We Bangor baby boomers all remember the fascinating stories our parents and others told about the shootout with the Al Brady Gang on Central Street way back in 1937. Each storyteller remembered exactly where they were, what they saw, and exactly how they felt. For today’s younger generations, the feelings were probably similar to the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

With the 70th anniversary of the Columbus Day shootout fast arriving, we at Northeast CONTACT have been planning, since January, the following: a vintage 50-car parade down Main Street (all vehicles stock and built prior to World War II); an accurate Central Street shootout re-enactment; and then the sweet sounds of the bluegrass group Wicked Blue to mellow out the large crowd; and finally, the 16-piece swing dance group, Skyliners Dance Orchestra, to lay down the hip notes of the 1930s’ golden oldies right in the middle of Central Street.

Many of our friends and sponsors have been very generous with financial donations for our project and in-kind services to help fill the coffers of our small nonprofit agency. Our major anchor in this widespread show of support has been the Bangor Daily News. To all, we say sincerely and simply, thank you!

This project seeks to be as accurate to history as possible, right down to the license plates screwed onto the bad guys’ 1937 Buick. We are not honoring these crooks and murderers. We are honoring strong Maine people who recognized this bad bunch and notified the authorities, notably the FBI, the Bangor police and fire departments, the Maine State Police, and even the Indiana State Police. This group converged on Central Street and ended the reign of death and destruction of this notorious mob. It was one of Bangor’s most notable events in our long history.

Eyewitnesses to the event are getting older and more scarce as each year goes by. We are very fortunate to have Col. Walter R. Walsh, the FBI agent shot in Dakin’s on that 1937 day, to be with us as our honorary chairman and parade grand marshal. Walsh is 100 years old and in good health and spirit. We are pleased to have him here as part of our re-enactment. He is indeed one of the many to truly be honored for their service on that fateful day.

The Brady Gang was trying to do some business in Bangor. They wanted to buy Thompson machine guns to fortify their already massive arsenal of weapons, which were legal to buy and sell at the time. It was, however, strange that these clean-shaven, well dressed young men wanted to use the weapons for deer hunting.

Remember that this was the height of the Great Depression. These were very tough times. They pitted country folks against city slickers, the haves against the have-nots. Shep Hurd connected the dots and contacted law enforcement, which signaled the end of the Brady Gang shortly thereafter.

When there are problems with commerce in the marketplace, Northeast CONTACT can and does help consumers and merchants come to fair and equitable resolutions. Had our organization been in operation back then (we are 35 years old and were not formed), one cannot help wonder if we could have been of assistance to either party in this machine gun sale?

From the consumer side, a product was promised but never delivered, thanks to Shep Hurd, the wily owner of Dakin’s. This is not unlike many of our clients today who are slow to receive whatever it is they order through the mail or on-line.

From the merchant’s side of the story, Mr. Hurd quickly became aware that what was being presented by the gangster buyers was not based in truth, but in deception. The practice of deception continues to this day on the Internet millions of times each week. The 1937 Brady Gang misrepresentation is not unlike the Nigerian Internet scam artists, where the whole story or each part of the story put forth by the greedy is meant to separate the gullible from their hard-earned funds.

In the final analysis, Northeast CONTACT probably could have assisted either or both parties, isolated the deception on both sides, and perhaps even helped avoid the resulting bloodshed in the street. For sure, the gangsters would have gone to jail and onto death row for their earlier transgressions in the Midwest, but perhaps this simple machine gun sale could have had a much better outcome with some CONTACT mediation services.

Frankly, we will never know. The die were cast 70 years ago on the cobblestones of Central Street in the cold October sun.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast CONTACT, Maine’s membership funded nonprofit consumer organization. Individual and business memberships are available at modest rates. Interested and motivated prospective volunteers are always needed and welcomed to apply to help with our mission. For assistance with consumer-related issues, including consumer fraud and identity theft, or for more information, write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor ME 04402-1329.