But a number of former and current members of the patrol group, including two of its co-founders, said Mr. Sliwa had yet to admit all. They spoke of their disillusionment and told of additional incidents.

Tony Mao, a co-founder of the group, said he drenched himself in gasoline some dozen years ago and claimed it had happened when he pounced on two men who were planning to attack a token-booth clerk. The incident, he said, was planned by Mr. Sliwa, who enlisted two other Angels to pose as the thwarted bad guys to capitalize on a similar real-life attack. His account was confirmed by Arnaldo Salinas, a co-founder who now serves as the group's coordinator.

"We believed the lie," said Mr. Mao, who left the group in late 1980 and now works as a guard in a city hospital. "We told the stories so much we convinced ourselves."

Another former close associate of Mr. Sliwa's, William Diaz, said he was told to delay handing over a member wanted for questioning in the sexual assault of a child earlier this year. Mr. Diaz said he stalled for about a week because Mr. Sliwa needed to find a replacement for the member, who ran the group's West 46th Street headquarters. Anger and outrage, Mr. Diaz said, led him to bring the suspect to the police, where he was arrested and has since pleaded guilty.

"If I had listened to Curtis, it would have been two weeks before I turned him in," Mr. Diaz said.

Mr. Sliwa disputed aspects of his associates' accounts, saying that they were disgruntled former members who were involved, in some cases, in personal disputes with other members of the group. He insisted that his group was fighting crime and had a large membership.