ESTABLISHING THE NEW YORK CITY WATCH
The NYC Watch was established at 51 Water Street to police the City of New York.
It was created at sundown on the night of November 25, 1783 under the authority of the October 23, 1779 New York State Act, " To Provide for the Temporary Government of the Southern Parts of the State Whenever the Enemy Shall Abandon or be Disposed of the Same."
Up into this day, all law enforcements activities in North America were carried out by a foreign country.
The first "Superintendent" of the Watch", Aaron Gilbert, later submitted the formal proposal for the Watch's organization, along with its rules and regulations to police the city, to the Common Council on Feb. 24, 1784. His official title was Captain of Police. The ordinance was approved and the City Watch was formally responsible for maintaining law and order and policing New York City with various other city agencies for the next 62 years, until the establishment of New York City's 2nd Municipal Police Department, on August 1, 1845.
An earlier, or "first" NYC Municipal Police Department, was established and officially began policing NYC on January 20, 1845 along with the older established 'City Watch', 'Mayor's Marshals' and constables until July 31, 1845.
SHERLOCK CINEMA MOVIE PICKS
Sherlock Cinema was making plans to see the new release, �Annapolis�, even though it only received one and a half stars. �An Officer and a Gentleman without Debra Winger� is how it was described. It�s value as a movie, though, remains to be seen. Ed. Note: As this listing went to press, the movie review came in as a "thumbs-up". "A modern day version of "Officer and a Gentleman", only in the Navy. And without Debra Winger.
�Tristin & Isolde� was recently viewed, and was rated as a �decent movie� by Sherlock Cinema. �Worth seeing, but not real thrilled with it�. A timepiece movie, it takes place in an olden-day England and Ireland period � yet the actors had no accents? �Perhaps they forgot to do the accents, but I like my time-period movies to have the accents of the country�. I thought it took place in ancient Greece, that�s how much I know!
Sherlock Cinema rated �Queen Latifah�s Last Holiday� as a �predictable, but cute� movie. It was a �feel-good movie, entertaining and worth the money�.
Both Sherlock, and The Minister, enjoyed �Cinderella Man� (no, not together, separately � and about six months apart). If you like �Million Dollar Baby�, you�ll like this as well. Russell Crowe plays a good part � he�s not Deniro in �Raging Bull�, but the movies good all the same.
I guess I should add that Sherlock Cinema provides a movie review from a female perspective � so it�s not really Sherlock, but more like his sister, who�s reviewing the flicks.
When I explained this to a fellow gumshoe recently, he remarked �I guess that explains the �Bareback Mountain� review�. I guess so.
CELL PHONE INFORMATION ASSISTANCE
You probably already know that most major wireless companies charge between $1.25 and $1.50 to dial information.
There are two main options to avoid or reduce these costs.
If you�re looking for the general toll free number for a specific company, the easiest and cheapest option may be to call: 1-800-555-1212.
One all-purpose directory is: 1-800-Free411.
This is an ad-subsidized system that connects users to a desired number at no extra charge after playing a roughly 10-second commercial. This, however, also uses a speech recognition system; if it doesn�t recognize your request, a live operator will get on.
Another alternative that doesn�t use speech recognition, with NO ads, is available.
However, you�ll have to jot down the number � there is no direct connection available. (Imagine that: you call an operator, ask for a telephone number, and they read it back to you but you have to write it down yourself, and dial it yourself � that�s a novel idea!).
1-800-411METRO
Another alternative for information assistance on a cell phone is to simply dial
1-800-373-3411
You won�t incur any additional charges, only the minutes on your monthly usage.
BROOKLYN PRECINCTS
With a thank-you to Ret Det1 John Reilly, here�s a listing of old Brooklyn police precinct�s that you may find of interest. Initially police by the Metropolitan Police Department, the following is a breakdown of the Brooklyn Precinct�s along with their manpower.
Brooklyn Police Department: Location of Brooklyn Police Station Houses - 1874.
Pct: Location:
1st Washington St. near Johnson.
2nd York & Jay Sts.
3rd 19 Butler St. near Court St.
4th Corner of Myrtle & Vanderbilt Aves.
5th North 1st & 4th Sts.
6th Corner of Stagg & Morrell Sts.
6th-Sub. Flushing Ave.
7th Union & Greenpoint Aves.
8th 530 5th Ave. (between 13th & 14th Sts.)
8th-Sub. Corner of 3rd Ave. & 42nd St.
9th Gates Ave. near Marcy Ave.
9th-Sub. Green Ave. & Broadway.
10th Bergen St. & 6th Ave.
Note that in July 1874, a mounted force of 1 Sgt. & 12 Ptl., was established to patrol suburban areas of Bklyn, at the 10th Pct. A new stable, with 13 horse stalls, a saddle & feed room, was built adjoining the 10th Pct. S.H.
11th Corner of Van Brunt & Seibert Sts.
12th Fulton St. & Schenectady Ave.
SPEAKING OF MOVIES� BULLITT
Here�s some movie trivia about the 1968 movie, BULLITT, that starred Steve McQueen in his only role he ever played as a cop. He plays a San Francisco detective, and the movie � which I�ve written about on this site previously � is famous for it�s car chase scene that seems to never end.
Well, here�s some trivia on the movie.
Two Mustangs and two Dodge Chargers were used for the famous chase scene.
Both Mustangs were owned by the Ford Motor Company and part of a promotional loan agreement with Warner Brothers. Both of the Dodges were junked after the filming, as was one of the Mustangs. The other less banged-up Mustang was purchased by a WB employee after all production and post-production was completed. The car ended up in New Jersey a few years later, where McSteve Queen attempted to buy it. The owner refused to sell, and the car now sits in a barn and has not been driven in many years.
The director called for speeds of about 75-80 mph, but the cars (including the ones containing the cameras) reached speeds of over 110 mph. Filming of the chase scene took three weeks, resulting in 9 minutes and 42 seconds of footage. They were denied permission to film on the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Mustang's interior mirror goes up and down depending who is driving it - Steve McQueen (up, visible) or Bud Ekins, the stunt driver, down, not visible.
This film is edited entirely by cuts except in two instances.
The first occurs when the jazz club scene dissolves to a shot of Steve McQueen lying in bed. The second occurs after the Dodge crashes into the gas station and burns, when the shot of the two dead villains dissolves to a scene at the police station.
This was the first mainstream Hollywood film to use the expletive "Bullshit!" in its script.
Steve McQueen based his character on San Francisco Homicide Inspector Dave Toschi, made famous for his work on the Zodiac killings.
McQueen had a copy made of Toschi's custom fast-draw shoulder holster. (Ed. Note: IN San Francisco, an Inspector is equivalent to a Detective.)
Justin Tarr, who plays Eddy (the informer who meets Bullitt at Enricos), is later shown as a passenger at the airport boarding the flight to Rome.
I ASKED FOR IT: �REMEMBER WHEN�
The following is an e-mail making its way around the retired members of the NYPD. As I noted in a prior posting, some of these terms are referred to here. You may enjoy this, or at least walk away scratching your head.Hey officer, do you remember�
-Sunday day tour, washed and waxed the RMP in the days when RMP crews were permanently assigned.
-The Rules and Procedures-before there was a Patrol Guide
-Maintaining your assigned sector car-NEVER putting it out of service if you could help it. (Editors Note: It wasn�t that long ago that Transit District�s still kept to this practice. When I came on the job in 1981, in Transit, there were only two RMP�s assigned to each District. If the RMP went down, there were very few spares; if your car was out of service, you found yourself on foot. �Keep the car running� anyway you could!)
-Outside station house security post, and the Desk Lt. would have your ass if you let someone bother him.
-The most important form in the NYPD, a UF-33, (and if you don't know what that is, you're no hairbag.)
-The day after being sworn in, getting your equipment- including your gun and shield.
-When you didn't need shoulder patches for people to know you were NYPD.
-Patrol cars with push button transmissions that got stuck.
-Milk crates holding the backrest of seats from collapsing. (Once again, common in the Transit RMPs as recent as the late-1980's, until Chief Bill Bratton took over as the Transit Police Chief and began assigning more than 2 RMP's to a District).
-When you didn't see the inside of a sector car for at least two years. Maybe.
-Bubblegum machine roof lights.2 red, 1 white, and 1 yellow.
-Hiding from the shoofly at the end of the tour.
-When you dreamed of the day you'd have the time in to be called a hairbag.
-When cops were called patrolman and were all men.
-Getting the Lt. his flute.
-Long winter overcoats (horse blankets)-all 15 lbs. of it, pre-"reefer coats."
-"Print and photo' in the basement of 240 Centre St.-When Yellow Sheets were yellow
-A Smith and Wesson M&P service revolver cost $42 bucks and a Chief's Special off duty revolver cost $52 bucks.
-Your first time in a car and the hairbag saying "Sit down; don't DO anything; don't SAY anything; and don't TOUCH the &*-@!&% radio without me telling you to. Clear?"
-Learning to spin your night stick without breaking either your kneecap or a store window.
-"Don't worry, kid. You'll grow into it after the Academy."
-When real batons were made of wood-preferably cocobolo.
-Slappers
-Getting a few "sees' from the sarge before you got your "scratch."
-Foot posts with NO portable radio. (There were no portable radios)
-When Desk Lieutenants were Godlike and precinct captains were only whispered about.
-Capes for rain worn as a badge of honor to impress rookies no matter how badly worn-out.
-The window shade covering the pictures of the KGs (Known Gamblers � the first �Crime Information Center� in a station house.
-The PCCIU (Police Commissioner�s Confidential Investigating Unit)
-The broom shaving the beard (breaking down the teletype).
-"Hey kid, to you it's a homicide, to me it's an aided case."
-"He'd take a hot stove and come back for the ashes."
-Six inch long memo books, buff and green tags
-Straight pins instead of paper clips-Relieving points for foot posts and RMP's
-Having the RMP fire extinguisher filled at the Motor Transport (MTMD) shop....-
-Having the precinct numerals, shield and tie clasp plated..
-Taking the bus or train to post or to handle a job from the T.S...
-Growing a beard in the snow while waiting for the Sgt. to answer the T.S....
-U.F.120's prepared by the patrol sgt. for store burglaries on the late tour...
-All Details of Plainclothes arrests entered in the blotter and Arrest Record....
-Meals not permitted in the station house
IN MEMORIAM: PO KEVIN LEE JANUARY 27, 2006
Please take a moment to remember our brother officer, P.O. KEVIN LEE of the Manhattan North Anti-Crime Unit, who died in the line of duty this past week.
Services will be held at the R.G. Ortiz Funeral Home at 4425 Broadway, Bronx on Tuesday 1/31/06 and Wednesday 2/1/06. The funeral will be on Thursday, February 2 at 1000 hours, at St. Athanasius Church, 2154 61 Street, Brooklyn.
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
February 1, 1935 Sgt George Nadler, ESU, Explosion-investigation
February 2, 1975 PO Frank Bugdin, Midtown North, Shot-investigation
February 4, 1933 Sgt Eugene Monahan, 34 Pct, Shot: Robbery pursuit
February 6, 1864 Ptl John Hoffman, 25 Pct � Accident, runaway horse
February 6, 1914 Ptl Edward Murtha, 147 Pct, Shot-Robbery investigation
February 6, 1944 Ptl Eugene Mahoney, 5 Det Sq, Auto accident on patrol
Monday, January 30, 2006
Friday, January 27, 2006
SHORT, BALD AND FAT: A LEGENDARY CHICAGO DETECTIVE
I came across this article recently while doing some research on the Chicago Police Department that I thought would be of interest to readers on this site.
While most of the stories here pertain to New York detective�s, a story like this is certainly worth relating. The �heroic� detective is more often than not the person who would blend into a crowd, not an outwardly flashy person, but a gutsy cop, whose heroics are not exhibited with flair and bravado, but with a lot of hard work and dedication.
Detective Moon, from the Chicago Police Department, was one of these heroic detectives.
The story, written by Mark Brown and published in the Chicago Sun-Times on April 27, 2005, stands as an obituary to a dedicated detective. It is subtitled as a �nice home spun story about the Chicago PD � FBI Joint �Operation Family Secrets� investigation�.
I am reprinting most of that article here.
�Secret Weapon in War on Mob: Short, Bald, Fat Detective�
�Robert Moon's been dead from cancer nearly five months and retired from the Chicago Police Department for three years. Even several months before that, he'd been reassigned away from his longtime position with the FBI's Organized Crime Task Force.
So what was it then about this veteran detective, dubbed "Moon Man" by a mob loan shark, that caused his former FBI colleagues to single him out above all others for recognition on the day they went public with Operation Family Secrets, their big new case against the Chicago Outfit?
Let me try to answer that by first telling you what Robert Moon wasn't.
Moon wasn't a flashy guy. "Short, bald and fat" was his own oft-used description.
He wasn't the type to look for the limelight, never worried about getting credit.
He never made money writing a book on the mob. As best as I can tell, he never got quoted in the papers.
Moon wasn't one to boast, not even to embellish.
But Robert Moon had the respect of his peers, which is no small thing in this world.
"Bob was the most knowledgeable person about the LCN (La Cosa Nostra � in New York, known as the Mafia; in Chicago, known as The Outfit) I've ever dealt with," said Michael Maseth, the FBI's lead agent for Family Secrets, using the shorthand favored by the bureau for La Cosa Nostra.
"Bob was the best detective I've ever worked with," said Gloria Ekerman, Moon's last partner with the Chicago Police Department.
I wish I could tell you I knew Moon, but I'm not that smart. As soon as I saw his name mentioned, though, in Monday's news release for the Family Secrets indictment, I knew I wanted to know more.
I learned no tales of heroism, only the story of a man that every organization needs but doesn't always value -- the guy with the institutional memory who is willing to share it.
His mind held memory banks.
Moon was assigned to the Organized Crime Task Force when it was created in 1986. He'd already been working with the FBI for several years on an investigation of salvage yards. By then, he was an experienced Chicago Police detective and familiar with the city's organized crime landscape, having arrested many mobsters for lesser crimes along the way.
His knowledge made him a major asset from the start, and by the time he retired in 2002, he was practically essential. His wife, Kathy, told me that right up until his death, Moon received calls at home from investigators searching his memory banks.
What you need to understand is that the FBI keeps detailed, voluminous files, but sorting through those files for the specific information an agent might need is no simple matter. Moon could short-circuit that by telling agents exactly what they needed to know and where they could find the pertinent documentation.
If an agent inquired about an individual, Moon could tell him who he was, who he was related to and who he hung out with -- and if he didn't know, he'd find out.
But Moon was no desk jockey. He was a tough street cop, too.
Tom Bourgeois, a retired agent who supervised the task force, said he was amazed at Moon's catlike reactions. Bourgeois remembered going to make an arrest and spotting the guy on the street. Bourgeois said he was just getting out of the car when he looked over to see the arrestee on the ground, in handcuffs, with Moon on top.
Loan shark shouted 'Moon Man!'
Moon went undercover to help make the case that originally put away mobster Frank Calabrese, which would later set the stage for Family Secrets.
He posed as the recipient of a juice loan from colorful loan shark Louis Bombacino, who kept a photo of Al Capone on his living room wall and detailed records in the back room. Moon later had the opportunity to make the arrest of Bombacino, who shouted out "Moon Man" as the agents moved in. The nickname stuck.
Bombacino didn't flip, but his records helped put away Calabrese.
Keep in mind that organized crime cases can take decades to develop. Bourgeois traced the Family Secrets probe to the failed hit on Ken Eto in 1983, when three bullets bounced off his head. Eto turned informant and gave the FBI its first real insight into the importance of Calabrese, which then targeted him.
Moon was also legendary for his ability to interview mobsters and get information from them with his unassuming straightforward approach.
Bourgeois said Moon was one of the agents who helped turn Bobby "The Beak" Siegel, one of Chicago's legendary tough guys. Siegel, an all-purpose criminal who specialized in robbing jewelry stores, banks and armored cars, helped provide some of the leads in the conviction of former Chicago Police Chief of Detectives William Hanhardt.
Moon died in November 2004 at age 62 from bladder cancer.
I wish he HAD written a book.
LT-CDS JOSEPH FERRARA: END OF AN ERA
When Joe Ferrara walked out of the 75 Squad on January 13, 2005, it was the end of a long, great era.
Forty years of policing this great city walked out the door.
No finer person will you find than Joe Ferrara. An excellent cop, outstanding detective, great squad commander, a professional through and through � you can�t say enough to sum up Joe Ferrara best. And no better baseball catcher, either!
A dynamo as a squad commander, Joe always exhibits poise and confidence under the most stressful of situations. He commanded the 75 Squad for the past year, and the 73 Squad for 6 years before that. As a Squad Commander, he also led the 83 Squad prior to the 73, and first came into Brooklyn North Detectives several years before that, as a Sergeant in the 88 Squad. (Forgive me for glossing over his forty-year career).
Joe has been an inspiration and a leader to all those who have had the privilege to serve with him in these past years. He will be missed, but not forgotten.
Some of his friends from Brooklyn North Detectives gathered recently at Two Toms for a festival of food that only Two-Toms can present. The laughter and joking was only coupled with the feeling of sadness that friends have when they gather for the retirement of a great one � happy for the future retirement of a deserving friend, but sad to see the change.
Joe came on the job in 1965 � forty years ago. Many of us in this department weren�t yet born. A great street cop, Joe excelled in the 23 Precinct and was part of the first group of plainclothes precinct officers that was part of the department�s pilot project, known as an �Anti-Crime� team. Who would have thought forty years later you�d be a Squad Commander in the busiest of the best?
And, oh yes, he�s continued to play baseball � fast pitch, hard ball type baseball � throughout these years! And he continues to play catcher in a Senior League on Long Island, where the pitchers still hurl 70 mph fastballs.
The epitome of an NYPD Squad Commander � a hero to many and a friend to those who know him. Joe, we all wish you the VERY BEST in your retirement. You truly deserve it. We will miss you, but never forget you. Hope to see you at the Squad Commander�s luncheons!
Best of luck to Joe Ferrara and his family!
WHAT�S WITH ALL THESE WHIPS?
I�ve been trying to find the derivation of the term that is often used to describe the Detective Squad Sergeant as �The Second Whip�.
It�s an �old-time� detective term that is not used as often as it was when The Minister first came into The Squad. But where does it come from?
Talk with any senior detectives about the �old days�, or about detective stories from when �they came into the Bureau�, and will here them throw around the term in an affectionate, familiar manner. �I remember when Joe was the second-whip in the 17th Squad��
Consulting with Ret. Det Captain Frank Bolz, who goes back to his days as a Brooklyn North Detective in the 60�s back in the 81 Squad, and I learned the following.
The term �first whip� was not used. The Squad Commander was known simply as �The Boss�. The Detective Squad Sergeant was referred to as the �Second Whip�. Frank Bolz recalls being �the 2nd whip in the 17th Squad, when they had a Lieutenant as the Squad Commander and two Sergeant�s.
I guess the �whip� part had to do with keep everyone in line; the �2nd Whip� was the �Squad Boss� assistant�, hence, he had the second whip.
I�m still looking to find the derivation of some other terms. Maybe some readers can help with these.
We all know what it means, and have often used, the term �hairbag�.
He�s the old curmudgeon cop with a lot of time under his belt who can often be counted on for some caustic, cynical remarks. He probably is the one with all the answers, although he may not be the most diplomatic in the bunch.
Perhaps hairbag refers to the bag (uniform) being so old that it was growing hair???
Frank Bolz notes that when he came on the job in January 1955 there were two classes within two months of each other, each with around 750 recruits, so that with just a few years on the job some cops were considered �hairbags� way before their time.
An what about the term �shoofly�?
A �shoofly� was the term pinned on the Captain who was the �Supervisor of Patrol�. He was usually a Captain assigned to the Division, but could also be from the Borough or from a Headquarters command like the First Dep�s Office who worked in civilian clothes who would supervise almost secretly and was feared by most cops on patrol.
The �shoofly� Captain would make unannounced visits to the station house, and check the blotter to see that everyone was where they should be � making sure no one was in the station house that shouldn�t be there. He would show up on radio calls, ensuring that jobs were answered properly � and that everyone that exited an RMP had a hat on!
Things like that.
That was back in the day when there were very few people actually assigned to station house duties.
Besides the Desk Lieutenant, you may have had the Sergeant on the T.S. (if there were two Sergeant�s working, one was on patrol and the other was on the T.S. to take rings, and make assignments over the call boxes), and perhaps 1 Patrolman in the 124 Room to type Complaint Reports and any other clerical work the Desk Lieutenant needed typed. On the day tour you probably had a Patrolman inside who was the Highway Safety officer, doing the clerical summons work, etc. The Captain always a few �Captain�s Men� doing his assigned tasks � but there were much fewer (to say the least) �inside jobs� than we have today.
If anyone can tell me where �shoofly� came from, please let me know.
ANOTHER RETIREMENT LOSS
On the same day that Joe Ferrara exited the 75 Squad for the last time, another good friend ended his twenty-year career with this department.
Lieutenant-Commander Detective Squad Thomas Joyce has retired for civilian life.
Tommy was originally part of the Transit Police Department, where I first met him, prior to the merge of the departments in 1995. I had the pleasure to work with Tommy in the 77 Squad when I took over as the Squad Commander in 1998, and he was the �2nd Whip�.
A dedicated, driven and highly knowledgeable detective commander, his departure will certainly leave a void with this department. He ended his career commanding the Bronx Cold Case Squad, having led the 79 Squad for a good number of years before that. He will always be remembered as a Brooklyn North Detective-Commander! A determined and motivated leader, he always strove for success. He brought this same outspoken quality to his dedicated work on the LBA Board.
Tommy is leaving to work for Lexis-Nexis, where he will work with police agencies in their efforts to bring the computer age to their investigative capacities. Spreading the word and value of Accurint and computer research for investigators � I can think of no better man for the job.
I�m just sorry to see you go! He won�t be far from Brooklyn North, however, and will certainly be attending future Squad Commander�s functions!
Best of luck, Tommy, from all your friends in Brooklyn North.
THE NINTH PRECINCT
Knowing that I am an avid collector and reader of true crime books, especially those of the NYPD, a friend presented me with a hard-to-find book recently.
The 1974 book by Al Silverman, �FOSTER AND LAURIE�, recounts the horrific death of 2 NYPD cops, Rocco Laurie and Gregory Foster, and the very turbulent times of the early 1970�s.
I thought it might be of interest to recount a little background on the 9th Precinct, in the early 70�s � noting the obvious changes (for the better) in that time.
�The Ninth Precinct is one of the strangest in New York City. It covers only 0.79 square miles. Yet within its borders � from the East River to Broadway, from East Fourteenth Street to East Houston Street � reside 78,000 people. A polyglot. There are 11,000 blacks, 28,000 Puerto Ricans, 35,000 whites, and 4,200 �others�. The whites who live there � Italians, Jews, Ukrainians, derelicts from the Bowery, runaway girls, freaks, the aged � fear for their lives, and hate the blacks. The blacks hate the whites and the Puerto Ricans, and hatred is exchanged. Hatred abounds, as does prostitution and drugs and stabbings and murder. It is the one area of New York City where nothing really works and the only thing that matters is survival.
For a precinct so small � less than three hundred uniformed personnel � the men of the Ninth keep busy. (My note: this was a time when uniformed cops were still called �Patrolmen�, and female officers were not a regular site on patrol).
In 1971 the Ninth Precinct was the eighth highest of all seventy-six precincts in robbery. Only two other precincts made more robbery arrests. There were forty-six homicides committed in the Ninth in 1971, again the eighth highest of all other precincts. Two cops once compared the Ninth with the Forty-first in the South Bronx � the infamous �Fort Apache�.
�Hey, man, we got rats this big in the four-one.�
�Yeah,� said the cop from the Ninth, �we got roaches who�ll eat your rats.�
It gives you a little idea of this precinct, the area, and the times.
Although I don�t have the information at my fingertips, I was curious if any historians may have the homicide and/or crime figures from 1971 as a comparison. If the 9th was the eighth highest � covering such a small area � which precinct was number 1 and number 2? I�m betting the 28 and the 75 will be there. Just a thought.
BROOKLYN POLICE PRECINCTS: CIRCA 1918
Here is a listing of the station houses for Brooklyn police precincts dating back to 1918. Some of them will be familiar to you, I�m sure. The precinct number as of 1918 is listed, with the �old� precinct number reflecting the designation it previously had, after the Brooklyn Police Department was first merged into the New York City Police Department, years earlier.
Pct: (Old Pct No.) Location:
67th 169th 2951 West 8th St.
68th 171st 86th St. & 5th Ave.
70th 170th Bath Ave. & Bay 22nd St.
72nd 168th Ave. U & E. 15th St.
73rd 1830 Brooklyn Ave.(Vanderveer Pk S.H.)
74th 172nd 154 Lawrence Ave.
76th 143rd 4302 4th Ave.
78th 144th 575 5th Ave.
79th 146th 6th Ave. & Bergen St.
80th 166th Ave. G & E. 95th St.
82nd 167th 35 Snyder Ave.
83rd 153rd 484-486 Liberty Ave.
85th 165th 2 Liberty Ave.
87th 152nd 1661 Atlantic Ave.
88th 151st 653 Grand Ave.
89th 145th 44 Rapelyea St.
90th 147th 17 Butler Ave. (Abolished 11/8/20)
(S.H. closed 11/6/20 for renovations. 5/10/21 became 91st Pct.)
91st 148th 59 Amity St.
(91st Pct moved to 17 Butler St. 5/10/21)
92nd 149th 318 Adams Ave. (Abolished 11/28/21)
93rd 150th 72 Poplar St.
94th 154th 16 Ralph Ave.
95th 155th 627 Gates Ave.
96th 156th 298 Classon Ave.
97th 164th 179 Wilson Ave.
98th 158th 148 Vernon Ave. (Abolished 1/16/22)
99th 157th 132 Flushing Ave.(Abolished 10/1/19)
101st 159th 2 Lee Ave.
102nd 163rd 171 Bushwick Ave.
103rd 160th 263 Bedford Ave.
104th 162nd 43 Herbert St.
105th 161st 145 Greenpoint Ave.(Abolished 9/18/24)
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
January 25, 1994 PO Nicholas DeMatiis, 106 Pct, Auto pursuit
January 27, 1908 Ptl John Loughman, 15 Pct, Shot-off duty incident
January 27, 1938 Ptl Edward Roos, 8 Sqd, Auto accident on patrol
January 27, 1943 Ptl Angelo Dimuro, 1 Pct, Line of duty incident
January 27, 1972 Ptl Gregory Foster, 9 Pct, Shot-assassination
January 27, 1972 Ptl Rocco Laurie, 9 Pct, Shot-assassination
January 28, 1938 Sgt David Kilpatrick, 40 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
January 28, 1980 PO Cecil Sledge, 69 Pct, Shot-car stop
January 30, 1930 Ptl Maurice O�Brien, 28 Pct, Shot-arrest
January 30, 1956 Ptl Benny Bruno, GCP Pct, Auto pursuit
January 31, 1901 Ptl Thomas Fitzpatrick, 29 Pct, Explosion-rescue
January 31, 1901 Ptl Edward Mullin, 29 Pct, Explosion-rescue
January 31, 1927 Ptl James Masterson, 18 Div, Shot-robbery in progress
January 31, 1928 Ptl Patrick Fahey, Traffic C, Fall from horse
January 31, 1928 Ptl William Kelly, 37 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
January 31, 1931 Ptl Harold Conway, 27 Pct, Drowned
January 31, 1959 Ptl Michael Talkowsky, 23 Pct, Shot-robbery
January 31, 1968 Ptl Stephen DellAquila, Safety B, Scooter accident on patrol
January 31, 1984 PO Angelo Brown, 84 Pct, Shot-robbery, off duty
January 31, 1992 PO Hilario Serrano, 43 Pct, Shot-robbery, off duty
January 31, 2004 Sgt Keith Ferguson, ESS7, LOD Heart attack
It is noted that the eleven line of duty deaths recorded on January 31 represent the date with the most line of duty deaths for members of this department, with the exception of September 11.
REMEMBER� TO CONTACT THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION:
You can send me an e-mail at:
Ltjac77@yahoo.com
Perhaps you can help with some historical background, such as �shoofly� and �hairbag� derivations, or with some hysterical facts from the past, or present, you�d like to share.
I came across this article recently while doing some research on the Chicago Police Department that I thought would be of interest to readers on this site.
While most of the stories here pertain to New York detective�s, a story like this is certainly worth relating. The �heroic� detective is more often than not the person who would blend into a crowd, not an outwardly flashy person, but a gutsy cop, whose heroics are not exhibited with flair and bravado, but with a lot of hard work and dedication.
Detective Moon, from the Chicago Police Department, was one of these heroic detectives.
The story, written by Mark Brown and published in the Chicago Sun-Times on April 27, 2005, stands as an obituary to a dedicated detective. It is subtitled as a �nice home spun story about the Chicago PD � FBI Joint �Operation Family Secrets� investigation�.
I am reprinting most of that article here.
�Secret Weapon in War on Mob: Short, Bald, Fat Detective�
�Robert Moon's been dead from cancer nearly five months and retired from the Chicago Police Department for three years. Even several months before that, he'd been reassigned away from his longtime position with the FBI's Organized Crime Task Force.
So what was it then about this veteran detective, dubbed "Moon Man" by a mob loan shark, that caused his former FBI colleagues to single him out above all others for recognition on the day they went public with Operation Family Secrets, their big new case against the Chicago Outfit?
Let me try to answer that by first telling you what Robert Moon wasn't.
Moon wasn't a flashy guy. "Short, bald and fat" was his own oft-used description.
He wasn't the type to look for the limelight, never worried about getting credit.
He never made money writing a book on the mob. As best as I can tell, he never got quoted in the papers.
Moon wasn't one to boast, not even to embellish.
But Robert Moon had the respect of his peers, which is no small thing in this world.
"Bob was the most knowledgeable person about the LCN (La Cosa Nostra � in New York, known as the Mafia; in Chicago, known as The Outfit) I've ever dealt with," said Michael Maseth, the FBI's lead agent for Family Secrets, using the shorthand favored by the bureau for La Cosa Nostra.
"Bob was the best detective I've ever worked with," said Gloria Ekerman, Moon's last partner with the Chicago Police Department.
I wish I could tell you I knew Moon, but I'm not that smart. As soon as I saw his name mentioned, though, in Monday's news release for the Family Secrets indictment, I knew I wanted to know more.
I learned no tales of heroism, only the story of a man that every organization needs but doesn't always value -- the guy with the institutional memory who is willing to share it.
His mind held memory banks.
Moon was assigned to the Organized Crime Task Force when it was created in 1986. He'd already been working with the FBI for several years on an investigation of salvage yards. By then, he was an experienced Chicago Police detective and familiar with the city's organized crime landscape, having arrested many mobsters for lesser crimes along the way.
His knowledge made him a major asset from the start, and by the time he retired in 2002, he was practically essential. His wife, Kathy, told me that right up until his death, Moon received calls at home from investigators searching his memory banks.
What you need to understand is that the FBI keeps detailed, voluminous files, but sorting through those files for the specific information an agent might need is no simple matter. Moon could short-circuit that by telling agents exactly what they needed to know and where they could find the pertinent documentation.
If an agent inquired about an individual, Moon could tell him who he was, who he was related to and who he hung out with -- and if he didn't know, he'd find out.
But Moon was no desk jockey. He was a tough street cop, too.
Tom Bourgeois, a retired agent who supervised the task force, said he was amazed at Moon's catlike reactions. Bourgeois remembered going to make an arrest and spotting the guy on the street. Bourgeois said he was just getting out of the car when he looked over to see the arrestee on the ground, in handcuffs, with Moon on top.
Loan shark shouted 'Moon Man!'
Moon went undercover to help make the case that originally put away mobster Frank Calabrese, which would later set the stage for Family Secrets.
He posed as the recipient of a juice loan from colorful loan shark Louis Bombacino, who kept a photo of Al Capone on his living room wall and detailed records in the back room. Moon later had the opportunity to make the arrest of Bombacino, who shouted out "Moon Man" as the agents moved in. The nickname stuck.
Bombacino didn't flip, but his records helped put away Calabrese.
Keep in mind that organized crime cases can take decades to develop. Bourgeois traced the Family Secrets probe to the failed hit on Ken Eto in 1983, when three bullets bounced off his head. Eto turned informant and gave the FBI its first real insight into the importance of Calabrese, which then targeted him.
Moon was also legendary for his ability to interview mobsters and get information from them with his unassuming straightforward approach.
Bourgeois said Moon was one of the agents who helped turn Bobby "The Beak" Siegel, one of Chicago's legendary tough guys. Siegel, an all-purpose criminal who specialized in robbing jewelry stores, banks and armored cars, helped provide some of the leads in the conviction of former Chicago Police Chief of Detectives William Hanhardt.
Moon died in November 2004 at age 62 from bladder cancer.
I wish he HAD written a book.
LT-CDS JOSEPH FERRARA: END OF AN ERA
When Joe Ferrara walked out of the 75 Squad on January 13, 2005, it was the end of a long, great era.
Forty years of policing this great city walked out the door.
No finer person will you find than Joe Ferrara. An excellent cop, outstanding detective, great squad commander, a professional through and through � you can�t say enough to sum up Joe Ferrara best. And no better baseball catcher, either!
A dynamo as a squad commander, Joe always exhibits poise and confidence under the most stressful of situations. He commanded the 75 Squad for the past year, and the 73 Squad for 6 years before that. As a Squad Commander, he also led the 83 Squad prior to the 73, and first came into Brooklyn North Detectives several years before that, as a Sergeant in the 88 Squad. (Forgive me for glossing over his forty-year career).
Joe has been an inspiration and a leader to all those who have had the privilege to serve with him in these past years. He will be missed, but not forgotten.
Some of his friends from Brooklyn North Detectives gathered recently at Two Toms for a festival of food that only Two-Toms can present. The laughter and joking was only coupled with the feeling of sadness that friends have when they gather for the retirement of a great one � happy for the future retirement of a deserving friend, but sad to see the change.
Joe came on the job in 1965 � forty years ago. Many of us in this department weren�t yet born. A great street cop, Joe excelled in the 23 Precinct and was part of the first group of plainclothes precinct officers that was part of the department�s pilot project, known as an �Anti-Crime� team. Who would have thought forty years later you�d be a Squad Commander in the busiest of the best?
And, oh yes, he�s continued to play baseball � fast pitch, hard ball type baseball � throughout these years! And he continues to play catcher in a Senior League on Long Island, where the pitchers still hurl 70 mph fastballs.
The epitome of an NYPD Squad Commander � a hero to many and a friend to those who know him. Joe, we all wish you the VERY BEST in your retirement. You truly deserve it. We will miss you, but never forget you. Hope to see you at the Squad Commander�s luncheons!
Best of luck to Joe Ferrara and his family!
WHAT�S WITH ALL THESE WHIPS?
I�ve been trying to find the derivation of the term that is often used to describe the Detective Squad Sergeant as �The Second Whip�.
It�s an �old-time� detective term that is not used as often as it was when The Minister first came into The Squad. But where does it come from?
Talk with any senior detectives about the �old days�, or about detective stories from when �they came into the Bureau�, and will here them throw around the term in an affectionate, familiar manner. �I remember when Joe was the second-whip in the 17th Squad��
Consulting with Ret. Det Captain Frank Bolz, who goes back to his days as a Brooklyn North Detective in the 60�s back in the 81 Squad, and I learned the following.
The term �first whip� was not used. The Squad Commander was known simply as �The Boss�. The Detective Squad Sergeant was referred to as the �Second Whip�. Frank Bolz recalls being �the 2nd whip in the 17th Squad, when they had a Lieutenant as the Squad Commander and two Sergeant�s.
I guess the �whip� part had to do with keep everyone in line; the �2nd Whip� was the �Squad Boss� assistant�, hence, he had the second whip.
I�m still looking to find the derivation of some other terms. Maybe some readers can help with these.
We all know what it means, and have often used, the term �hairbag�.
He�s the old curmudgeon cop with a lot of time under his belt who can often be counted on for some caustic, cynical remarks. He probably is the one with all the answers, although he may not be the most diplomatic in the bunch.
Perhaps hairbag refers to the bag (uniform) being so old that it was growing hair???
Frank Bolz notes that when he came on the job in January 1955 there were two classes within two months of each other, each with around 750 recruits, so that with just a few years on the job some cops were considered �hairbags� way before their time.
An what about the term �shoofly�?
A �shoofly� was the term pinned on the Captain who was the �Supervisor of Patrol�. He was usually a Captain assigned to the Division, but could also be from the Borough or from a Headquarters command like the First Dep�s Office who worked in civilian clothes who would supervise almost secretly and was feared by most cops on patrol.
The �shoofly� Captain would make unannounced visits to the station house, and check the blotter to see that everyone was where they should be � making sure no one was in the station house that shouldn�t be there. He would show up on radio calls, ensuring that jobs were answered properly � and that everyone that exited an RMP had a hat on!
Things like that.
That was back in the day when there were very few people actually assigned to station house duties.
Besides the Desk Lieutenant, you may have had the Sergeant on the T.S. (if there were two Sergeant�s working, one was on patrol and the other was on the T.S. to take rings, and make assignments over the call boxes), and perhaps 1 Patrolman in the 124 Room to type Complaint Reports and any other clerical work the Desk Lieutenant needed typed. On the day tour you probably had a Patrolman inside who was the Highway Safety officer, doing the clerical summons work, etc. The Captain always a few �Captain�s Men� doing his assigned tasks � but there were much fewer (to say the least) �inside jobs� than we have today.
If anyone can tell me where �shoofly� came from, please let me know.
ANOTHER RETIREMENT LOSS
On the same day that Joe Ferrara exited the 75 Squad for the last time, another good friend ended his twenty-year career with this department.
Lieutenant-Commander Detective Squad Thomas Joyce has retired for civilian life.
Tommy was originally part of the Transit Police Department, where I first met him, prior to the merge of the departments in 1995. I had the pleasure to work with Tommy in the 77 Squad when I took over as the Squad Commander in 1998, and he was the �2nd Whip�.
A dedicated, driven and highly knowledgeable detective commander, his departure will certainly leave a void with this department. He ended his career commanding the Bronx Cold Case Squad, having led the 79 Squad for a good number of years before that. He will always be remembered as a Brooklyn North Detective-Commander! A determined and motivated leader, he always strove for success. He brought this same outspoken quality to his dedicated work on the LBA Board.
Tommy is leaving to work for Lexis-Nexis, where he will work with police agencies in their efforts to bring the computer age to their investigative capacities. Spreading the word and value of Accurint and computer research for investigators � I can think of no better man for the job.
I�m just sorry to see you go! He won�t be far from Brooklyn North, however, and will certainly be attending future Squad Commander�s functions!
Best of luck, Tommy, from all your friends in Brooklyn North.
THE NINTH PRECINCT
Knowing that I am an avid collector and reader of true crime books, especially those of the NYPD, a friend presented me with a hard-to-find book recently.
The 1974 book by Al Silverman, �FOSTER AND LAURIE�, recounts the horrific death of 2 NYPD cops, Rocco Laurie and Gregory Foster, and the very turbulent times of the early 1970�s.
I thought it might be of interest to recount a little background on the 9th Precinct, in the early 70�s � noting the obvious changes (for the better) in that time.
�The Ninth Precinct is one of the strangest in New York City. It covers only 0.79 square miles. Yet within its borders � from the East River to Broadway, from East Fourteenth Street to East Houston Street � reside 78,000 people. A polyglot. There are 11,000 blacks, 28,000 Puerto Ricans, 35,000 whites, and 4,200 �others�. The whites who live there � Italians, Jews, Ukrainians, derelicts from the Bowery, runaway girls, freaks, the aged � fear for their lives, and hate the blacks. The blacks hate the whites and the Puerto Ricans, and hatred is exchanged. Hatred abounds, as does prostitution and drugs and stabbings and murder. It is the one area of New York City where nothing really works and the only thing that matters is survival.
For a precinct so small � less than three hundred uniformed personnel � the men of the Ninth keep busy. (My note: this was a time when uniformed cops were still called �Patrolmen�, and female officers were not a regular site on patrol).
In 1971 the Ninth Precinct was the eighth highest of all seventy-six precincts in robbery. Only two other precincts made more robbery arrests. There were forty-six homicides committed in the Ninth in 1971, again the eighth highest of all other precincts. Two cops once compared the Ninth with the Forty-first in the South Bronx � the infamous �Fort Apache�.
�Hey, man, we got rats this big in the four-one.�
�Yeah,� said the cop from the Ninth, �we got roaches who�ll eat your rats.�
It gives you a little idea of this precinct, the area, and the times.
Although I don�t have the information at my fingertips, I was curious if any historians may have the homicide and/or crime figures from 1971 as a comparison. If the 9th was the eighth highest � covering such a small area � which precinct was number 1 and number 2? I�m betting the 28 and the 75 will be there. Just a thought.
BROOKLYN POLICE PRECINCTS: CIRCA 1918
Here is a listing of the station houses for Brooklyn police precincts dating back to 1918. Some of them will be familiar to you, I�m sure. The precinct number as of 1918 is listed, with the �old� precinct number reflecting the designation it previously had, after the Brooklyn Police Department was first merged into the New York City Police Department, years earlier.
Pct: (Old Pct No.) Location:
67th 169th 2951 West 8th St.
68th 171st 86th St. & 5th Ave.
70th 170th Bath Ave. & Bay 22nd St.
72nd 168th Ave. U & E. 15th St.
73rd 1830 Brooklyn Ave.(Vanderveer Pk S.H.)
74th 172nd 154 Lawrence Ave.
76th 143rd 4302 4th Ave.
78th 144th 575 5th Ave.
79th 146th 6th Ave. & Bergen St.
80th 166th Ave. G & E. 95th St.
82nd 167th 35 Snyder Ave.
83rd 153rd 484-486 Liberty Ave.
85th 165th 2 Liberty Ave.
87th 152nd 1661 Atlantic Ave.
88th 151st 653 Grand Ave.
89th 145th 44 Rapelyea St.
90th 147th 17 Butler Ave. (Abolished 11/8/20)
(S.H. closed 11/6/20 for renovations. 5/10/21 became 91st Pct.)
91st 148th 59 Amity St.
(91st Pct moved to 17 Butler St. 5/10/21)
92nd 149th 318 Adams Ave. (Abolished 11/28/21)
93rd 150th 72 Poplar St.
94th 154th 16 Ralph Ave.
95th 155th 627 Gates Ave.
96th 156th 298 Classon Ave.
97th 164th 179 Wilson Ave.
98th 158th 148 Vernon Ave. (Abolished 1/16/22)
99th 157th 132 Flushing Ave.(Abolished 10/1/19)
101st 159th 2 Lee Ave.
102nd 163rd 171 Bushwick Ave.
103rd 160th 263 Bedford Ave.
104th 162nd 43 Herbert St.
105th 161st 145 Greenpoint Ave.(Abolished 9/18/24)
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
January 25, 1994 PO Nicholas DeMatiis, 106 Pct, Auto pursuit
January 27, 1908 Ptl John Loughman, 15 Pct, Shot-off duty incident
January 27, 1938 Ptl Edward Roos, 8 Sqd, Auto accident on patrol
January 27, 1943 Ptl Angelo Dimuro, 1 Pct, Line of duty incident
January 27, 1972 Ptl Gregory Foster, 9 Pct, Shot-assassination
January 27, 1972 Ptl Rocco Laurie, 9 Pct, Shot-assassination
January 28, 1938 Sgt David Kilpatrick, 40 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
January 28, 1980 PO Cecil Sledge, 69 Pct, Shot-car stop
January 30, 1930 Ptl Maurice O�Brien, 28 Pct, Shot-arrest
January 30, 1956 Ptl Benny Bruno, GCP Pct, Auto pursuit
January 31, 1901 Ptl Thomas Fitzpatrick, 29 Pct, Explosion-rescue
January 31, 1901 Ptl Edward Mullin, 29 Pct, Explosion-rescue
January 31, 1927 Ptl James Masterson, 18 Div, Shot-robbery in progress
January 31, 1928 Ptl Patrick Fahey, Traffic C, Fall from horse
January 31, 1928 Ptl William Kelly, 37 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
January 31, 1931 Ptl Harold Conway, 27 Pct, Drowned
January 31, 1959 Ptl Michael Talkowsky, 23 Pct, Shot-robbery
January 31, 1968 Ptl Stephen DellAquila, Safety B, Scooter accident on patrol
January 31, 1984 PO Angelo Brown, 84 Pct, Shot-robbery, off duty
January 31, 1992 PO Hilario Serrano, 43 Pct, Shot-robbery, off duty
January 31, 2004 Sgt Keith Ferguson, ESS7, LOD Heart attack
It is noted that the eleven line of duty deaths recorded on January 31 represent the date with the most line of duty deaths for members of this department, with the exception of September 11.
REMEMBER� TO CONTACT THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION:
You can send me an e-mail at:
Ltjac77@yahoo.com
Perhaps you can help with some historical background, such as �shoofly� and �hairbag� derivations, or with some hysterical facts from the past, or present, you�d like to share.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
MORE ON POLICE PARADES: CONTROVERSIES END THE EVENT
As noted on a previous posting, a parade of the police department had become an annual event in early times.
The parade was cancelled for a year by Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt, around 1895, after Rev. William Parkhurst and the Lexow Commission routed the Police Department in an unflattering corruption investigation.
By 1896, Roosevelt felt that public sentiment was favorable enough to reintroduce the parade. According to "NYPD: A City and Its Police", "the entire force, with the exception of those actually on duty, assembled at the foot of Broadway, decked out in full regalia. With superior officers at the front, the cops marched uptown past a formal reviewing stand in Madison Square, where they exchanged salutes with the Board of Police Commissioners.
The event turned into a political firestorm as two important figures from the Lexow Commission came to light, the "good" crook, Captain Maximillian Schmittberger, and the "bad" crook, Captain William Devery.
After refusing to cooperate with the commission, Capt Devery had been indicted in a case involving blackmail as well as graft. He had survived that accusation and another extortion charge to win reinstatement. Shortly before the parade, Devery was restored to police duty by court order. Nevertheless, Roosevelt ruled that he would not be allowed to participate in the parade. Schmittberger was to have an honored place in the procession.
On the afternoon of the parade, Roosevelt stood with the mayor and his fellow commissioners on the reviewing stand near Twenty-third Street, across from the Reverend Parkhurst's Church. Band music in the distance signaled the approach of the marchers. An advance guard on bicycles and horses cleared the way for Chief Peter Conlin, who, mounted on a noble steed, looked like the heroic soldier of old.
Conlin, who was about to retire, rode up to the reviewing stand and, in proper military style, swung his horse around and positioned himself to receive salutes from the five oncoming battalions of bluecoats.
A murmur began to run through the crowd, that turned into a collective gasp. Captain Devery was marching. Conlin, without telling the commissioners, had given permission. There were scattered boos as Devery reached the reviewing stand, but they were drowned out by a tumultuous roar of approval from the crowd, heavily composed of Tammany stalwarts.
Roosevelt and his fellow commissioners declined to applaud and then, after a few more police units had passed, watched in embarrassment as Max Schittberger came up Broadway. A few supporters of reform raised a cheer, but the masses drowned them out with hisses, boos and shouts of 'Squealer'!
The parade was a dark moment for Roosevelt, and it was emblematic of his failure to understand what policemen felt or thought. There was a huge political rivalry between Devery & Schmittberger, and when Devery rose to Chief in 1898, he banned Schmittberger from the parade.
In 1932, Mayor Jimmy Walker was caught up in quite a bit of trouble involving gangsters and he cancelled the police parade, fearing a hostile reaction from the public. After 75 glorious years, it was never held again.
HISTORICAL FORMS: A STOP NOTICE
If you�ve been with NYPD for more than 30 minutes then you know what the form UF49 refers to.
Commonly known simply as a �49�, it�s the blank letterhead that all reports are recorded on. Even the newest rookie is familiar with the term, �Give me a 49 on that� � I swear, I sometimes think there are whole units of people in the building downtown whose career consists of gathering, checking off and filing 49�s. But that�s a whole other story.
So, if the form UF49 refers to the �Uniform Force Form #49�, then what is the equivalent Detective Bureau form?
At the time when forms were being identified as they are known today, the members comprising the patrol force were the �Uniform Force�, and the Detectives were part of the Detective Division. (It wasn�t yet a Bureau, still a Division). Hence, the Detective forms were preceded by the letters �DD� for �Detective Division Form�.
The equivalent Detective Form, the DD49, appears to refer to a �Stop Notice�.
This referred to a stop notice to be placed in a pawn shop or second-hand shop if stolen property had been found there.
Many years ago pawn brokers and second-hand stores were required to forward to the PD on a daily basis lists of all property pawned or purchased.
If an item that had been reported stolen appeared on such a daily list, the pawn broker or second-hand store was notified to hold that property and not to release it to anyone. Hence, the �Stop Notice�.
The owner of the property was notified and could go to the pawn shop to retrieve their property back, but they would have to pay the pawn broker what ever he had loaned on the property. If the owner did not want to pay the pawn broker then a hearing was held by the department to determine if the property had been obtained in good faith, and that prior to purchasing the item the broker had performed the necessary checks required. In most instances, the rightful owner was glad enough to get their property back, and paid the pawn broker what was owed.
LEGAL COUNSEL: THE BURDO DECISION
ALL detectives should be aware of the Burdo decision, as it touches on something we do all the time.
In People v. Burdo, from October 30, 1997, the New York State Court of Appeals issued the following decision.
"The Court concluded that the police were not permitted to interrogate the defendant about a murder where the defendant was in a correctional facility awaiting trial on an unrelated rape charge on which counsel had already been appointed. A defendant represented by counsel on the charge for which he is in custody cannot be interrogated in the absence of counsel "on any matter".
If the subject is incarcerated awaiting trial then he has an attorney assigned, and cannot be spoken with about any incident without his/her attorney being present.
WALKING THAT FOOT POST
A recent posting on this site concerning a story about the infamous corner of Franklin & Fulton brought back many dear and fond memories from retirees. (Some not so dear, nor so fond, but memorable all the same).
Not many who walked a foot post in the �old� 79 or 80 Precincts will forget that corner.
A note from Ret. Capt. Frank Bolz mentions that other nearby corner as just as memorable � Fulton and Nostrand.
At least Fulton & Nostrand had a friendly eatery, Bickfords, on the corner. Also a major transit subway location, this corner has as many war stories of its own. Along with a call box that never seemed to be lacking use.
Try to put yourself back in time, the rookie out on patrol, on a foot post spanning Franklin Avenue from Fulton Street to Bergen Street, in the (then) 80 Precinct. No portable radios; maybe only 3-4 sector cars on motor patrol.
There was a Sergeant in one car, driving around to make sure all the foot posts were on patrol, driving by for a �scratch�; maybe passing by a few more times during the tour to give you a �see� (a lot more frequently if you were on his bad list). You made rings every hour from a call box, and received assignments from the station house on these same call boxes � when they needed you, the T.S. operator would start ringing the boxes on your post � a light above on the pole would blink, and the bell would ring, to alert you to the call. You�d get your assignment from the T.S. operator who was operating an actual �Telephone Switchboard� � complete with wires and plugs and a rotary dial. And, oh � yes � this T.S. Operator would be a Sergeant.
The Sergeant was responsible for taking your rings, making assignments, and handling all of the incoming telephone calls to the command, leaving the Desk Lieutenant free to do what Desk Lieutenants did � right very neatly with a fountain pen in that oversized blotter, making the command decisions necessary for the position.
How long would it take for you to see a seat in an RMP? Take a guess. But make sure you�ve got some really comfortable Knapp shoes in your locker!
LT. GIUSEPPE (JOSEPH) PETROSINO: THE ONLY NYPD MOS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY ON FOREIGN SOIL
Giuseppe Petrosino was appointed to the NYPD on October 19, 1883. He was assigned Shield # 285. In November of 1906 he was promoted to Lieutenant and made C.O. of the NYPD�s �Italian Legion�.
Lt. Joe Petrosino was assassinated while walking through Marine public square in Palermo, Italy on March 12th, 1909, after NYPD Police Commissioner Theodore A. Bingham held a news conference and with stupidity announced that the NYPD had an undercover police officer working on the �Black Hand� in Italy.
It all started when Petrosino's "Italian Squad" went undercover to find who was behind the dozens of "Black Hand" bombings. They arrested many suspected members of the group over the next five years, but the bombings continued.
The trail took Petrosino to Italy in an undercover mission in 1909. But someone there didn't like where his investigation was headed and Petrosino returned from Italy in a coffin.
Giuseppe Petrosino, an immigrant from Salerno who became the NYPD's first Italian-American detective, waged a valiant battle against the Black Hand, a loosely-knit criminal organization that extorted money from Italian immigrants. He founded the Bomb Squad, the first unit of its kind in the United States, to counter the Black Hand's use of explosives in carrying out its extortion threats. From 1905, Petrosino and the "Italian Branch," an elite corps of Italian-American undercover cops, arrested thousand of members of the Black Hand, deported 500 and reduced crime against Italian-Americans by half. Petrosino was murdered in 1909 in Palermo, Italy, where he had gone to gather intelligence about Black Hand members.
He is the only NYPD officer killed in line of duty outside the U.S.
In 1883, it was Clubber Williams who arranged Joe�s appointment to the force, even though Petrosino was four inches below the required height. His knowledge of the Italian language and culture gave him an advantage over non-Italian detectives. In 1890, he became a detective; in 1895, Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt promoted him to detective sergeant. By the turn of the century, due to careful media management, Petrosino was one of New York�s best-known detectives: he had a way of tipping off reporters whenever he was about to do something newsworthy.
He was as rough as most cops of his time, and as one alderman who was quoted in Reppetto�s book NYPD put it, "he knocked out more teeth than a dentist." While he could dress and act like a typical detective, banging on doors and throwing suspects up against walls, he was more comfortable in disguise. He posed as a tunnel worker, a blind beggar, a gangster or an Italian peasant just off the boat. This allowed him to investigate freely, and also allowed others to talk to him without attracting suspicion. In this way he was able to infiltrate and expose many of the gangs that preyed on Italian immigrants.
In January 1905, Police Commissioner William McAdoo put Petrosino in charge of a five-man Italian squad. McAdoo�s successor, General Theodore Bingham, expanded the squad to 25 men, renaming it the Italian Legion and promoting Petrosino to lieutenant.
In 1907, Congress enacted a law permitting the deportation of any alien found to have concealed a criminal record. Two years later, Gen. Bingham secretly sent Petrosino to Italy with a list of 2000 names. While Petrosino was on the high seas, Bingham leaked news of the mission to the New York Herald, which published it in the Paris edition. This was then picked up by the Italian press, and ran in the Italian media as well. Petrosino�s impending visit and its purpose were known to the very Mafiosi he was investigating before his arrival.
On the night of March 12, Petrosino was sitting on the fence that surrounded the garden around Piazza Marina in the Tribunaria/Castellemare district. He may have been waiting for an informant or a trolley. The gangster Don Vito walked up to him and shot him in the face. Later, the American consul reported two hired gunmen fired the shots. Still others say there were three. In any event, Petrosino was dead. Although Don Vito was taken into custody four days later, he was released when an alibi witness came forward. No arrests were made in this crime.
Today, Petrosino is memorialized by a fenced-in plaza at Lafayette and Kenmare Streets, in downtown Manhattan, only walking distance from the old Police Headquarters Building. A Parks Dept. sign identifies the park as �Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino Square�.
(With credit to information from Ret. Sgt. Mike Bosak, and to an article found in NY PRESS by William Bryk).
THE MOVE-CRITIC DETECTIVE: SHERLOCK CINEMA
The Minister of Investigation has enlisted the aid of a resident movie critic � Detective, for the readers of this site.
Not quite Siskel or Ebert, or even that guy on TV with the big handle-bar moustache (you know his name�) but a movie aficionado nonetheless. Although this person wishes to remain anonymous, so as not to appear to �have no life�, I will have to come up with a fancy-schmansy name. Maybe Sherlock Cinema?
Anyway, here goes some movie reviews from Sherlock Cinema.
Sherlock says that by far the best picture seen in several months is King Kong. Although this movie was �really long� � it was a 3 hour 7 minute film � the special effects should be award winning. �You can picture dinosaurs roaming the earth�. Sherlock Cinema gives this a VERY BIG THUMBS UP.
Sherlock also liked Brokeback Mountain. �I loved the movie. I like love stories; I don�t care who the love is between, give me a good love story any day�. Although, it�s noted, that the film gets very sad at times, it is �highly recommended� by Sherlock Cinema. Not quite the shoot-em-up western of John Wayne notoriety, or a good �spaghetti-western� with Clint Eastwood � I just can�t picture Clint Eastwood sitting around a camp fire with his buddy, crooning �I wish I could quit you�� But it passes Sherlock�s critical review. Maybe not my kind of picture, not that there's anything wrong with that...
Memoirs of a Geisha Girl was �alright, but it could have been shorter�. Sounds like another one you can wait for its release on DVD.
Cinderella Man was a �so-so� movie. Sherlock Cinema summed it up best as �too long, and too slow. When the candy ran out I was dozing off asleep�. Doesn�t sound like anything you�d want to run out and pay to see. I�m not sure what this movies about, but judging by the critic I�d guess it wasn�t a love story � must be another Cinderella!
Just what makes our movie critic an expert on movies?
Sherlock Cinema has a lot of credentials as a movie critic. Having seen 54 movies this past year certainly qualifies in my book. Why have you seen 54 movies? �Because I couldn�t get an excuse to see 108�.
In conclusion, for the first installment of a (hopefully) continuing review by Sherlock Cinema: see a love story (regardless of who�s in love), stock up on candy (plain popcorn just won�t do it), and get ready for a very long dinosaur flick.
SOME BROOKLYN PRECINCT NOTATIONS
A prior posting made mention of some Brooklyn Police Department precinct locations.
I�ve learned that after the PD vacated the Station House at 44 Rapelye Ave., on 4/1/1946, the 76th Pct. moved to a new location at 181 Union St. This was an old abandoned public school building.
The 76th Pct. was at this location until 4/1/1963, when the 76th Pct. moved into a new building at 191 Union St.
A COMMENT ON BENEFITS
I recently received an e-mail from a retiree, noting some of the changes being made by unions as they relate to their retiree�s.
It seems that a common cost-saving measure that many labor unions throughout the country fall back on relates to the cutting of benefits to retirees, especially those dealing with prescription drugs, optical and dental.
I�d just like to pass along a simple �word of advice� tendered by many laborers:
�AS YOU ARE NOW, ONCE WERE WE. AS WE ARE NOW YOU WILL BE.
BE HONORABLE, ALWAYS ACT KINDLY, FOR RETIREMENT IS A LONG JOURNEY.�
MAKES YOU WONDER�
On one of my visits to a local Starbucks, I visited the rest room.
You�ve all seen the sign in virtually every public rest room � the one that advises all employees that they must wash their hands?
Well, in Starbucks, they go one step further.
They actually illustrate this process: Wet, Soap, Wash (20 secs.) Rinse, Dry, Turn Off Water.
Each step has a little illustration, in case you didn�t know what soap was, or the term �rinse� was a puzzle.
Makes you wonder� do you really want people preparing food for you who need an illustration on how to wash their hands???
REMEMBER� TO CONTACT THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION
Send an e-mail to: Ltjac77@yahoo.com
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
January 9, 1938 Ptl Anthony Tornatore, 52 Pct, Shot-investigation
January 9, 1973 Ptl Stephen Gilroy, ESS8, Shot-robbery / hostages
January 10, 1987 PO Francis LaSalla, ESS1, Fire rescue
January 10, 1998 PO Edward Ahrens, 28 Pct, Shot (5/5/75) narco invest
January 11, 1908 Ptl Robert Fitzgerald, Bridge Pct, Drowned-Rescue
January 11, 1916 Ptl Joseph Gaffney, 26 Pct, Shot-arrest
January 11, 1929 Ptl Albert Bruden, Mcy Unit, Auto pursuit
January 11, 1941 Ptl Edward Maher, Traffic P, Shot-robbery
January 12, 1974 PO Timothy Murphy, 120 Pct, Shot-off duty incident
January 12, 1981 PO Robert Walsh, 7 Pct, Shot-off duty robbery
January 13, 1924 Ptl John Schneider, 3Div, Robbery investigation
January 13, 1950 Ptl Edward Carraher, 14 Pct, Injured on patrol
January 13, 1997 Det Kenny Fung, 72 Sqd, Heart attack during investigation
January 15, 1938 Ptl Frank Zaccor, 14 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
January 16, 1953 Ptl Thomas Sheehan, 10 Pct, Line of duty heart attack
January 17, 1947 Ptl Harry Schriffies, McyDist, Shot-investigation
January 17, 2000 PO Benny Marciante, SITF, LOD Heart attack
As noted on a previous posting, a parade of the police department had become an annual event in early times.
The parade was cancelled for a year by Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt, around 1895, after Rev. William Parkhurst and the Lexow Commission routed the Police Department in an unflattering corruption investigation.
By 1896, Roosevelt felt that public sentiment was favorable enough to reintroduce the parade. According to "NYPD: A City and Its Police", "the entire force, with the exception of those actually on duty, assembled at the foot of Broadway, decked out in full regalia. With superior officers at the front, the cops marched uptown past a formal reviewing stand in Madison Square, where they exchanged salutes with the Board of Police Commissioners.
The event turned into a political firestorm as two important figures from the Lexow Commission came to light, the "good" crook, Captain Maximillian Schmittberger, and the "bad" crook, Captain William Devery.
After refusing to cooperate with the commission, Capt Devery had been indicted in a case involving blackmail as well as graft. He had survived that accusation and another extortion charge to win reinstatement. Shortly before the parade, Devery was restored to police duty by court order. Nevertheless, Roosevelt ruled that he would not be allowed to participate in the parade. Schmittberger was to have an honored place in the procession.
On the afternoon of the parade, Roosevelt stood with the mayor and his fellow commissioners on the reviewing stand near Twenty-third Street, across from the Reverend Parkhurst's Church. Band music in the distance signaled the approach of the marchers. An advance guard on bicycles and horses cleared the way for Chief Peter Conlin, who, mounted on a noble steed, looked like the heroic soldier of old.
Conlin, who was about to retire, rode up to the reviewing stand and, in proper military style, swung his horse around and positioned himself to receive salutes from the five oncoming battalions of bluecoats.
A murmur began to run through the crowd, that turned into a collective gasp. Captain Devery was marching. Conlin, without telling the commissioners, had given permission. There were scattered boos as Devery reached the reviewing stand, but they were drowned out by a tumultuous roar of approval from the crowd, heavily composed of Tammany stalwarts.
Roosevelt and his fellow commissioners declined to applaud and then, after a few more police units had passed, watched in embarrassment as Max Schittberger came up Broadway. A few supporters of reform raised a cheer, but the masses drowned them out with hisses, boos and shouts of 'Squealer'!
The parade was a dark moment for Roosevelt, and it was emblematic of his failure to understand what policemen felt or thought. There was a huge political rivalry between Devery & Schmittberger, and when Devery rose to Chief in 1898, he banned Schmittberger from the parade.
In 1932, Mayor Jimmy Walker was caught up in quite a bit of trouble involving gangsters and he cancelled the police parade, fearing a hostile reaction from the public. After 75 glorious years, it was never held again.
HISTORICAL FORMS: A STOP NOTICE
If you�ve been with NYPD for more than 30 minutes then you know what the form UF49 refers to.
Commonly known simply as a �49�, it�s the blank letterhead that all reports are recorded on. Even the newest rookie is familiar with the term, �Give me a 49 on that� � I swear, I sometimes think there are whole units of people in the building downtown whose career consists of gathering, checking off and filing 49�s. But that�s a whole other story.
So, if the form UF49 refers to the �Uniform Force Form #49�, then what is the equivalent Detective Bureau form?
At the time when forms were being identified as they are known today, the members comprising the patrol force were the �Uniform Force�, and the Detectives were part of the Detective Division. (It wasn�t yet a Bureau, still a Division). Hence, the Detective forms were preceded by the letters �DD� for �Detective Division Form�.
The equivalent Detective Form, the DD49, appears to refer to a �Stop Notice�.
This referred to a stop notice to be placed in a pawn shop or second-hand shop if stolen property had been found there.
Many years ago pawn brokers and second-hand stores were required to forward to the PD on a daily basis lists of all property pawned or purchased.
If an item that had been reported stolen appeared on such a daily list, the pawn broker or second-hand store was notified to hold that property and not to release it to anyone. Hence, the �Stop Notice�.
The owner of the property was notified and could go to the pawn shop to retrieve their property back, but they would have to pay the pawn broker what ever he had loaned on the property. If the owner did not want to pay the pawn broker then a hearing was held by the department to determine if the property had been obtained in good faith, and that prior to purchasing the item the broker had performed the necessary checks required. In most instances, the rightful owner was glad enough to get their property back, and paid the pawn broker what was owed.
LEGAL COUNSEL: THE BURDO DECISION
ALL detectives should be aware of the Burdo decision, as it touches on something we do all the time.
In People v. Burdo, from October 30, 1997, the New York State Court of Appeals issued the following decision.
"The Court concluded that the police were not permitted to interrogate the defendant about a murder where the defendant was in a correctional facility awaiting trial on an unrelated rape charge on which counsel had already been appointed. A defendant represented by counsel on the charge for which he is in custody cannot be interrogated in the absence of counsel "on any matter".
If the subject is incarcerated awaiting trial then he has an attorney assigned, and cannot be spoken with about any incident without his/her attorney being present.
WALKING THAT FOOT POST
A recent posting on this site concerning a story about the infamous corner of Franklin & Fulton brought back many dear and fond memories from retirees. (Some not so dear, nor so fond, but memorable all the same).
Not many who walked a foot post in the �old� 79 or 80 Precincts will forget that corner.
A note from Ret. Capt. Frank Bolz mentions that other nearby corner as just as memorable � Fulton and Nostrand.
At least Fulton & Nostrand had a friendly eatery, Bickfords, on the corner. Also a major transit subway location, this corner has as many war stories of its own. Along with a call box that never seemed to be lacking use.
Try to put yourself back in time, the rookie out on patrol, on a foot post spanning Franklin Avenue from Fulton Street to Bergen Street, in the (then) 80 Precinct. No portable radios; maybe only 3-4 sector cars on motor patrol.
There was a Sergeant in one car, driving around to make sure all the foot posts were on patrol, driving by for a �scratch�; maybe passing by a few more times during the tour to give you a �see� (a lot more frequently if you were on his bad list). You made rings every hour from a call box, and received assignments from the station house on these same call boxes � when they needed you, the T.S. operator would start ringing the boxes on your post � a light above on the pole would blink, and the bell would ring, to alert you to the call. You�d get your assignment from the T.S. operator who was operating an actual �Telephone Switchboard� � complete with wires and plugs and a rotary dial. And, oh � yes � this T.S. Operator would be a Sergeant.
The Sergeant was responsible for taking your rings, making assignments, and handling all of the incoming telephone calls to the command, leaving the Desk Lieutenant free to do what Desk Lieutenants did � right very neatly with a fountain pen in that oversized blotter, making the command decisions necessary for the position.
How long would it take for you to see a seat in an RMP? Take a guess. But make sure you�ve got some really comfortable Knapp shoes in your locker!
LT. GIUSEPPE (JOSEPH) PETROSINO: THE ONLY NYPD MOS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY ON FOREIGN SOIL
Giuseppe Petrosino was appointed to the NYPD on October 19, 1883. He was assigned Shield # 285. In November of 1906 he was promoted to Lieutenant and made C.O. of the NYPD�s �Italian Legion�.
Lt. Joe Petrosino was assassinated while walking through Marine public square in Palermo, Italy on March 12th, 1909, after NYPD Police Commissioner Theodore A. Bingham held a news conference and with stupidity announced that the NYPD had an undercover police officer working on the �Black Hand� in Italy.
It all started when Petrosino's "Italian Squad" went undercover to find who was behind the dozens of "Black Hand" bombings. They arrested many suspected members of the group over the next five years, but the bombings continued.
The trail took Petrosino to Italy in an undercover mission in 1909. But someone there didn't like where his investigation was headed and Petrosino returned from Italy in a coffin.
Giuseppe Petrosino, an immigrant from Salerno who became the NYPD's first Italian-American detective, waged a valiant battle against the Black Hand, a loosely-knit criminal organization that extorted money from Italian immigrants. He founded the Bomb Squad, the first unit of its kind in the United States, to counter the Black Hand's use of explosives in carrying out its extortion threats. From 1905, Petrosino and the "Italian Branch," an elite corps of Italian-American undercover cops, arrested thousand of members of the Black Hand, deported 500 and reduced crime against Italian-Americans by half. Petrosino was murdered in 1909 in Palermo, Italy, where he had gone to gather intelligence about Black Hand members.
He is the only NYPD officer killed in line of duty outside the U.S.
In 1883, it was Clubber Williams who arranged Joe�s appointment to the force, even though Petrosino was four inches below the required height. His knowledge of the Italian language and culture gave him an advantage over non-Italian detectives. In 1890, he became a detective; in 1895, Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt promoted him to detective sergeant. By the turn of the century, due to careful media management, Petrosino was one of New York�s best-known detectives: he had a way of tipping off reporters whenever he was about to do something newsworthy.
He was as rough as most cops of his time, and as one alderman who was quoted in Reppetto�s book NYPD put it, "he knocked out more teeth than a dentist." While he could dress and act like a typical detective, banging on doors and throwing suspects up against walls, he was more comfortable in disguise. He posed as a tunnel worker, a blind beggar, a gangster or an Italian peasant just off the boat. This allowed him to investigate freely, and also allowed others to talk to him without attracting suspicion. In this way he was able to infiltrate and expose many of the gangs that preyed on Italian immigrants.
In January 1905, Police Commissioner William McAdoo put Petrosino in charge of a five-man Italian squad. McAdoo�s successor, General Theodore Bingham, expanded the squad to 25 men, renaming it the Italian Legion and promoting Petrosino to lieutenant.
In 1907, Congress enacted a law permitting the deportation of any alien found to have concealed a criminal record. Two years later, Gen. Bingham secretly sent Petrosino to Italy with a list of 2000 names. While Petrosino was on the high seas, Bingham leaked news of the mission to the New York Herald, which published it in the Paris edition. This was then picked up by the Italian press, and ran in the Italian media as well. Petrosino�s impending visit and its purpose were known to the very Mafiosi he was investigating before his arrival.
On the night of March 12, Petrosino was sitting on the fence that surrounded the garden around Piazza Marina in the Tribunaria/Castellemare district. He may have been waiting for an informant or a trolley. The gangster Don Vito walked up to him and shot him in the face. Later, the American consul reported two hired gunmen fired the shots. Still others say there were three. In any event, Petrosino was dead. Although Don Vito was taken into custody four days later, he was released when an alibi witness came forward. No arrests were made in this crime.
Today, Petrosino is memorialized by a fenced-in plaza at Lafayette and Kenmare Streets, in downtown Manhattan, only walking distance from the old Police Headquarters Building. A Parks Dept. sign identifies the park as �Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino Square�.
(With credit to information from Ret. Sgt. Mike Bosak, and to an article found in NY PRESS by William Bryk).
THE MOVE-CRITIC DETECTIVE: SHERLOCK CINEMA
The Minister of Investigation has enlisted the aid of a resident movie critic � Detective, for the readers of this site.
Not quite Siskel or Ebert, or even that guy on TV with the big handle-bar moustache (you know his name�) but a movie aficionado nonetheless. Although this person wishes to remain anonymous, so as not to appear to �have no life�, I will have to come up with a fancy-schmansy name. Maybe Sherlock Cinema?
Anyway, here goes some movie reviews from Sherlock Cinema.
Sherlock says that by far the best picture seen in several months is King Kong. Although this movie was �really long� � it was a 3 hour 7 minute film � the special effects should be award winning. �You can picture dinosaurs roaming the earth�. Sherlock Cinema gives this a VERY BIG THUMBS UP.
Sherlock also liked Brokeback Mountain. �I loved the movie. I like love stories; I don�t care who the love is between, give me a good love story any day�. Although, it�s noted, that the film gets very sad at times, it is �highly recommended� by Sherlock Cinema. Not quite the shoot-em-up western of John Wayne notoriety, or a good �spaghetti-western� with Clint Eastwood � I just can�t picture Clint Eastwood sitting around a camp fire with his buddy, crooning �I wish I could quit you�� But it passes Sherlock�s critical review. Maybe not my kind of picture, not that there's anything wrong with that...
Memoirs of a Geisha Girl was �alright, but it could have been shorter�. Sounds like another one you can wait for its release on DVD.
Cinderella Man was a �so-so� movie. Sherlock Cinema summed it up best as �too long, and too slow. When the candy ran out I was dozing off asleep�. Doesn�t sound like anything you�d want to run out and pay to see. I�m not sure what this movies about, but judging by the critic I�d guess it wasn�t a love story � must be another Cinderella!
Just what makes our movie critic an expert on movies?
Sherlock Cinema has a lot of credentials as a movie critic. Having seen 54 movies this past year certainly qualifies in my book. Why have you seen 54 movies? �Because I couldn�t get an excuse to see 108�.
In conclusion, for the first installment of a (hopefully) continuing review by Sherlock Cinema: see a love story (regardless of who�s in love), stock up on candy (plain popcorn just won�t do it), and get ready for a very long dinosaur flick.
SOME BROOKLYN PRECINCT NOTATIONS
A prior posting made mention of some Brooklyn Police Department precinct locations.
I�ve learned that after the PD vacated the Station House at 44 Rapelye Ave., on 4/1/1946, the 76th Pct. moved to a new location at 181 Union St. This was an old abandoned public school building.
The 76th Pct. was at this location until 4/1/1963, when the 76th Pct. moved into a new building at 191 Union St.
A COMMENT ON BENEFITS
I recently received an e-mail from a retiree, noting some of the changes being made by unions as they relate to their retiree�s.
It seems that a common cost-saving measure that many labor unions throughout the country fall back on relates to the cutting of benefits to retirees, especially those dealing with prescription drugs, optical and dental.
I�d just like to pass along a simple �word of advice� tendered by many laborers:
�AS YOU ARE NOW, ONCE WERE WE. AS WE ARE NOW YOU WILL BE.
BE HONORABLE, ALWAYS ACT KINDLY, FOR RETIREMENT IS A LONG JOURNEY.�
MAKES YOU WONDER�
On one of my visits to a local Starbucks, I visited the rest room.
You�ve all seen the sign in virtually every public rest room � the one that advises all employees that they must wash their hands?
Well, in Starbucks, they go one step further.
They actually illustrate this process: Wet, Soap, Wash (20 secs.) Rinse, Dry, Turn Off Water.
Each step has a little illustration, in case you didn�t know what soap was, or the term �rinse� was a puzzle.
Makes you wonder� do you really want people preparing food for you who need an illustration on how to wash their hands???
REMEMBER� TO CONTACT THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION
Send an e-mail to: Ltjac77@yahoo.com
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
January 9, 1938 Ptl Anthony Tornatore, 52 Pct, Shot-investigation
January 9, 1973 Ptl Stephen Gilroy, ESS8, Shot-robbery / hostages
January 10, 1987 PO Francis LaSalla, ESS1, Fire rescue
January 10, 1998 PO Edward Ahrens, 28 Pct, Shot (5/5/75) narco invest
January 11, 1908 Ptl Robert Fitzgerald, Bridge Pct, Drowned-Rescue
January 11, 1916 Ptl Joseph Gaffney, 26 Pct, Shot-arrest
January 11, 1929 Ptl Albert Bruden, Mcy Unit, Auto pursuit
January 11, 1941 Ptl Edward Maher, Traffic P, Shot-robbery
January 12, 1974 PO Timothy Murphy, 120 Pct, Shot-off duty incident
January 12, 1981 PO Robert Walsh, 7 Pct, Shot-off duty robbery
January 13, 1924 Ptl John Schneider, 3Div, Robbery investigation
January 13, 1950 Ptl Edward Carraher, 14 Pct, Injured on patrol
January 13, 1997 Det Kenny Fung, 72 Sqd, Heart attack during investigation
January 15, 1938 Ptl Frank Zaccor, 14 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
January 16, 1953 Ptl Thomas Sheehan, 10 Pct, Line of duty heart attack
January 17, 1947 Ptl Harry Schriffies, McyDist, Shot-investigation
January 17, 2000 PO Benny Marciante, SITF, LOD Heart attack
