Devil in the Details: A Warning to Bridgeport’s Finest

On a sweltering June evening in 1914, the streets of Bridgeport, Connecticut, were abuzz with the city’s elite. The affluent crowd had gathered at the Stratford Hotel’s luxurious ballroom for a high-society event. However, whispers of a sinister plot were circulating among the city’s underworld. A cryptic message, ‘be on your guard in bad company,’ was doing the rounds, a warning to Bridgeport’s high-rollers to beware of those with questionable intentions.

The message was likely referring to a notorious group of charlatans and con artists who had been exploiting the city’s wealthy for months. These scoundrels would masquerade as high-society types, flaunting their expensive clothes and fine style to gain the trust of their marks. But beneath the surface, they were nothing more than common thieves.

One such group, known as the ‘Devil’s Crew,’ had been operating in Bridgeport for months. They would frequent the city’s upscale establishments, charming their way into the hearts of the wealthy and then relieving them of their valuables. The police were stumped, and the city’s elite were living in fear.

But on June 7, 1914, tragedy struck when John Falfreyman, a respected member of Bridgeport’s community, passed away. His funeral was held at the Lakeview cemetery on June 10, and friends and family gathered to pay their respects. Little did they know, a sense of unease hung in the air, as the city’s underworld continued to plot and scheme.

The Devil’s Crew was known to operate in the shadows, always staying one step ahead of the law. But their reign of terror was about to come to an end. In a shocking turn of events, a meeting of the local Foresters Court, Court Pequonnock, was held on June 9, 1914, where it was announced that the court would be merging with Court Burrtham, No. 118, F. of A. The move was seen as a major blow to the Devil’s Crew, who relied on the city’s social elite to fund their operations.