�Three lawyers in a room are sure to produce at least four opinions�.
TALES FROM THE GREATEST DETECTIVES IN THE WORLD
You have to wonder sometimes, when you really think about it, how is it we ever get anything done?
When you take a close look around the Squad Room, you often can�t help but chuckle.
What do I mean?
How about a First Grade Detective with ten years experience in the same borough-wide office, who has no problem finding his way to any of the station houses in the borough � as long as he starts out from the command he works out of. No problem going from the 90 to the 79, or the 90 to the 73. But go from the 79 to the 73? Not without going back to the 90 first, and starting from there. Can�t possibly be true, right?
How about a cop with five years on the job who knows his way from Patchogue to the 77 station house, and knows the 77 streets inside and out � but send him out of the command, and he�s lost. Literally. Sent him one time from the 77 to the Brooklyn North Borough, on Wilson Avenue. Sounded pretty easy. Go straight up Utica Avenue, it will turn into Malcolm X, then make a right at Dekalb to Wilson Avenue. Should have been easy, just one hitch. Dekalb is a one-way at Malcolm X; not too hard, though, you�d think. Maybe go to the next block and double back? Wrong. He ended up at Laguardia Airport � don�t even try to figure that out.
Or the Detective that put a much-needed department auto out of service for a very long time, after he put diesel fuel into its regular gasoline tank. You�d think the difficulty he had trying to get the nozzle to work in the tank may have been an indication of a problem? Not so. Pumped a full tank of diesel into the engine, and conked out about 2 blocks away � from a stationhouse at the other end of the borough. (Another story altogether).
How about the investigator who couldn�t find the 911 caller to interview, because nobody at the location knew anyone named Ani Ali?
Or the detective who didn�t have a Penal Law, extra DD5�s, or any reporter notebooks in his desk, but always had a full bottle of Tabasco sauce, and a TV Guide. This was the same detective who would wear the same white shirt 3 days in a row � it was easy to spot, with the ink stain on the pocket (and no, it wasn�t Larry). He insisted on taking the keys for the squad car at the beginning of the tour, because he was the senior detective, and he had to drive. Except he never knew where he was going; he�d get onto Bushwick Avenue, drive about three or four blocks, then ask where he was going. I kid you not. I one time let him drive around for twenty minutes in the exact opposite direction, waiting to see how long it would take before he�d declare he didn�t know where he was going.
That same ace-driving detective-partner was the one who had the four speed car that didn�t have a first gear; he�d just rev the engine up and move right into second gear when he had to move forward. That was my detective trainer.
There was an entire team of detectives (they�ll know who they are, and some of you will, too) who would go out to eat at the whim of the squad sergeant. If he wanted Italian food, they�d all agree that was a �good choice�; Chinese food? Sure, sounds great! Breakfast was the best, though. In the winter, going out for breakfast meant going to Junior�s, and having oatmeal. Whether you liked oatmeal or not, you ordered oatmeal if you wanted to be part of that team. You had to see the face on one particular detective, as she tried to eat the oatmeal, and keep herself from gagging at the same time. �Great choice, I�ll have the oatmeal, too!�
Or the detective that helped out running a lineup, getting the fillers together, the lineup photos taken, and getting the lineup forms signed after paying the fillers � just pitching in to help a teammate. Which was just fine, until he paid the fillers and let them go � including the perp who had been picked out! Took some quick scurrying to make that little error right.
How about the detective who went to the hospital to interview the shooting victim, who gave him his name only, and told the detective he didn�t know what happened. �Heard a shot, felt pain�. Not an uncommon story we haven�t heard before, right? Except the victim was the same perp the squad had been seeking for the past week on a Wanted card � from the detective who interviewed him in the hospital � but didn�t recognize him as one of �his� most-wanteds! �Get back there right now and bring him back here when he gets discharged, do you understand�, I believe were the basic words I uttered (with several �*#@!*&+� thrown in for good measure.
Or the detective that was notified about a Robbery Enhancement that needed to be done, and asked the A/O if he could wait another fifteen minutes because �Abbott and Costello will be over by then�.
And then there was the detective team that conducted a full, thorough canvass of the area of Vanderbilt and Bergen, seeking witnesses to a shooting. Very thorough, indeed. Knocked on doors, talked to people in the street. Too bad the crime actually occurred at Bergen and Rochester � at the exact opposite end of the precinct.
I once worked with a detective that would bring a Burger King cup � empty � in from home, only to take out in the field with him, so he could stop at a Burger King and get his free soda refill. (I let him do that with me once, the next time I told him I was going to crush his cup and embarrass him in front of the entire restaurant; he didn�t go out in the field with me again).
Sometimes your help comes from those you least expect it from. I remember being in the Bronx with my partner, and we had just grabbed a perp for an armed robbery case. We picked him up as he was walking into his project building lobby; felt pretty good about it, too. We had worked on this for a few days, and the stakeout went just as planned. It had just started to snow, and it wasn�t the friendliest atmosphere, so we hurried back to the car and wanted to get out of there. Only the keys were locked in the car! Looking around for something to help us get into the car, I came across of wire hanger in the garbage pails next to the building (don�t ask!). Only to then have the prisoner help us get into the car, because us two detectives couldn�t figure out how to get the door opened ourselves; he was nice about it, helped us get the door open, back into the cuffs, and off we went. He was picked out of 2 lineups that night. Not a bad guy, though.
And let�s not forget the detective whose idea of a carry-on bag for an out of state trip to pickup a perp consisted of a brown grocery bag for his clothes. That was the same detective who stated he was going to "go over that with a pine cone tooth".
Like they say, you�ve got to be able to laugh at yourself sometimes. It�s what keeps you sane!
READERS REPORT
A recent response from a loyal reader is noted here.
Retired Det. Al Puknat, now living in Arizona, notes that he retired from the 87 Sqd. in February 1969. He attended a few Brooklyn North Detective retirement parties afterwards and a few 87 Pct. Reunions.
He found the postings on Cal�s Bar, next to the 9th Precinct stationhouse, stirred up quite a few fond memories.
He recalls that at the time he was working uniform patrol, the 9th started at Bowery and ran to 14th St. Bowery to Ave B. The old 11th Pct picked up from Ave B to the river. Their Station House was on Sheriff St. Not only is the old 11 Precinct station house gone, so is the street. There is no longer a Sheriff Street, as are a few blocks of East 1 Street. When they were eliminated, the 9th Precinct boundaries were adjusted.
The old 7th Pct Station House at the base of the Williamsburg Bridge is no longer there, replaced by the newer version also under the Bridge.
After a stint in the Manhattan South Youth Sqd. he was assigned to Brooklyn North Det�s, working in the 87th Sqd which was located on Herbert St. That building still stands, with many people knowing it better as the quarters for Brooklyn North Narcotics, before they moved out a few years back. The building is now vacant.
Ret. Det Puknat likes to add that he, too, wore the requisite detective attire of a fedora hat, smoking quite a few cigars in his time as well.
Hope you�re enjoying the sun and fun in Arizona, Al!
GET WELL WISHES TO RET. DET1 JOHN REILLY
Regular readers to this site will be familiar with the periodic citation of Ret. Det1 John Reilly to many department historical insights.
John is recuperating at home from a recent illness, and we all wish him a speedy recovery.
Not too long ago I noted on this site a crime fighting tactic that New Orleans utilized to address a crime prone housing project location � they razed the development and built a WalMart in its place.
John Reilly would like to add the following.
Regarding New Orleans crime fighting strategies, you stated "what they did was more novel than any approach you will see in New York City."
While he did not know of any New York City Public Housing project�s demolished to fight crime, he did recall that something similar to this was done, possibly in St. Louis or some other large Midwestern city.
During the early 1960�s, though, he did recall that West 84th Street between Columbus & Amsterdam Ave�s became so over run with drug dealers that the City's final response was to demolish many of the brown- stone houses on the block, and they built Public Schools in their place.
IN MEMORIAM: DET. LUKE FALLON & DET. JOHN FINNEGAN
Det Luke Fallon #489, 70 Squad
Det. John Finnegan, #1613, 70 Squad
Killed in the Line of Duty: May 18, 1962 � Shot, Robbery
Detective Fallon and Detective John Finnegan were shot and killed in a gun battle with bandits caught in the act of robbing a tobacco and confectionary shop in Brooklyn's Boro Park section.
Both men were gunned down in a vicious exchange of shots with the robbers. Five suspects, the two in the store and the driver of the getaway car, plus two accessories, were rounded up within five days. One was picked up in Chicago, another in Connecticut, two in New York and the fifth surrendered to The New York Daily News. The detectives were on patrol when they learned of the robbery. As they entered the store, both men were met by a hail of fire. They returned the fire as they fell, mortally wounded.
Detective Fallon was 55 years old and had been with the NYPD for 26 years.
Detective Finnegan was 29 years old and had been with the NYPD for 6 years.
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
May 17, 1927 Det Morris Borkin, DetDiv, Shot- burglary arrest
May 17, 1930 Ptl William Duncan, 18 Pct, Shot- GLA arrest
May 18, 1922 Ptl Douglas Hay, 49 Pct, Assaulted
May 18, 1962 Det Luke Fallon & Det John Finnegan, 70 Sqd � Shot-robbery
May 19, 1931 Ptl William O�Connor, Mtd, Shot
May 19, 1997 PO Anthony Sanchez, 13 Pct, Shot- robbery
May 20, 1920 Ptl John Fitzpatrick, DetDiv, Shot-GLA arrest
May 21, 1968 Det Richard Rolanz, 103 Pct, Line of duty heart attack
May 21, 1971 Ptl Joseph Piagentini & Ptl Waverly Jones, 32 Pct � Assasinated
May 21, 1996 PO Vincent Guidice, 50 Pct, Arrest- Cut by glass, assaulted
May 23, 1919 Ptl Emil Carbonell, Mcy, Auto accident on patrol
May 23, 1927 Ptl Walter Wahl, 7 Pct, Fire rescue
May 23, 1939 Ptl Nicholas Moreno, 87 Pct, Shot- investigation
May 25, 1970 PO Miguiel Sirvent, 71 Pct, Shot- robbery
May 26, 1924 Det Bernardino Grottano, DetDiv, Shot- burglary in progress
May 26, 1947 Ptl Phillip Fitzpatrick, Mtd, Shot- robbery
May 26, 1998 PO Anthony Mosomillo, 67 Pct, Shot- arrest, warrant
May 28, 1948 Ptl Charles Meyer, Hwy3, LOD injury
May 28, 1966 Ptl John Bannon, 110 Pct, Shot- off duty incident
May 28, 1970 Ptl Lawrence Stefane, 9 Pct, Stabbed by EDP
May 28, 2000 PO David Regan, 62 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
Monday, May 23, 2005
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
GANGBUSTERS, THE WILD COWBOYS, AND DETECTIVES STREET STORIES
It was December 16, 1991. Beekman Avenue, Bronx. When Mark Tebbens caught the quad-homicide in the 40 Squad, little did he know where it would take him.
Four bullet-torn bodies in a drug-ridden South Bronx alley.
A college boy shot in the head on the West Side Highway. Det. Garry Dugan of Manhattan North Homicide thought he had a �road-rage� incident; how could this possibloy connected to a Bronx drug gang?
A wild shootout on the streets of Washington Heights, home of New York City's immigrant Dominican community and hub of the eastern seaboard's drug trade.
All seemingly separate acts of violence. But investigators discover a pattern to the mayhem, with links to scores of assaults and murders throughout the city.
It was the work of the drug gang that came to be known as the �Wild Cowboys�. The story of the takedown of this gang was recounted in a 1997 book by that name, Wild Cowboys�, written by Robert Jackall � who more affectionately came to be known simply as �The Professor�.
In this bloody urban saga, Robert Jackall recounts how street cops, detectives, and prosecutors pieced together a puzzle-like story of narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and murders for hire, all centered on a vicious gang of Dominican youths known as the Wild Cowboys. These boyhood friends, operators of a lucrative crack business in the Bronx, routinely pistol-whipped their workers, murdered rivals, shot or slashed witnesses to their crimes, and eventually turned on one another in a deadly civil war.
Jackall chronicles the crime-scene investigations, frantic car chases, street arrests at gunpoint, interviews with informants, and knuckle-breaking plea bargaining that culminated in prison terms for more than forty gang members.
The saga of this investigation was also recounted by Michael Stone, in his book on the subject, �Gangbusters�.
Stone�s version of the investigation takes the reader deep into the working of this case, and shows how seasoned veterans of the elite Homicide Investigation Unit of the NY County DA Office took down the city�s most dangerous drug gang, and in the process rewrote the book on tackling gang crime.
How did the NY County DA Office take over the investigation that included homicides in the Bronx? The story is worth reading for that alone. One of the most violent and bloodiest drug gangs in NY�s history was taken down by what was then a novel approach to gang crime, led by the Manhattan DA Chief, Walter Arsenault.
The Wild Cowboys were known to have terrorized the South Bronx and upper Manhattan for years.
In addition to Mark Tebbens, Garry Dugan and Walter Arsenault, the tale includes the likes of Dan Brownell, lead prosecutor, then assigned to the NY DA Office, along with Chief Investigator Terry Quinn.
Mark Tebbens, NYPD Detective, assigned to 40 Sqd, primary investigator on the Double and Quad cases, and later posted to HIU for the investigation.
I have written about these two books a while back on this site, but it�s certainly worth mentioning again. By the way, the judge who presided over the Wild Cowboys trial was none other than Leslie Crocker Snyder, an Acting Supreme Court Justice at the time.
I bring this up again because �The Professor�, Robert Jackall, has just released a new book that readers of true crime will surely find to be quite interesting.
�Street Stories � The World of Police Detectives� has just been published by Harvard University Press, and has already found a place on The Minister�s bookshelf.
Author Robert Jackall, a professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, immersed himself in those stories for several years to figure out how cops in one of the country's most crime-ridden cities determine the truth. By tagging along with New York's Finest, Jackall interviewed cops and criminals and pieced together the grisly details of gut-churning crimes.
Dubbed the Professor by his uniformed friends, Jackall has released his second book delving into the lives of New York cops. The narrative-rich "Street Stories: The World of Police Detectives" is a meandering nonfiction novel that follows a diverse cast of cops as they tackle crimes.
The book is packed with seedy characters, mostly criminals-turned-informants, with mind-boggling morals, to most of whom Jackall assigns pseudonyms.
Take, for example, police informant Tyre. He used to rob the subways with Shorty, then turned his partner in to police when Shorty robbed him.
"You can rob all the peoples you wants on the trains," Tyre explained to police, "but you don't rob the peoples you smokes crack wit."
Jackall also describes a suspect in a criminal lineup asked to repeat the order barked during a robbery. The suspect got disgusted with the police decoys in the lineup who meekly recited the line.
Jackall writes: "The third person in the lineup, indeed the actual suspect, strode up to the microphone, stuck out his arms and said: 'YO, ..., THIS IS A STICKUP!' He then indicated to the other guys that this was the right way to announce a robbery."
He was then correctly picked out in the lineup. Jackall's stories unfold the way cases do for detectives: Bits of information are culled from dozens of interviews until, finally, one version appears the most plausible.
Jackall succeeds in offering insight into the quirky judicial system. In the process, he tells plenty of tales worthy of their own Court TV episodes.
Take the case of Sara Long, who mysteriously vanished. Long's roommate, Julian Cowell, seemed distracted when interviewed by Detective Austin Muldoon and a rank odor permeated his apartment.
Stories with happy endings never include permeating rank odors.
Street Stories , based on years of fieldwork with the New York City Police Department and the District Attorney of New York, examines �the moral ambiguities of the detectives' world as they shuttle between the streets and a bureaucratic behemoth.�
"In piecing together street stories to solve intriguing puzzles of agency and motive, detectives crisscross the checkerboard of urban life. Their interactions in social strata high and low foster cosmopolitan habits of mind and easy conversational skills. And they become incomparable storytellers."
This book brims with the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction violence of the underworld and tells about a justice apparatus that splinters knowledge, reduces life-and-death issues to arcane hair-splitting, and makes rationality a bedfellow of absurdity.
�Detectives' stories lay bare their occupational consciousness--the cunning and trickery of their investigative craft, their self-images, moral rules-in-use, and judgments about the players in their world--as well as their personal ambitions, sensibilities, resentments, hopes, and fears. When detectives do make cases, they take satisfaction in removing predators from the streets and helping to ensure public safety. But their stories also illuminate dark corners of a troubled social order.�
All that, and an interesting read as well!
If I may make a recommendation, it�s the following.
For a look at how a violent drug gang from the early 1990�s was taken out of action, through good detective work and aggressive prosecutorial methods, then pick up �WILD COWBOYS� and �GANGBUSTERS�. You won�t be disappointend.
For some good �detective stories�, the true ones that are often stranger than fiction, pick up the new book �STREET STORIES�.
Some good recommendations for a summer reading list.
For a book to avoid, read on.
NO LIGHTS, NO SIREN
No way.
I picked this book up, as a true crime collector of NYPD work, but questioned my decision after reading it in the one day it took to complete.
Robert Cea is a retired police officer, who left after twelve years on the job in the early 1980�s. He worked patrol in the 67 Precinct, then later went to a Zone Anti-Crime Team that worked in the 76, 67, 72 area of Brooklyn � Red Hook, at it�s worst.
The Corruption and Redemption of an Inner City Cop, is the sub title of this work.
Essentially, Cea details how he routinely �testi-lied� (his words) so as to make gun collars stick, and how he stole drugs from dealers to use them to supply his junkie snitches.
What�s worse, is that his story has reporters writing that �aggressive cops working on the city�s meanest streets commit these crimes and many more on a regular basis � all in an effort to stay one step ahead of the bad guys�. �It�s the only way to get things done�, Cea says.
�I became a monster�, Cea writes. The problem I have is the way it portrays everyone else on the job � if you�re a good cop, you must be doing the same thing?
I paid the full price for this book � that was my faulty decision. You may want to pick it up anyway, see what it�s all about. Maybe you worked with him, or knew him. Go ahead, if you must.
But perhaps you�ll wait for it to appear on the Bargain Table.
PIZZA, ANYONE?
Always looking for the Best in Pizza, I have to add the following contribution.
Submitted by Tony Pinnisi, who retired from the 60 Precinct, what he describes as being �The Very Best� pizza place in Brooklyn is Totonna�s of Coney Island.
Located on Neptune Avenue and W. 16 Street (in the 60 Pct), this place has been serving one of the very best for over 80 years now.
I can add my own rating as one of the best, and recount how this was the favorite of the Hollywood Squares team of Transit Major Case � when Louie Cosentino wanted pizza, he wanted none other than Totonna�s.
As a side note to this, they also have a restaurant on the Upper East Side, in the 19 Preinct, on Second Avenue and East 80 Street, for all the Manhattan gumshoes who can�t make their way down to Coney Island.
I�ll ask John Cantwell to check out the Manhattan location for a second opinion.
YOU CAN�T MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Some actual quotes as heard from the Brooklyn North squad room.
�Those 2 lebonese (lesbian) girls that live down the street�
�I got minstrel (menstrual) pain�
�The bullet went in my thigh and missed my tentacles (testicles)�
�The doctor said he got trouble with his veins from flea bites (phlebitis)�
�When I was born I had the un-biblical cord wrapped around my neck�
� My mom can�t walk, cause she got onions (bunions) on her feet�
�She�s got general herbies (genital herpies)�
It was December 16, 1991. Beekman Avenue, Bronx. When Mark Tebbens caught the quad-homicide in the 40 Squad, little did he know where it would take him.
Four bullet-torn bodies in a drug-ridden South Bronx alley.
A college boy shot in the head on the West Side Highway. Det. Garry Dugan of Manhattan North Homicide thought he had a �road-rage� incident; how could this possibloy connected to a Bronx drug gang?
A wild shootout on the streets of Washington Heights, home of New York City's immigrant Dominican community and hub of the eastern seaboard's drug trade.
All seemingly separate acts of violence. But investigators discover a pattern to the mayhem, with links to scores of assaults and murders throughout the city.
It was the work of the drug gang that came to be known as the �Wild Cowboys�. The story of the takedown of this gang was recounted in a 1997 book by that name, Wild Cowboys�, written by Robert Jackall � who more affectionately came to be known simply as �The Professor�.
In this bloody urban saga, Robert Jackall recounts how street cops, detectives, and prosecutors pieced together a puzzle-like story of narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and murders for hire, all centered on a vicious gang of Dominican youths known as the Wild Cowboys. These boyhood friends, operators of a lucrative crack business in the Bronx, routinely pistol-whipped their workers, murdered rivals, shot or slashed witnesses to their crimes, and eventually turned on one another in a deadly civil war.
Jackall chronicles the crime-scene investigations, frantic car chases, street arrests at gunpoint, interviews with informants, and knuckle-breaking plea bargaining that culminated in prison terms for more than forty gang members.
The saga of this investigation was also recounted by Michael Stone, in his book on the subject, �Gangbusters�.
Stone�s version of the investigation takes the reader deep into the working of this case, and shows how seasoned veterans of the elite Homicide Investigation Unit of the NY County DA Office took down the city�s most dangerous drug gang, and in the process rewrote the book on tackling gang crime.
How did the NY County DA Office take over the investigation that included homicides in the Bronx? The story is worth reading for that alone. One of the most violent and bloodiest drug gangs in NY�s history was taken down by what was then a novel approach to gang crime, led by the Manhattan DA Chief, Walter Arsenault.
The Wild Cowboys were known to have terrorized the South Bronx and upper Manhattan for years.
In addition to Mark Tebbens, Garry Dugan and Walter Arsenault, the tale includes the likes of Dan Brownell, lead prosecutor, then assigned to the NY DA Office, along with Chief Investigator Terry Quinn.
Mark Tebbens, NYPD Detective, assigned to 40 Sqd, primary investigator on the Double and Quad cases, and later posted to HIU for the investigation.
I have written about these two books a while back on this site, but it�s certainly worth mentioning again. By the way, the judge who presided over the Wild Cowboys trial was none other than Leslie Crocker Snyder, an Acting Supreme Court Justice at the time.
I bring this up again because �The Professor�, Robert Jackall, has just released a new book that readers of true crime will surely find to be quite interesting.
�Street Stories � The World of Police Detectives� has just been published by Harvard University Press, and has already found a place on The Minister�s bookshelf.
Author Robert Jackall, a professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, immersed himself in those stories for several years to figure out how cops in one of the country's most crime-ridden cities determine the truth. By tagging along with New York's Finest, Jackall interviewed cops and criminals and pieced together the grisly details of gut-churning crimes.
Dubbed the Professor by his uniformed friends, Jackall has released his second book delving into the lives of New York cops. The narrative-rich "Street Stories: The World of Police Detectives" is a meandering nonfiction novel that follows a diverse cast of cops as they tackle crimes.
The book is packed with seedy characters, mostly criminals-turned-informants, with mind-boggling morals, to most of whom Jackall assigns pseudonyms.
Take, for example, police informant Tyre. He used to rob the subways with Shorty, then turned his partner in to police when Shorty robbed him.
"You can rob all the peoples you wants on the trains," Tyre explained to police, "but you don't rob the peoples you smokes crack wit."
Jackall also describes a suspect in a criminal lineup asked to repeat the order barked during a robbery. The suspect got disgusted with the police decoys in the lineup who meekly recited the line.
Jackall writes: "The third person in the lineup, indeed the actual suspect, strode up to the microphone, stuck out his arms and said: 'YO, ..., THIS IS A STICKUP!' He then indicated to the other guys that this was the right way to announce a robbery."
He was then correctly picked out in the lineup. Jackall's stories unfold the way cases do for detectives: Bits of information are culled from dozens of interviews until, finally, one version appears the most plausible.
Jackall succeeds in offering insight into the quirky judicial system. In the process, he tells plenty of tales worthy of their own Court TV episodes.
Take the case of Sara Long, who mysteriously vanished. Long's roommate, Julian Cowell, seemed distracted when interviewed by Detective Austin Muldoon and a rank odor permeated his apartment.
Stories with happy endings never include permeating rank odors.
Street Stories , based on years of fieldwork with the New York City Police Department and the District Attorney of New York, examines �the moral ambiguities of the detectives' world as they shuttle between the streets and a bureaucratic behemoth.�
"In piecing together street stories to solve intriguing puzzles of agency and motive, detectives crisscross the checkerboard of urban life. Their interactions in social strata high and low foster cosmopolitan habits of mind and easy conversational skills. And they become incomparable storytellers."
This book brims with the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction violence of the underworld and tells about a justice apparatus that splinters knowledge, reduces life-and-death issues to arcane hair-splitting, and makes rationality a bedfellow of absurdity.
�Detectives' stories lay bare their occupational consciousness--the cunning and trickery of their investigative craft, their self-images, moral rules-in-use, and judgments about the players in their world--as well as their personal ambitions, sensibilities, resentments, hopes, and fears. When detectives do make cases, they take satisfaction in removing predators from the streets and helping to ensure public safety. But their stories also illuminate dark corners of a troubled social order.�
All that, and an interesting read as well!
If I may make a recommendation, it�s the following.
For a look at how a violent drug gang from the early 1990�s was taken out of action, through good detective work and aggressive prosecutorial methods, then pick up �WILD COWBOYS� and �GANGBUSTERS�. You won�t be disappointend.
For some good �detective stories�, the true ones that are often stranger than fiction, pick up the new book �STREET STORIES�.
Some good recommendations for a summer reading list.
For a book to avoid, read on.
NO LIGHTS, NO SIREN
No way.
I picked this book up, as a true crime collector of NYPD work, but questioned my decision after reading it in the one day it took to complete.
Robert Cea is a retired police officer, who left after twelve years on the job in the early 1980�s. He worked patrol in the 67 Precinct, then later went to a Zone Anti-Crime Team that worked in the 76, 67, 72 area of Brooklyn � Red Hook, at it�s worst.
The Corruption and Redemption of an Inner City Cop, is the sub title of this work.
Essentially, Cea details how he routinely �testi-lied� (his words) so as to make gun collars stick, and how he stole drugs from dealers to use them to supply his junkie snitches.
What�s worse, is that his story has reporters writing that �aggressive cops working on the city�s meanest streets commit these crimes and many more on a regular basis � all in an effort to stay one step ahead of the bad guys�. �It�s the only way to get things done�, Cea says.
�I became a monster�, Cea writes. The problem I have is the way it portrays everyone else on the job � if you�re a good cop, you must be doing the same thing?
I paid the full price for this book � that was my faulty decision. You may want to pick it up anyway, see what it�s all about. Maybe you worked with him, or knew him. Go ahead, if you must.
But perhaps you�ll wait for it to appear on the Bargain Table.
PIZZA, ANYONE?
Always looking for the Best in Pizza, I have to add the following contribution.
Submitted by Tony Pinnisi, who retired from the 60 Precinct, what he describes as being �The Very Best� pizza place in Brooklyn is Totonna�s of Coney Island.
Located on Neptune Avenue and W. 16 Street (in the 60 Pct), this place has been serving one of the very best for over 80 years now.
I can add my own rating as one of the best, and recount how this was the favorite of the Hollywood Squares team of Transit Major Case � when Louie Cosentino wanted pizza, he wanted none other than Totonna�s.
As a side note to this, they also have a restaurant on the Upper East Side, in the 19 Preinct, on Second Avenue and East 80 Street, for all the Manhattan gumshoes who can�t make their way down to Coney Island.
I�ll ask John Cantwell to check out the Manhattan location for a second opinion.
YOU CAN�T MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Some actual quotes as heard from the Brooklyn North squad room.
�Those 2 lebonese (lesbian) girls that live down the street�
�I got minstrel (menstrual) pain�
�The bullet went in my thigh and missed my tentacles (testicles)�
�The doctor said he got trouble with his veins from flea bites (phlebitis)�
�When I was born I had the un-biblical cord wrapped around my neck�
� My mom can�t walk, cause she got onions (bunions) on her feet�
�She�s got general herbies (genital herpies)�
Friday, May 06, 2005
FROM THE INVESTIGATORS NOTEBOOK: DECEPTION
While it is true that some timid individuals will change their answers when they feel threatened or intimidated, there is no guarantee that information learned through coercion is truthful.
The "tough-guy" approach during an interview certainly does not encourage truthfulness. Rather, the more authoritative or judgmental the questioner becomes, the more motivated a person is to lie to that person.
Part of the reason for this is that a judgmental attitude serves to remind the person of the consequences he faces if he tells the truth. The other reality is that it goes against human nature to cooperate with somewhat whom we do not respect. To reveal the truth to another person often requires a significant level of trust and understanding toward the confidant with whom we decided to share our "secret".
If an individual is interested in learning the truth from another person, it is unreasonable to expect the other person to volunteer the truth. The truth must be elicited by asking the right questions. If my son comes home from a party and I ask him how the party was is he likely to answer, "Well dad it was a pretty good party. I smoked some marijuana and got really high." Absolutely not. He�s much more likely to say, "The party was fine dad." It would be totally unreasonable for me to be upset with my son for not volunteering this incriminating information.
If I want to learn if he used illegal drugs at the party I need to ask him that question.
Many people, including criminal investigators, are uncomfortable asking questions that may elicit an incriminating response, so they soften the impact of the question. This, of course, makes the question easier to lie to.
One way to soften the impact of a question is to include qualifying language. Consider the following examples:
"Ryan, did you happen to see any illegal drugs at the party?"
"Do you recall using any illegal drugs at the party?"
Ryan knows whether or not he used illegal drugs at the party. The use of qualifying language makes the question easier to lie to. The question should be simply phrased, "Ryan did you see any illegal drugs at the party?" and, "Did you use any illegal drugs at the party?"
The easiest question to lie to, however, is one that expects agreement to an assumption within the question. This is called a negative question.
Examples of negative questions include:
"You were good for the baby sitter, weren�t you?"
"There weren�t any drugs at the party, were there?"
"You don�t know anything about the fire in your neighbor�s garage, do you?"
As these examples illustrate, it is highly improbable for a person to correct the implication within a negative question, and tell the truth, e.g., "No mommy you�re wrong. I was a holy terror with the baby sitter."
The average person who is properly socialized does not enjoy lying. This is especially true when the person they are lying to is someone they respect. Counteracting this influence is that fact that no one wants to suffer the consequences of telling the truth. Thus, almost every person who has done something wrong or who is ashamed of something they did is caught in a conflict between these two drives. Most people resolve this conflict by telling the truth a little bit at a time. It is a very na�ve parent, teacher or investigator who expects a person to all of a sudden decide to tell the full and complete truth.
In most instances, the truth is learned in small steps and only after a reasonable period of time. In the previous example of illegal drug use at a party, the questions asked to develop this information should be designed to gradually commit the person to more incriminating information. For example:
Elicit an admission that drugs were present at the party
Elicit an admission that people were using drugs at the party
Elicit an admission of being offered drugs at the party
Elicit an admission of experimenting with drugs at the party.
Frequently investigators fail to appreciate how difficult it is for a suspect who is facing significant consequences to tell the truth. After failing to elicit a full confession when initially asking the suspect if he committing the crime, the investigator breeze over the rest of the interview questions and quickly jumps to the interrogation. Similarly, the parent or teacher offers the child one chance to tell the truth and if the child does not completely come clean, the parent goes into the punishment mode and forgets about learning the truth.
This article is not intended to imply that if an investigator uses proper techniques that most criminal suspects will offer a full confession through the interviewing process. Because of the significant consequences facing most criminal offenders, under that circumstance, interrogation is often the only means to learn the truth.
(From John E Reid & Assocs.)
FROM THE BOOKSHELF: MORE ON THE MURDER AT THE HARLEM MOSQUE
Readers are anticipating the soon to be released text by Retired Det. Randy Jurgensen, titled �Nolo Contendre�.
Det. Randy Jurgensen, the lead detective in the case, is penning the book with Robert Cea (who has a book coming out any second called No Lights, No Sirens, published by Morrow).
Nolo Contendere is expected to be a no holds barred account of the death of Police Officer Philip Cardillo, who was murdered on April 14, 1972 inside Harlem Mosque # 7. This incident was also written about by Sonny Grosso, Jurgensen�s partner at the time, in the other highly acclaimed �Murder at the Harlem Mosque�.
The case is still open but unsolved. Mosque # 7 is the same mosque that at one time was refuge to Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali. Before April 14th was over, apologies from the NYPD and deals were made in the mosque that saw prisoners released, a crime scene destroyed, black and white cops separated and several high-ranking police personnel resign in disgust and protest over the case.
Over the years, books, newspapers and magazine articles have been published. �It is the case that will not go away. It is not talked about at 1 Police Plaza, yet is taught at the N.Y.C.P.D. academy�.
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. GEORGE SECHLER AND PTL. ALFRED SELLECK
Ptl. George Sechler, Shot � April 14, 1907
Ptl. Alfred Selleck, Shot � April 14, 1907
Patrolman Sechler and Patrolman Alfred Selleck were shot and killed by two brothers who had just shot and killed a man after an altercation in Washington Square Park.
After shooting the man in the park the brothers fled on foot with a Sergeant and Patrolman in pursuit. Patrolman Sechler and Selleck were on duty just a few blocks away when they heard the shots and saw the suspects running towards them.
Both Patrolman Sechler and Selleck chased the suspects into a tenement house at 230-232 Thompson Street. The brothers fled up the stairs, but were trapped at the top when they came to a locked door.
As Patrolman Sechler and Selleck approached the brothers turned and opened fire. Patrolman Selleck was struck two times and fell down the stairs to the stoop. As the suspect was about the fire a third time Patrolman Sechler threw his body across his partner to shield him, but was himself hit in the stomach.
Before he collapsed he was able to strike the suspect several times about the head and body with his Billy club, knocking the suspect nearly unconscious.
As Patrolman Sechler fell to the stoop, the Sergeant who had been in pursuit of the suspects was able to take the suspect into custody.
Both Patrolmen were removed to Saint Vincent�s hospital. Patrolman Sechler died a few hours later and Patrolman Selleck died two days later. Both officers had been assigned to the 16th Precinct.
10-13 BENEFIT
A 10-13 benefit to help Det. Herb Griffin of the 19 Squad has been planned.
Thursday, May 19, starting at 5pm, the benefit will take place at Buster�s Garage, 180 West Broadway (between Leonard and Worth Streets). Admission is $20.
Det Herb Griffin, of the 19 Squad, is a former DEA and PBA delegate. He has worked not only in the 19 Sqd, but in Cold Case, HNT, BNND, MNND, MNTF, and the 28 Pct. He is also, among others, an Honor Legion, NYS Shields, FOP, and Transit Emerald Society member.
Herb Griffin is a great guy who always helped out anyone in need. Now its payback time for Herb and we should all try to attend, and if you can't make it, please make a donation.
Herb was a former DEA delegate at the 19th Precinct and had to give it up because he transferred to Cold Case. He missed the Squad and came back. He has helped sponsor many 10-13 rackets as well as help endorse boxing smokers for the job.
Herb was at the New Years Eve Detail and didn't get back to the precinct until after 2 am. He had his "turn-around" in the morning and went out to get something to eat. He was in a restaurant for no more than a half hour when 3 guys robbed the owner of the restaurant and the owner took off after the perps.
Herb assisted and was jumped by one of the assailants and knocked unconscious to the ground. The perps then began kicking him in the face, skull, and chest area causing a fractured skull, numerous broken ribs, and lacerations to numerous parts of his body. He spent a few weeks in the hospital and in the beginning he was just barely hanging on. All perps were caught that night by 19 Precinct patrol.
He did the right thing that night and I hope everyone can attend his racket.
For further info you can contact the 19 Squad.
INTERESTING WEB SITE
Here�s and interesting �people finder� site. Check it out. I did, and was able to locate three high-school friends who I lost contact with years ago. Probably work good for those who leave a trail, not so good for the common perp we search for, but certainly worth checking out.
www.zabasearch.com/
BEFORE THERE WAS NYPD BLUE�
Before the recently popular NYPD BLUE show, which has ended it�s television run this past season, there was a television show named NYPD.
That show ran from 1967-69, and starred Jack Warden, Robert Hooks and Frank Converse as members of the 27th detective squad in Manhattan.
Jack Warden played the Squad Commander, Hooks and Converse two of the detectives. It was a good solid show that should have lasted longer.
It was also filmed in New York City. You may be able to find episodes available on VHS on e-bay; certainly a collectible for any cop-TV buff.
YOU CAN�T MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Some actual quotes as heard from the Brooklyn North squad room.
�He can�t have sweets, he�s diabolic (diabetic)�
�He don�t feel no pain, he�s taking peanut butterballs (Phenobarbital)�
�I got a headache in my stomach�
�I�m psychotic, I can see the future�
�I got a cole slaw on my lip�
�She speaks English and Spanish, she�s bilateral (bilingual)�
�Can I play solitary (solitaire) on the computer on my break?�
�I didn�t get my last rights before they questioned me�
�He needs to take his insulation (insulin)�
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
May 1, 1964 Ptl Edmond Schrempf, TPF, assaulted
May 1, 1981 PO John Scarangella, 113 Pct, Shot- car stop
May 2, 1974 PO William O�Brien, 10 Pct, auto accident on patrol
May 3, 1913 Ptl William Heaney, 12 Pct, Shot- arrest
May 3, 1921 Ptl John Conk, 97 Pct, Struck by horse
May 3, 1931 Ptl Bernard Sherry, 15 Pct, Shot- burglary in progress
May 3, 1964 Det Joseph Greene, DetDiv, Auto accident on patrol
May 4, 1863 Ptl Francis Mallon, 4 Pct, Shot by EDP
May 4, 1914 Ptl Michael Kiley, 156 Pct, Shot- arrest
May 4, 1931 Ptl John Hoey, 40 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
May 4, 1938 Ptl Thomas Hackett, 4 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
May 4, 1968 Ptl Gerard Apuzzi, 107 Pct, Asphyxiated
May 4, 1981 Lt Jan Brinkers, PSA8, Shot- off duty robbery arrest
May 5, 1934 Ptl Arthur Rasmussen, 3 Pct, Shot- robbery in progress
May 5, 1971 Det Ivan Lorenzo, Narco Div, Shot- off duty incident
May 6, 1934 Ptl Lawrence Ward, 23 Pct, Shot-investigation
May 6, 1964 Ptl Stanley Schall, 70 Pct, Line of duty heart attack
May 7, 1931 Ptl John Ringhauser, 102 Pct, auto accident on patrol
May 9, 1939 Ptl William Holstein, Mcy2, Motorcycle accident
May 10, 1922 Ptl Henry Pohndorf, 38 Pct, Shot- robbery arrest
May 10, 1979 PO Robert Soldo, 108 Pct, Shot- off duty incident
May 11, 1959 Ptl Harry Hafner, Hwy3, Motorcycle accident
While it is true that some timid individuals will change their answers when they feel threatened or intimidated, there is no guarantee that information learned through coercion is truthful.
The "tough-guy" approach during an interview certainly does not encourage truthfulness. Rather, the more authoritative or judgmental the questioner becomes, the more motivated a person is to lie to that person.
Part of the reason for this is that a judgmental attitude serves to remind the person of the consequences he faces if he tells the truth. The other reality is that it goes against human nature to cooperate with somewhat whom we do not respect. To reveal the truth to another person often requires a significant level of trust and understanding toward the confidant with whom we decided to share our "secret".
If an individual is interested in learning the truth from another person, it is unreasonable to expect the other person to volunteer the truth. The truth must be elicited by asking the right questions. If my son comes home from a party and I ask him how the party was is he likely to answer, "Well dad it was a pretty good party. I smoked some marijuana and got really high." Absolutely not. He�s much more likely to say, "The party was fine dad." It would be totally unreasonable for me to be upset with my son for not volunteering this incriminating information.
If I want to learn if he used illegal drugs at the party I need to ask him that question.
Many people, including criminal investigators, are uncomfortable asking questions that may elicit an incriminating response, so they soften the impact of the question. This, of course, makes the question easier to lie to.
One way to soften the impact of a question is to include qualifying language. Consider the following examples:
"Ryan, did you happen to see any illegal drugs at the party?"
"Do you recall using any illegal drugs at the party?"
Ryan knows whether or not he used illegal drugs at the party. The use of qualifying language makes the question easier to lie to. The question should be simply phrased, "Ryan did you see any illegal drugs at the party?" and, "Did you use any illegal drugs at the party?"
The easiest question to lie to, however, is one that expects agreement to an assumption within the question. This is called a negative question.
Examples of negative questions include:
"You were good for the baby sitter, weren�t you?"
"There weren�t any drugs at the party, were there?"
"You don�t know anything about the fire in your neighbor�s garage, do you?"
As these examples illustrate, it is highly improbable for a person to correct the implication within a negative question, and tell the truth, e.g., "No mommy you�re wrong. I was a holy terror with the baby sitter."
The average person who is properly socialized does not enjoy lying. This is especially true when the person they are lying to is someone they respect. Counteracting this influence is that fact that no one wants to suffer the consequences of telling the truth. Thus, almost every person who has done something wrong or who is ashamed of something they did is caught in a conflict between these two drives. Most people resolve this conflict by telling the truth a little bit at a time. It is a very na�ve parent, teacher or investigator who expects a person to all of a sudden decide to tell the full and complete truth.
In most instances, the truth is learned in small steps and only after a reasonable period of time. In the previous example of illegal drug use at a party, the questions asked to develop this information should be designed to gradually commit the person to more incriminating information. For example:
Elicit an admission that drugs were present at the party
Elicit an admission that people were using drugs at the party
Elicit an admission of being offered drugs at the party
Elicit an admission of experimenting with drugs at the party.
Frequently investigators fail to appreciate how difficult it is for a suspect who is facing significant consequences to tell the truth. After failing to elicit a full confession when initially asking the suspect if he committing the crime, the investigator breeze over the rest of the interview questions and quickly jumps to the interrogation. Similarly, the parent or teacher offers the child one chance to tell the truth and if the child does not completely come clean, the parent goes into the punishment mode and forgets about learning the truth.
This article is not intended to imply that if an investigator uses proper techniques that most criminal suspects will offer a full confession through the interviewing process. Because of the significant consequences facing most criminal offenders, under that circumstance, interrogation is often the only means to learn the truth.
(From John E Reid & Assocs.)
FROM THE BOOKSHELF: MORE ON THE MURDER AT THE HARLEM MOSQUE
Readers are anticipating the soon to be released text by Retired Det. Randy Jurgensen, titled �Nolo Contendre�.
Det. Randy Jurgensen, the lead detective in the case, is penning the book with Robert Cea (who has a book coming out any second called No Lights, No Sirens, published by Morrow).
Nolo Contendere is expected to be a no holds barred account of the death of Police Officer Philip Cardillo, who was murdered on April 14, 1972 inside Harlem Mosque # 7. This incident was also written about by Sonny Grosso, Jurgensen�s partner at the time, in the other highly acclaimed �Murder at the Harlem Mosque�.
The case is still open but unsolved. Mosque # 7 is the same mosque that at one time was refuge to Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali. Before April 14th was over, apologies from the NYPD and deals were made in the mosque that saw prisoners released, a crime scene destroyed, black and white cops separated and several high-ranking police personnel resign in disgust and protest over the case.
Over the years, books, newspapers and magazine articles have been published. �It is the case that will not go away. It is not talked about at 1 Police Plaza, yet is taught at the N.Y.C.P.D. academy�.
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. GEORGE SECHLER AND PTL. ALFRED SELLECK
Ptl. George Sechler, Shot � April 14, 1907
Ptl. Alfred Selleck, Shot � April 14, 1907
Patrolman Sechler and Patrolman Alfred Selleck were shot and killed by two brothers who had just shot and killed a man after an altercation in Washington Square Park.
After shooting the man in the park the brothers fled on foot with a Sergeant and Patrolman in pursuit. Patrolman Sechler and Selleck were on duty just a few blocks away when they heard the shots and saw the suspects running towards them.
Both Patrolman Sechler and Selleck chased the suspects into a tenement house at 230-232 Thompson Street. The brothers fled up the stairs, but were trapped at the top when they came to a locked door.
As Patrolman Sechler and Selleck approached the brothers turned and opened fire. Patrolman Selleck was struck two times and fell down the stairs to the stoop. As the suspect was about the fire a third time Patrolman Sechler threw his body across his partner to shield him, but was himself hit in the stomach.
Before he collapsed he was able to strike the suspect several times about the head and body with his Billy club, knocking the suspect nearly unconscious.
As Patrolman Sechler fell to the stoop, the Sergeant who had been in pursuit of the suspects was able to take the suspect into custody.
Both Patrolmen were removed to Saint Vincent�s hospital. Patrolman Sechler died a few hours later and Patrolman Selleck died two days later. Both officers had been assigned to the 16th Precinct.
10-13 BENEFIT
A 10-13 benefit to help Det. Herb Griffin of the 19 Squad has been planned.
Thursday, May 19, starting at 5pm, the benefit will take place at Buster�s Garage, 180 West Broadway (between Leonard and Worth Streets). Admission is $20.
Det Herb Griffin, of the 19 Squad, is a former DEA and PBA delegate. He has worked not only in the 19 Sqd, but in Cold Case, HNT, BNND, MNND, MNTF, and the 28 Pct. He is also, among others, an Honor Legion, NYS Shields, FOP, and Transit Emerald Society member.
Herb Griffin is a great guy who always helped out anyone in need. Now its payback time for Herb and we should all try to attend, and if you can't make it, please make a donation.
Herb was a former DEA delegate at the 19th Precinct and had to give it up because he transferred to Cold Case. He missed the Squad and came back. He has helped sponsor many 10-13 rackets as well as help endorse boxing smokers for the job.
Herb was at the New Years Eve Detail and didn't get back to the precinct until after 2 am. He had his "turn-around" in the morning and went out to get something to eat. He was in a restaurant for no more than a half hour when 3 guys robbed the owner of the restaurant and the owner took off after the perps.
Herb assisted and was jumped by one of the assailants and knocked unconscious to the ground. The perps then began kicking him in the face, skull, and chest area causing a fractured skull, numerous broken ribs, and lacerations to numerous parts of his body. He spent a few weeks in the hospital and in the beginning he was just barely hanging on. All perps were caught that night by 19 Precinct patrol.
He did the right thing that night and I hope everyone can attend his racket.
For further info you can contact the 19 Squad.
INTERESTING WEB SITE
Here�s and interesting �people finder� site. Check it out. I did, and was able to locate three high-school friends who I lost contact with years ago. Probably work good for those who leave a trail, not so good for the common perp we search for, but certainly worth checking out.
www.zabasearch.com/
BEFORE THERE WAS NYPD BLUE�
Before the recently popular NYPD BLUE show, which has ended it�s television run this past season, there was a television show named NYPD.
That show ran from 1967-69, and starred Jack Warden, Robert Hooks and Frank Converse as members of the 27th detective squad in Manhattan.
Jack Warden played the Squad Commander, Hooks and Converse two of the detectives. It was a good solid show that should have lasted longer.
It was also filmed in New York City. You may be able to find episodes available on VHS on e-bay; certainly a collectible for any cop-TV buff.
YOU CAN�T MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Some actual quotes as heard from the Brooklyn North squad room.
�He can�t have sweets, he�s diabolic (diabetic)�
�He don�t feel no pain, he�s taking peanut butterballs (Phenobarbital)�
�I got a headache in my stomach�
�I�m psychotic, I can see the future�
�I got a cole slaw on my lip�
�She speaks English and Spanish, she�s bilateral (bilingual)�
�Can I play solitary (solitaire) on the computer on my break?�
�I didn�t get my last rights before they questioned me�
�He needs to take his insulation (insulin)�
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
May 1, 1964 Ptl Edmond Schrempf, TPF, assaulted
May 1, 1981 PO John Scarangella, 113 Pct, Shot- car stop
May 2, 1974 PO William O�Brien, 10 Pct, auto accident on patrol
May 3, 1913 Ptl William Heaney, 12 Pct, Shot- arrest
May 3, 1921 Ptl John Conk, 97 Pct, Struck by horse
May 3, 1931 Ptl Bernard Sherry, 15 Pct, Shot- burglary in progress
May 3, 1964 Det Joseph Greene, DetDiv, Auto accident on patrol
May 4, 1863 Ptl Francis Mallon, 4 Pct, Shot by EDP
May 4, 1914 Ptl Michael Kiley, 156 Pct, Shot- arrest
May 4, 1931 Ptl John Hoey, 40 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
May 4, 1938 Ptl Thomas Hackett, 4 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
May 4, 1968 Ptl Gerard Apuzzi, 107 Pct, Asphyxiated
May 4, 1981 Lt Jan Brinkers, PSA8, Shot- off duty robbery arrest
May 5, 1934 Ptl Arthur Rasmussen, 3 Pct, Shot- robbery in progress
May 5, 1971 Det Ivan Lorenzo, Narco Div, Shot- off duty incident
May 6, 1934 Ptl Lawrence Ward, 23 Pct, Shot-investigation
May 6, 1964 Ptl Stanley Schall, 70 Pct, Line of duty heart attack
May 7, 1931 Ptl John Ringhauser, 102 Pct, auto accident on patrol
May 9, 1939 Ptl William Holstein, Mcy2, Motorcycle accident
May 10, 1922 Ptl Henry Pohndorf, 38 Pct, Shot- robbery arrest
May 10, 1979 PO Robert Soldo, 108 Pct, Shot- off duty incident
May 11, 1959 Ptl Harry Hafner, Hwy3, Motorcycle accident
