Benny the Grip

Appeared from Thursday, September 8, 1955 to Monday, November 7, 1955

Benny-The-Grip was a member of Oodles’ gang and a killer. He was a short balding man with a small mustache, who killed George Vulcan in 1936 on orders from Oodles.

When George’s skeletal body was found 19 years later, Oodles sent Benny out of town to Florida to do a “little job” for him. Later Tracy received a wire from the police chief in Miami that Benny had held up a bank messenger and was flying home. Tracy and Sam met Benny’s plane at the airport and arrested Benny, who was carrying $50,000 in bills that were taped inside the magazines he was carrying. At police headquarters, Benny refused to say anything except “Book me or release me”.

Benny went to jail without telling Tracy for whom he worked. When Tracy searched Benny’s apartment he found the rest of the suit that George Vulcan’s body was dressed in. Benny-The-Grip still refused to talk. Tracy then found a photograph of Benny with a large fat man having a good time at a night club. Tracy gave the photo to Benny, who thought Oodles had sent it to taunt him. Benny blurted out Oodles’ name in anger and Tracy dashed off to the “moniker files” to learn more about Oodles. Benny-The-Grip had been tricked into betraying his boss. Benny remained in jail.

Reprinted with permission from the author Victor E. Wichert “The Dick Tracy Encyclopedia Oct. 4, 1931 – Dec. 25 1977″

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