Retired New York City Transit Police Detective Frederick 'Freddy' Mack, who arrested the man responsible for the infamous 'Headless body in topless bar' headline, has died at age 79. Mack passed away recently, leaving behind a legacy as the officer who captured one of New York's most notorious criminals.
The Infamous Headline
The headline, published by the New York Post on April 15, 1983, is widely considered the most famous in American history. It was written by editor Vinnie Musetto, who has also since passed away. But the story behind the headline involved a gruesome crime and a heroic arrest by Mack.
The Crime
Charles Dingle, 25, was drinking at Herbie's Bar in Queens when he got into an argument with owner Herbie Cummings. Dingle shot Cummings in the head, killing him instantly. He then took two women hostage, forcing one, an undertaker, to decapitate Cummings and place the head in a box. Dingle stole a taxi and drove the women to Manhattan, where he fell asleep at Columbus Circle.
The Arrest
The women escaped and alerted Mack, a transit detective, who was initially skeptical. Approaching the taxi, Mack saw Dingle had a gun while he was unarmed. He wrestled Dingle, disarmed him, and looked in the backseat to find the severed head. Retired NYPD Sgt. Mike Fanning recalled Mack's bravery and his storytelling skills, noting he mesmerized his family with the tale at dinner that night.
Mack, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former bat boy for the Brooklyn Dodgers, was known as an excellent investigator and mentor. He retired in 1988 after being hit by a taxi, moved to Florida, and volunteered at Ground Zero after 9/11. Dingle was sentenced to 25 years, denied parole, and died in prison in 2012.
