jewelry was taken from the store.  Arrested along with Newman were Freddy Sullins, 21 years, a bouncer at a nightclub in San Francisco and Robert Cory, a truck driver from San Francisco.
Newman’s court case went forward through the justice system and he received a term of four years in State Prison.  Upon his release, he joined his wife in running their pet grooming business, the Gay Pet Shop located at 509 Fourth Street in San Rafael.
Newman worked as a San Rafael Police Officer from 9-1-56 to 10-27-61, but the question has to be asked, was he ever a Police Officer?  Investigators learned that he had been involved in criminal activity starting as early as 1957 and his crimes had gone undetected until that fateful October day at the Montecito Shopping Center.
Retired Officers who worked with and who knew Newman will tell you to this day that Newman and his accomplices committed many other crimes that went unsolved.  All hopes of learning anything more from Newman were dashed when he passed away about 15 years after his release, taking any secrets he had to the grave.  Art Newman takes his place in San Rafael Police history as being the only San Rafael Officer to have served time in state prison.
From Alpha to Omega, attached is a photo of Officer Art Newman taken in 1956, the same year he was hired as a Police Officer.  The second photo is of Newman being booked for multiple crimes at the Marin County Jail in 1961.  From left to right are Newman, Chief Chiesa and Inspector Thomas Cheetham.  The investigation revealed that no other Officers had been involved in criminal activity with Newman.

Copyright 2014 Harry Barbier – All Rights Reserved