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Post by artvandalay on May 1, 2020 7:00:56 GMT -5
I remember a former Bonnie player being shot in East Olean in the 60's, maybe on Seneca Ave. Anybody remember the details?
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Post by Sipowicz on May 1, 2020 7:24:08 GMT -5
John Reilly, 5-8ish guard who played in mid 1960s.
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Post by Sipowicz on May 1, 2020 7:34:17 GMT -5
John Reilly, 5-8ish guard who played in mid 1960s.
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bigd
Freshman Member
Posts: 69
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Post by bigd on May 1, 2020 9:21:14 GMT -5
John Reilly, was at a friend's house on Seneca Ave and someone shot through a window killing Reilly. Not sure if he was the intended target though.
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Post by sburoundball on May 1, 2020 11:08:28 GMT -5
I've attached a news clipping. Attachments:
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Post by xianguitarist on May 1, 2020 13:34:26 GMT -5
I just checked the whole newspaper that was clipped from to get the actual date and ugh... The headline in the Rochester D+C was about the airplane crash that killed many associated with Marshall University's football team. Man that was a rotten day in college sports history.
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Post by bonas66 on May 3, 2020 22:17:02 GMT -5
I played freshman ball with John; he was a bulldog of a 5’9’’point guard and great teammate. His death was not an accident; as I understood from several sources at the time he was the target.
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Post by maplehurst on May 4, 2020 10:10:39 GMT -5
I wonder how the legal case against Hart turned out.
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Post by Sipowicz on May 4, 2020 10:13:58 GMT -5
If I remember correctly, HART was found guilty and served time in Attica State Correctional. Also, pretty sure he was incarcerated there at the time of the famous Attica Riot.
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Post by towniegrad on May 4, 2020 15:11:18 GMT -5
Riley not Reilly
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Post by faffy444 on May 4, 2020 15:17:10 GMT -5
refresh my memory, what was the reason for the shooting. a lovers triangle?
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Post by ltbf on May 5, 2020 5:54:00 GMT -5
Yes. John and I taught at HCS for a year. I still remember his laugh. Good man.
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Post by Chuck on Mar 23, 2021 5:09:40 GMT -5
I remember a former Bonnie player being shot in East Olean in the 60's, maybe on Seneca Ave. Anybody remember the details? Recently I heard about the murder of former Bonnie player John Riley. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Afterwards I thought this sounds like a tragic Hollywood movie script with the captain of the basketball team being murdered over a beautiful woman. Then it ends with the murderer becoming a hero by saving several people. The tragedy is it was not a script and it cost the life of John Riley. — John Riley played at Bonas from 1962-1966. His junior year, John was captain of the Bonnie basketball team. He was a teacher in a suburb of Rochester (Gates-Chili) and was the basketball coach of the Junior High basketball team. — John made frequent trips to Seneca Avenue in Olean. It was the home of a woman’s parents that he was dating. He was visiting a woman named Rachel, who was described to me as being very attractive. - Rachel’s cousin was considerably older than her did not approve of the relationship. He like Rachel was black and was incensed with John being white and dating his cousin. — From the Olean Times Herald on November 16, 1970. “A 34-year-old bricklayer is in custody in the shooting death of John M. Riley of Rochester, a former star guard of the St. Bonaventure basketball team. Visiting Olean, the 1966 Bona graduate was killed by a shotgun blast through the front window of a Seneca Avenue home." — The bricklayer was James “Jim” Hart, who walked up on the porch of Rachel's parent’s house and saw John Riley through the front window. Jim did not try to conceal his looks and stood there for a moment after the shooting, before fleeing. Everyone in the house knew it was Jim Hart. — Person who told me of the murder, said he knew James Hart (he called him Jim). At the time he could not believe Jim would commit this murder. Saying it did not fit his personality. He described Jim as a big guy, who lacked a mean streak. — Jim was sentenced to 40 years and sent to Attica prison. Less than a year to his arrival at Attica Prison there was a riot on September 9, 1971. During the riot, Jim was credited with saving the lives of correction officers. For his heroism Jim’s sentence was reduced to 12 years. Person telling the story said he thought it was wrong for Jim to get his sentence reduce to just 12 years. — Rachel would fall in love and marry someone, who was white. He had a successful professional career, which forced Rachel and her husband to move from Olean. Due to confidentiality, Rachel is a fictitious name. www.oleantimesherald.com/news/state-union-turning-back-the-clock-on-olean/article_075d4ea3-ed3e-5752-b769-2a10d0b66dbf.html
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