Crime and Prohibition
Michael “Mikey” Dorn
Documented account
Philadelphia police linked the killings of roommates Michael Dorn and Herman “Dusty” Fink to a post-Repeal split among former bootleggers.
What was reported
Dorn’s body was found on a Thursday night in brush beside the abandoned rail bed. Fink was found shot the following morning in an isolated place near Mullica Hill. The men shared a Philadelphia apartment and were described as associates.
Detective Captain James “Shooey” Malone said their recent business was illicit liquor. Police theorized that repeal had divided their old gang: some entered the licensed trade, while Dorn and Fink continued selling illegal alcohol and competed for former customers. This was an investigative theory, not a proven motive.
Burlington County Detective Chief Lawrence T. Doran directed a search near the discovery site for a rumored large still. He believed Dorn might have been killed while leaving it with alcohol; several gallons were reportedly found at Dorn’s apartment. The search did not locate the still or confirm the theory.
Source
Unidentified newspaper clipping preserved in the saved source, apparently published shortly after the 1933 killings. Publication, date, and page require verification.