IDENTITY THEFT UPDATE
The No. 1 state for identity theft is Arizona, where one in six adults has had his or her identity stolen in the past five years.
Why? Blame it on two things, according to Javelin Strategy and Research, a private research firm that conducted the study:
(1)A large number of methamphetamine users in the state.
(2)A decision by local governments to post public records on the Internet.
This is how bad it is in Arizona: Identity theft there is double the national average. And it's being fueled by meth addicts.
James Van Dyke, president of Javelin, calls it a "supply-chain effect." Van Dyke told ABC News reporter Leslie Yeransian, "Meth users will take your bills in the mail and sell your bank statements as a form of payment. Then the [meth-]maker will use those bank statements to go into an existing account or make a new account off that information or sell your statements to an identity theft specialist."
The police admit that methamphetamine use and identity theft are a tightly linked problem. "Every time we find a meth lab, we also find identity theft," Detective Tony Morales of the Phoenix Police Department told ABC News. "These meth freaks like to hang together, and they learn about identity theft tricks together."
How are the meth addicts getting such sensitive data? They aren't just stealing it out of dumpsters or your mailbox. Often, they are getting it from the government--with a click of a mouse on the Internet.
That's especially true in Arizona where counties put very private information on very public Web sites for the convenience of county employees. Two treasure troves for ID criminals are divorce decrees and tax liens.
Still, Van Dyke says the greatest risk to innocent people is the old-fashioned paper trail. "They should be more worried about documents going through the mail. We found in our research that only 9 percent of identity theft can be traced to Internet use and billing," he told ABC News. "If you follow normal precautions on the Internet you are actually better off than using mail."
Top five states for identity theft:1. Arizona2. Nevada3. California4. Texas 5. Colorado
DEPARTMENT HONORS: 1855
Thanks to the research conducted by Michale Bosak, Retired Sergeant and department historian extraordinaire, the following is excerpted regarding the departments first ceremony to honor heroic acts by its members. (Note that this is copyrighted material).
It was on Saturday, May 26, 1855.
�The day turned out to be bright, sunny and warm, without being unpleasantly so. Long before the scheduled 2 pm ceremony, a vast multitude, well over fifteen thousand of New York�s most prominent citizens gathered in City Hall Park to watch the first time ever assembly of almost the entire Municipal Police Department in uniform for a grand review and parade.
For the mayor and New York�s first Chief of Police George W. Matsell, this day would be the culmination of long planning and many months of hard work. After ten long years, the Municipal Police had finally come into its own. The department, for the first time ever, was now fully uniformed, spiffily dressed in gray pants with 1� black strips, dark blue coats and blue caps.
Moreover, many of its men had performed heroically, some making newsworthy arrests at great personal risk; others under imminent danger to themselves had performed valiant rescues. The �Star Police� were now setting the standards for exemplary and meritorious service to the city.
So acting upon the recommendations of George Matsell, Mayor Fernando Wood decided that it was now time to honor the department and its heroes.
To do this, Wood and Matsell decided that there should be a grand parade and review with a ceremony to honor the finest of the �Stars� for �Heroic� or �Meritorious conduct.�
Seven deserving patrolmen would be awarded silver �medals of merit� at this ceremony and would be the first members of the department to be inducted into a �Legion of Honor� to be made up of the very finest that the Municipal Police Department had to offer. Six of the patrolmen would be honored for �Heroic Conduct�, and one would be honored for �Meritorious Conduct.�
To accomplish this honor, Mayor Wood, using his own personal money graciously purchased these first solid silver medals for the department.
So at the Board of Aldermen�s meeting on Wednesday, May 23, 1855, the mayor, acting on the recommendations of Chief George Matsell, introduced a resolution for the above mentioned parade, ceremony and honors. He also formally nominated the names of those first patrolmen to be awarded these medals and inducted into the �Legion of Honor�.
The resolution ratifying the same passed unanimously.
So at 3:00 pm on Saturday, May 26, 1855, to the accompaniment of a 37-piece band and an hour behind schedule because of the huge throngs of joyous spectators cramming the park and its outlying areas, the department�s 22 ward corps, plus its reserve corps - almost the entire Municipal Police Department, over 900 men strong, proudly marched into the park, trumpets blaring and drums beating, ramrod straight and in perfect order. Each command was led by its captain.
They then formed up in front of City Hall, with the right resting on Chatham Street (Park Row) and the left on Broadway. His honor, after being notified that all was in order, proceeded to personally inspect the men.
This being concluded, the twenty-three uniformed corps formations, all in a very credible manner, to the accompaniment of music, then wheeled and proceeded to march and countermarch under the command of Chief Matsell. Very smartly, they executed flank movements and other military exercises that pleased the cheering crowds.
In short order, the surging multitudes proved too much for the men assigned to crowd control. Vast throngs near the dignitaries on the front steps of city hall rushed forward and obstructed their view and interrupted the ceremony.
The entire force, all 23 corps, was then ordered to form a semi-circle four deep and push the crowds back in order to create a sufficient space to allow for the ceremonies to begin. This they did in short order, and then with precision and on command turned and faced the mayor and the front of City Hall.
The mayor then complimented the men of the department on their fidelity and trustworthiness.
After that, the 'Chief of Police' George W. Matsell then began the ceremony by calling up the six patrolmen present that had been singled out to be decorated and formally installed into the �Legion of Honor� for performing �special services� to the city.
NOTE: One, Ptl. Swain Lindsey, was incapacitated and confined to his bed. He was unable to attend the ceremony due to the injuries he had heroically incurred performing his police duty.
Just before pinning the medals on each of the patrolmen, the mayor read the accounts of each patrolman�s noteworthy deeds and Matsell pinned the medal on the patrolman�s breast.
Each of the �Medals of Merit� being awarded to the patrolmen were all identical. They were all made of pure silver and were hung from a solid blue ribbon. The medal itself was in the shape of a shield, surmounted by a spread eagle, bearing a scroll inscribed with the first half of the Municipal Police Department�s motto, "Fiat justitia ruat coelum." The shield itself was decorated with stars and inscribed with the words, "New York Police." Below the �New York Police� inscription, the second element of the above aphorism, "Partum est Merito", was extolled.
Roughly translated the first Latin phrase means, �let justice be done although the heavens may fall�, expressing a commitment to do what is honorable or right regardless of the consequences. The second phrase�s literal translation is: "The duty is deserving,� expressing the thought that police duty or law enforcement in and by itself is meritorious or rewarding. Putting the two phases together, it expresses the thought, �Let justice be done, regardless of the consequences. The duty in and by itself is the reward.�
On the reverse side, the medal bore the inscription: �Presented to______ by F. Wood, Esq., Mayor, 1855 and 1856.�
As mentioned before, these valuable medals were made out of pure high grade silver and paid for by the mayor out of his own pocket.�
FOR HEROIC ACTIONS: SHADOW KINNER
One of those honored at this first medal ceremony was Ptl. Jesse Kinner of the 3rd Patrol District.
Mike Bosak�s research discovers that Kinner was a Detective � known in those days as a �Shadow�.
Ptl. Jesse C. Kinner was honored for having performed a highly commendable feat on the morning of the 17th of February, 1854, in which he nearly lost his life.
�He was on detective duty, and observed two suspicious persons before daylight on that morning, at the corner of Broadway and John Street. He watched them until satisfied they were burglars, and there with the intention of robbery.
He then made an effort to arrest them both.
One of them struck him with a jimmy in the jaw, cutting it severely, and the other at the same time cut him on the head with a chisel. He, however, made a desperate fight and succeeded after a long chase in capturing them both, though suffering much from loss of blood and the injuries he had received.
The burglars have since been sentenced to the State prison.�
Ret. Sgt. Bosak�s research indicates that �Shadow� Kinner was an extremely active detective, who was frequently in the newspapers, regularly making really great collars.
At the ceremony and in the newspapers, Shadow Kinner was literally the star of the show. By the way, on the date of the arrest that Kinner was honored for, Kinner was detailed to the �Reserve Corps� as a �Shadow� (Detective - Chief of Police George Matsell�s Office)�.
THE NYPD: 1855
In 1855, the Department numbered 1165 sworn � members of the force,� all male.
Over 900 �members of the force� participated in the police parade and review that day.
The Department Ranks at that time were as follows.
�Doorman� � There was one to each corps. He took care of the cells and other various chores around the station house. Annual salary - $550.
Patrolman (1011): He was either a �Star� (Uniformed) or �Shadow� (Detective). Both received the same salary. However, by law the uniformed �Star� was required to live in the ward he worked in. Salary was $700 annually, except for those assigned to a detail (Reserve Corps).
They were all paid by law $100 less annually. In other words, if you were on patrol, you got paid a 17% premium for being on the street and going around the clock. There was no pension or insurance system to provide for a patrolman�s family, should he be killed or disabled in the line of duty.
�Sergeants� � None were assigned to patrol commands (police district). All sergeants were assigned to one of the reserve corps� 21 squads. They were paid exactly the same as a patrolman - $700 annually.
Lieutenant (44) � There were two assigned to each patrol district. � One 1st lieutenant and one 2nd lieutenant - forty-four lieutenants for the whole department. Annual salary - $800.
Captain (22) - One assigned to each �police district� as its commanding officer. Annual salary � $900.
Some other interesting terms pertaining to the department structure include:
Corps: What today would be called a precinct, in 1855 was called a �Police District�. Each district had the same geographical boundaries as the ward it took its number from. The alderman from that ward recommended to the mayor who should be appointed to that ward�s corps. Patrolmen from that police district or ward were required to be residents of that ward and were appointed for a term of good behavior. Consequently that ward�s corps resembled the ethnic makeup of that ward. Even though they worked out of a certain �Police District� they would say they were assigned to that (the number) �Corps� rather than say they worked out of a certain precinct.
There were twenty two wards in the city, each had its own �police districts� or �corps�.
The Reserve Corps: Chief Matsell established the �Reserve Corps� in 1853 as an elite unit of approximately 100 of the best and most competent patrolmen and sergeants. By 1855 it numbered approximately 150 men. They were assigned to the chief�s office and other high profile assignments such as detective duty, the courts and various other details, etc.
On occasion, the reserve corps would fly to various areas of the city and were used for duties similar to those performed by today�s Borough Task Forces.
CODIS, DNA, AND THE DATABASES
The FBI Laboratory�s Combined DNA Index System is better known as CODIS.
CODIS blends forensic science and computer technology into an effective tool for solving violent crimes. CODIS enables federal, state, and local crime labs to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically, thereby linking crimes to each other and to convicted offenders.
Originally a pilot project begun in 1990, CODIS has evolved from its origination as serving 14 state and local laboratories to its current nationwide level. The DNA Identification Act of 1994 formalized the FBI�s authority to establish a national DNA index for law enforcement purposes.
It was in October 1998 that the FBI�s National DNA Index System � NDIS � became operational.
CODIS is implemented as a distributed database with three levels � local, state, and national.
NDIS is the highest level in the CODIS Program, exchanging information on a national level. All DNA profiles originate at the local level (LDIS), then flow to the state (SDIS) and national (NDIS) levels.
CODIS generates investigative leads using two indexes: the forensic and the offender indexes.
The Forensic Index contains DNA profiles from crime scene evidence.
The Offender Index contains DNA profiles of individuals convicted of sex offenses and other violent crimes which are included in the DNA requirements of the particular local and state agencies.
Matches in the Forensic Index can link crime scenes from different jurisdictions, possibly identifying serial offenders. Police agencies can coordinate their respective investigations, sharing leads they may have developed independently, when a Forensic Index match occurs.
Matches between the Forensic and the Offender Index provide investigators with an identity of the culprit.
It is noted that all states are participating in the National DNA Index System (NDIS), except for Mississippi, Rhode Island, and Hawaii.
DNA evidence collected at a crime scene is analyzed by a forensic laboratory at the local level; in our case, In New York City, the local lab is the NYC Medical Examiner�s Office. Once typed, the profile is then run against the convicted-offender DNA profiles in the State Databank to attempt to make a match. In addition, profiles from other unsolved cases are compared against it to identify serial crimes.
If no match occurs at the state level the profile is uploaded to the Federal DNA Index System for comparison with DNA profiles from other states. DNA profiles remain in the Federal Databank and are regularly searched against new profiles as they are added to the system.
It is important to remember, as an investigator, that once a match is made of the suspected profile the search will usually end. If there is no �match� locally, it is submitted to the state; if no match in the state, then it is submitted to the federal database. This is important to keep in mind. The investigator should keep in contact with the ME�s Office analyst; this will ensure that the appropriate checks which you want done are so completed.
TO CONTACT THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION�
Send an e-mail to:
Ltjac77@yahoo.com
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
July 11, 1938 Ptl Angelo Favata, 85 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
July 12, 1924 Det Timothy Connell, DetDiv, Shot:Robbery
July 13, 1868 Ptl Henry Corlett, 32 Pct, Drowned during rescue
July 14, 1922 Ptl Frank Mundo, TrafficDiv, Auto accident in pursuit
July 14, 1936 Det Lawrence Gallagher, 47 Pct, Shot
July 14, 1941 Ptl Norman Dixon, 120 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
July 14, 1980 Det Abraham Walton, SCU, Shot:Robbery,off duty
July 15, 1977 PO Edward Mitchell, 34 Pct, Shot:Robbery
July 16, 1987 PO George Scheu, 115 Pct, Shot:Robbery,off duty
July 17, 1938 Ptl Harry Padian, 32 Pct, Shot by prisoner
July 17, 2000 PO John Kelly, PBSI, Auto accident on patrol
July 18, 1992 PO Paul Heidelberger, PSA4, Shot:Off duty
July 20, 1857 Ptl Eugene Anderson, 14 Pct, Shot:Burglary in progress
July 20, 1964 Ptl John Polarolo, Harbor, Auto accident on patrol
July 21, 1950 Ptl Alfred Loreto, 24 Pct, Shot:Off duty pursuit
July 22, 1921 Ptl Charles Potter, 27 Pct, Drowned during rescue
July 22, 1922 Ptl Arthur Loewe, 78 Pct, Shot:Robbery in progress
July 22, 1983 PO James Rowley, Aviation, Helicopter accident
July 23, 1983 PO Charles Trojahn, Aviation, Helicopter accident
July 24, 1876 Sgt James McGiven, 17 Pct, Stabbed, Robbery
July 24, 1951 Ptl Albert Polite, 94 Pct, Motorcycle accident
July 24, 1971 Ptl Robert Denton, 73 Pct, Stabbed during investigation
July 26, 1923 Ptl Frank Romanella, 29 Pct, Shot during investigation
July 26, 1923 Ptl Charles Reynolds, 116 Pct, Shot
July 26, 1924 Ptl John Hyland, 42A Pct, Shot:Robbery in progress
July 26, 1957 Ptl Edward O�Leary, 7 Div, Auto accident transporting prisoner
July 27, 1942 Ptl Michael Keene, Traffic A, Auto accident on patrol
July 27, 1950 Ptl Roderick O�Connor, Mcy2, Motorcycle accident on patrol
July 27, 1964 Ptl Richard Walburger, 9 Pct, Shot:Burglary in progress
July 28, 1929 Ptl William Kerlin, ESU, Auto accident on patrol
July 28, 1930 Ptl Dominick Caviglia, 20 Pct, Shot:Burglary in progress
July 28, 1930 Det Thomas Hill, 48 Sq, Shot during investigation
July 29, 1906 Ptl William Hederman, 35 Pct, Drowned during rescue
July 30, 1945 Ptl Howard Hegerich, 28 Pct, shot during investigation
July 31, 1947 Ptl William Panczyk, Traffic Unit, Auto accident on patrol
July 31, 1965 Ptl. Maitland Mercer, 76 Pct, Shot-off duty arrest
NOTE TO ALL: An EXCELLENT web site to check out, that honors all members of the department who have given the ultimate sacrifice, is:
http://www.nypdangels.com/
I have noted this site in the past, but would just like to do so again as a reminder. If you are familiar with the site then you are aware of the excellent work that Dee Cook does on this site.
What you may not know, though, is that she was served with legal papers by the City�s Law Department ordering her to �cease and desist� from using the PD logo on this site, as that logo is copyrighted by the city.
Believe it or not!
It made me wonder about all those souvenir stands in Midtown selling baseball hats and t-shirts with the NYPD patch on it � that can be purchased by anyone on the street � are those sales protected under the copyright? Is the city making money on selling the copyright for these items, so that any Tom, Dick or Harry can walk around with �Police� items?
Just a thought.
Anyway, check out the web site, and let Dee know you support her work.
Hoping everyone is enjoying the summer!
Friday, July 14, 2006
Monday, June 12, 2006
�Things are not always as they appear to be. Keep an open mind, conduct a thorough investigation, and remember that teamwork is essential�.
Vernon Geberth, Practical Homicide Investigation
ANOTHER FRIEND WALKS OFF � LOUDLY
I am at a loss, and the department will sorely miss, as MARK POURIA has performed his last tour of duty for the NYPD. Mark has left us for retirement � albeit a forced one due to a medical condition � but way too soon nonetheless.
I will forever recall the good times and laughter we shared, with Mark working with me in the 77 Squad as my RAM Sergeant, helping me to ease into the role of the squad commander at the same time. While everyone who knows Mark affectionately refers to him with the apropos nickname, LOUD, I refer to him as my �brother� � more than just that of the co-worker, �brother officer� term, but the more heartwarming �brother� so few others share.
Mark most recently has been the mucilage that has helped keep the 75 Squad running smoothly, an asset and an aid to Paddy Johnston now, and Joe Ferrara before him. A true leader in every sense of the word.
Not that Mark didn�t know how to enjoy work.
Working with Mark would always assure you of two things � the work would get done in an extremely competent manner, and you�d have a good time getting there. Can anyone who has worked with Mark deny this?
When Mark learned of a growth on his heart some time ago, and that treatment would involve his use of blood thinners for the rest of his life, he realized that way too soon his NYPD career would come to an end. Too bad; there�s much more positive work coming out of Mark than over half the MOS around. To say that Mark will be missed does not say enough.
I just feel badly for all the people that will be affected by his departure � and his new found freedom of time, for as long as it lasts. Mark will surely become an excellent worker very soon for someone else � he can�t stay �retired� for long � but in the meantime he�s sure to take advantage of this free time.
I suggest Jimmy Leake stock up on food and drink in his bagel store, as Mark will surely become a more frequent visitor to our younger brother at his shop. The bagel staff at the nice little bagel shop next to Suffolk�s 1st Precinct will understand very clearly why Mark is known to most as simply �Loud�.
It was fitting that Mark, who started his career on patrol in the 75 Precinct, to perform his last tour of duty in the 75 Squad.
Missed: every day. Forgotten: never.
Be well and stay safe, my brother, and best wishes in your next career.
INTERESTING WEB SITES
Here�s an interesting site to check out.
http://www.oihweb.com/
This link is applicable for anyone who does online investigative or
Intelligence research.
FROM THE DEATH INVESTIGATORS NOTEBOOK
OVERKILL:
In some attacks, the level of violence is particularly pronounced.
Overkill is often seen with several categories of assailant: intimate relationship to deceased (spouse/significant other), stimulant drug use (cocaine, amphetamine, etc), and
psychological disorder (schizoid).
The concentrated attack to the face may suggest a form of depersonalization and/or a direct attack targeted at this specific individual and may suggest the victim was well known to the assailant.
ANOTHER STICKUP ARTIST TALE
I received this tidbit from a retired MOS who spent time in the 77 Squad as its squad commander, years back, and who is also a friend of Retired Det Captain Frank Bolz, a regular reader and contributor to this site.
Roger Zimmermann notes that he came onto the department in 1955, in the class after Frank Bolz. In addition he retired from the 77th Squad where he was its squad commander, and then ran a training facility attached to a community college where Frank and Harvey Schlossberg presented programs on Hostage Negotiations.
Here�s a little tidbit for another of those �You Can�t Make This Stuff Up� categories.
In the 77th Precinct, several years ago, there was a stickup man by the name of Bobby Jones.
His specialty was robbing gas stations.
He would give the attendant, when there were attendants, a note saying: "this is a hole up. gimme all your money." He would then sign the note, Bobby Jones.
In the detective squad at that time there was a Street Name file � handwritten index card type, way before computers. The gumshoes looked up his name, and sure enough, there he was.
Contacting him with a ruse to come into the squad office, he was asked to come in and when he did, he was asked if he would write a note for them. "Sure," he said, "I ain't got nothin' to hide."
He was asked to write: "this is a hold up, give me all your money." He complied writing "this is a hole up, gimme all your money," and, without being asked, he signed his name.
Tag, Bobby, you're it.
TIP ON REVERSE PHONE NUMBER INQUIRIES
You can conduct a basic reverse telephone number inquiry rather quickly, on your cell phone, through a recent service that Google has added.
Most telephones (other than those provided by the NYPD) can perform �Text Messaging�. This reverse phone search is conducted through a text-messaging message sent to Google at a special location established for this purpose.
Google has established a �short code: to provide this information.
This short-code, the location that you send the message �To�, is: 46645
Type in the �To� section this number: 46645
Then, in the �Message� section type in the phone number, including the area code and dashes, of the number you are seeking the reverse look-up. The phone number should look like this in the �message� section:
212-555-1234
You will receive, in a short time, the results of this reverse phone search. Keep in mind, though, that this search utilizes white pages and yellow page directories, and is NOT a web-based search.
Results may be limited to those phone numbers that are listed, however, it may be helpful to you.
NOTES ON FASHION
I received a nice response from Retired Det. Captain FRANK BOLZ after the last posting of this blog.
Frank commented on the fashionable detective piece, noting that there were definitely some problems with being a "fashionable detective" on the other side of the river, even back in the 60�s.
Brooklyn North gumshoe attire was always a sport jacket and slacks. After ripping the trousers of a good suit, even those with two pair of pants, most detectives retreated to inexpensive slacks, Those inexpensive slacks at that timer might have cost as much as $5.00 a pair! Nothing was sacred, even plaid pants were part of the wardrobe at times, but, he noted, they always wore the fedora.
It was Frank Bolz who noted in the past that when he was getting promoted to Detective he was told to �get a hat� before he went to see the Chief of Detectives. Of course, the �hat� referred to a classic fedora.
It was when Frank moved across the river to that island of Manhattan that he was exposed to they style of the Manhattan Sleuth. He noted that some Manhattan South Detectives even got manicures.
When Frank eventually got to be the 2nd -Second Whip (the one without the money) in the 17th Squad that he saw some pretty nice working conditions, a little different to what he had become used to in the Brooklyn North Detective commands.
After I mentioned referring to myself as an �Old Timer� Frank had to put me in my place, remarking how he must feel, one who was sworn in on December 31, 1954 � effective January 1, 1955, so that no one had to work on New Years Day. Retirement seems to be suiting Frank just well � something we all can look forward to in time.
FOLLOW UP TO THE FINNEGAN & FALLON CASE
A recent posting to this site noted an �In Memoriam� entry on the line of duty deaths of two detectives, on May 18, 1962, Det Luke Fallon & Det John Finnegan, both of the 70 Sqd, who were shot in a robbery.
Frank Bolz commented his recall as being a young Detective in the 81 Sqd, being on vacation, and responding "off duty" with about 90 to 100 other Off-Duty detectives to assist in the case.
Al Seedman, who would later rise to become Chief of Detectives, was the Detective Captain who was pictured in a local paper, after the arrest was made, holding Jerry Rosenberg, the killer, by the hair. Seedman caught hell for that, and was help up being promoted to DI.
There was no overtime pay in those days, though there was always a lot of "over time" on your cases until you made a collar.
MORE OF PHILIP MARLOWE�S GUIDE TO LIFE
Here are some more of the classic gumshoe Philip Marlowe�s insight on life. Marlowe is the quintessential American detective of hard-boiled detective novels, written by Raymond Chandler, and glorified in both writing and on the big screen.
On Women�s Clothing:
�She was wearing a white wool skirt, a burgundy silk blouse and a black velvet over-jacket with short sleeves. Her hair was hot sunset. She wore a golden topaz bracelet and topaz earrings and a topaz dinner ring in the shape of a shield. Her fingernails matched her blouse exactly. She looked as if it would take a couple of weeks to get her dressed.� (The Little Sister)
On Trouble:
�Terry Lennox made me plenty of trouble. But after all, that�s my line of work.� (The Long Goodbye)
TIPS ON RESTORING DRY CIGARS
Detectives have been known to smoke a few cigars in the past, as they have worn a fedora. Some things may change, evolve as it may, but I still know plenty of detectives who smoke cigars. (a lot fewer who still wear a fedora, but more on that later!)
Here�s some advice on restoring dry cigars.
One of the most important steps in restoring dry cigars is patience, and lots of it.
It�s always good to remember that if moisture can escape from a cigar, it can be put back in it. If a cigar is dry it can be revived, but it may be difficult. The most important thing to remember is that this is a slow process, and the cigars need to go through a couple of phases of thawing and/or a slow introduction back to humidity before it can be put into a functioning humidor or exposed to any sort of higher humidity
levels.
Some people store their cigars in the freezer. This is something that many people do but is not advisable as it can easily damage a cigar.
Freezing cigars prevents aging, it will dry them out and the cigars will need to be returned to normal temperature slowly before they can be smoked, (otherwise they could
split or crack).
The cigars should have a solid two to three weeks at the proper temperature in a humidified environment before lighting them up in order to ensure the best possible smoking experience.
Restoring dry cigars can be done, but even with effort, in the end they may not be as good as they could have been if stored properly in a humidified environment from the beginning.
After taking a cigar from the freezer, put it in the refrigerator. This will allow it to thaw
at a slower rate, putting less risk on damaging the cigars.
After the cigars have been in the refrigerator long enough to thaw, take them out and put them in Tupperware or plastic bag and let them come up to room temperature.
After that is achieved, you can add a damp towel or let them rest in a slightly dry
humidor for a few days so the cigars can start to absorb some of the humidity. If using a humidor go back and fill the humidification system only part way, letting the cigars rest for another week before fully charging the humidity regulator. This method ensures a slow absorption of moisture, preventing the cigars from getting too much humidity too soon, which can result in splitting or cracking making the cigars un-smokeable.
If you don�t store your cigars in a freezer and they dried out at room temperature, a great method is to place a box inside a plastic bag. Be sure the bag is not completely closed because some airflow is actually desired.
A dampened sponge with water or 50/50 solution should be placed in the bag.
This process can take several weeks or a month. Rotate the cigars every few
days, bringing the ones on the bottom to the top, etc. If this is done properly
the result is usually successful and pleasurable.
If a cigar box is not available, other containers like Tupperware may be used. Put the dry cigars in the container and seal it for a couple days - this traps any moisture left in the cigars.
On the third day a damp sponge can be added, but don�t over-saturate the sponge so the cigars become moist too quickly. Keep the lid propped open in one corner so air can circulate.
When cigars lose moisture, they also lose much of their bouquet, and which together results in a cigar not tasting as good as one that has been properly humidified.
The most important factor that needs to be reiterated, is this is a slow process. With patience the wait is usually always worth it.
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
June 2, 1973 PO Robert Laurenson, 20 Pct, Shot- robbery
June 2, 1989 PO Jeff Herman, 71 Pct, Shot- investigation
June 2, 1853 Det George Trenchard, NYMunicPD, Fire rescue
June 3, 1938 Ptl James Fisher, 73 Pct, Shot- accidental discharge
June 4, 1927 Sgt Benjamin Cantor, DetDiv, Shot- robbery arrest
June 4, 1932 Ptl Thomas Burns, McyUnit, Injured on patrol
June 5, 1973 PO Sid Thompson, TD12, Shot- arrest
June 6, 1939 Ptl Emmitt Cassidy, 120 Pct, Shot- off duty incident
June 8, 1958 Ptl Herman Corn, 52 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
June 9, 1931 Sgt William O�Shaughnessy, 28 Pct, Shot- robbery in progress
June 9, 1939 Ptl Alexander Stult, ESU, Asphyxiated during rescue
June 9, 1969 Sgt Edward Henninger, AIS, LOD Heart Attack
June 11, 1925 Ptl James Cullen, 37 Pct, Motorcycle accident on patrol
June 12, 1991 PO Kenneth Hansen, Harbor, Drowned
June 14, 1960 Ptl William Ramos Jr, 80 Pct, Shot- robbery
June 15, 1944 Ptl Eliote Holmes, 13DetSq, Line of duty injury
June 15, 1967 Ptl Walter Ferguson, DetDiv, LOD heart attack
June 15, 1979 PO Ted Donald, PSA7, Shot- burglary arrest
June 15, 1980 PO John Patwell, 43 Pct, Assaulted
June 15, 1983 PO John Mandia, 25 Pct, Fell under train
June 15, 1984 PO Juan Andino, 40 Pct, Shot- robbery arrest
Vernon Geberth, Practical Homicide Investigation
ANOTHER FRIEND WALKS OFF � LOUDLY
I am at a loss, and the department will sorely miss, as MARK POURIA has performed his last tour of duty for the NYPD. Mark has left us for retirement � albeit a forced one due to a medical condition � but way too soon nonetheless.
I will forever recall the good times and laughter we shared, with Mark working with me in the 77 Squad as my RAM Sergeant, helping me to ease into the role of the squad commander at the same time. While everyone who knows Mark affectionately refers to him with the apropos nickname, LOUD, I refer to him as my �brother� � more than just that of the co-worker, �brother officer� term, but the more heartwarming �brother� so few others share.
Mark most recently has been the mucilage that has helped keep the 75 Squad running smoothly, an asset and an aid to Paddy Johnston now, and Joe Ferrara before him. A true leader in every sense of the word.
Not that Mark didn�t know how to enjoy work.
Working with Mark would always assure you of two things � the work would get done in an extremely competent manner, and you�d have a good time getting there. Can anyone who has worked with Mark deny this?
When Mark learned of a growth on his heart some time ago, and that treatment would involve his use of blood thinners for the rest of his life, he realized that way too soon his NYPD career would come to an end. Too bad; there�s much more positive work coming out of Mark than over half the MOS around. To say that Mark will be missed does not say enough.
I just feel badly for all the people that will be affected by his departure � and his new found freedom of time, for as long as it lasts. Mark will surely become an excellent worker very soon for someone else � he can�t stay �retired� for long � but in the meantime he�s sure to take advantage of this free time.
I suggest Jimmy Leake stock up on food and drink in his bagel store, as Mark will surely become a more frequent visitor to our younger brother at his shop. The bagel staff at the nice little bagel shop next to Suffolk�s 1st Precinct will understand very clearly why Mark is known to most as simply �Loud�.
It was fitting that Mark, who started his career on patrol in the 75 Precinct, to perform his last tour of duty in the 75 Squad.
Missed: every day. Forgotten: never.
Be well and stay safe, my brother, and best wishes in your next career.
INTERESTING WEB SITES
Here�s an interesting site to check out.
http://www.oihweb.com/
This link is applicable for anyone who does online investigative or
Intelligence research.
FROM THE DEATH INVESTIGATORS NOTEBOOK
OVERKILL:
In some attacks, the level of violence is particularly pronounced.
Overkill is often seen with several categories of assailant: intimate relationship to deceased (spouse/significant other), stimulant drug use (cocaine, amphetamine, etc), and
psychological disorder (schizoid).
The concentrated attack to the face may suggest a form of depersonalization and/or a direct attack targeted at this specific individual and may suggest the victim was well known to the assailant.
ANOTHER STICKUP ARTIST TALE
I received this tidbit from a retired MOS who spent time in the 77 Squad as its squad commander, years back, and who is also a friend of Retired Det Captain Frank Bolz, a regular reader and contributor to this site.
Roger Zimmermann notes that he came onto the department in 1955, in the class after Frank Bolz. In addition he retired from the 77th Squad where he was its squad commander, and then ran a training facility attached to a community college where Frank and Harvey Schlossberg presented programs on Hostage Negotiations.
Here�s a little tidbit for another of those �You Can�t Make This Stuff Up� categories.
In the 77th Precinct, several years ago, there was a stickup man by the name of Bobby Jones.
His specialty was robbing gas stations.
He would give the attendant, when there were attendants, a note saying: "this is a hole up. gimme all your money." He would then sign the note, Bobby Jones.
In the detective squad at that time there was a Street Name file � handwritten index card type, way before computers. The gumshoes looked up his name, and sure enough, there he was.
Contacting him with a ruse to come into the squad office, he was asked to come in and when he did, he was asked if he would write a note for them. "Sure," he said, "I ain't got nothin' to hide."
He was asked to write: "this is a hold up, give me all your money." He complied writing "this is a hole up, gimme all your money," and, without being asked, he signed his name.
Tag, Bobby, you're it.
TIP ON REVERSE PHONE NUMBER INQUIRIES
You can conduct a basic reverse telephone number inquiry rather quickly, on your cell phone, through a recent service that Google has added.
Most telephones (other than those provided by the NYPD) can perform �Text Messaging�. This reverse phone search is conducted through a text-messaging message sent to Google at a special location established for this purpose.
Google has established a �short code: to provide this information.
This short-code, the location that you send the message �To�, is: 46645
Type in the �To� section this number: 46645
Then, in the �Message� section type in the phone number, including the area code and dashes, of the number you are seeking the reverse look-up. The phone number should look like this in the �message� section:
212-555-1234
You will receive, in a short time, the results of this reverse phone search. Keep in mind, though, that this search utilizes white pages and yellow page directories, and is NOT a web-based search.
Results may be limited to those phone numbers that are listed, however, it may be helpful to you.
NOTES ON FASHION
I received a nice response from Retired Det. Captain FRANK BOLZ after the last posting of this blog.
Frank commented on the fashionable detective piece, noting that there were definitely some problems with being a "fashionable detective" on the other side of the river, even back in the 60�s.
Brooklyn North gumshoe attire was always a sport jacket and slacks. After ripping the trousers of a good suit, even those with two pair of pants, most detectives retreated to inexpensive slacks, Those inexpensive slacks at that timer might have cost as much as $5.00 a pair! Nothing was sacred, even plaid pants were part of the wardrobe at times, but, he noted, they always wore the fedora.
It was Frank Bolz who noted in the past that when he was getting promoted to Detective he was told to �get a hat� before he went to see the Chief of Detectives. Of course, the �hat� referred to a classic fedora.
It was when Frank moved across the river to that island of Manhattan that he was exposed to they style of the Manhattan Sleuth. He noted that some Manhattan South Detectives even got manicures.
When Frank eventually got to be the 2nd -Second Whip (the one without the money) in the 17th Squad that he saw some pretty nice working conditions, a little different to what he had become used to in the Brooklyn North Detective commands.
After I mentioned referring to myself as an �Old Timer� Frank had to put me in my place, remarking how he must feel, one who was sworn in on December 31, 1954 � effective January 1, 1955, so that no one had to work on New Years Day. Retirement seems to be suiting Frank just well � something we all can look forward to in time.
FOLLOW UP TO THE FINNEGAN & FALLON CASE
A recent posting to this site noted an �In Memoriam� entry on the line of duty deaths of two detectives, on May 18, 1962, Det Luke Fallon & Det John Finnegan, both of the 70 Sqd, who were shot in a robbery.
Frank Bolz commented his recall as being a young Detective in the 81 Sqd, being on vacation, and responding "off duty" with about 90 to 100 other Off-Duty detectives to assist in the case.
Al Seedman, who would later rise to become Chief of Detectives, was the Detective Captain who was pictured in a local paper, after the arrest was made, holding Jerry Rosenberg, the killer, by the hair. Seedman caught hell for that, and was help up being promoted to DI.
There was no overtime pay in those days, though there was always a lot of "over time" on your cases until you made a collar.
MORE OF PHILIP MARLOWE�S GUIDE TO LIFE
Here are some more of the classic gumshoe Philip Marlowe�s insight on life. Marlowe is the quintessential American detective of hard-boiled detective novels, written by Raymond Chandler, and glorified in both writing and on the big screen.
On Women�s Clothing:
�She was wearing a white wool skirt, a burgundy silk blouse and a black velvet over-jacket with short sleeves. Her hair was hot sunset. She wore a golden topaz bracelet and topaz earrings and a topaz dinner ring in the shape of a shield. Her fingernails matched her blouse exactly. She looked as if it would take a couple of weeks to get her dressed.� (The Little Sister)
On Trouble:
�Terry Lennox made me plenty of trouble. But after all, that�s my line of work.� (The Long Goodbye)
TIPS ON RESTORING DRY CIGARS
Detectives have been known to smoke a few cigars in the past, as they have worn a fedora. Some things may change, evolve as it may, but I still know plenty of detectives who smoke cigars. (a lot fewer who still wear a fedora, but more on that later!)
Here�s some advice on restoring dry cigars.
One of the most important steps in restoring dry cigars is patience, and lots of it.
It�s always good to remember that if moisture can escape from a cigar, it can be put back in it. If a cigar is dry it can be revived, but it may be difficult. The most important thing to remember is that this is a slow process, and the cigars need to go through a couple of phases of thawing and/or a slow introduction back to humidity before it can be put into a functioning humidor or exposed to any sort of higher humidity
levels.
Some people store their cigars in the freezer. This is something that many people do but is not advisable as it can easily damage a cigar.
Freezing cigars prevents aging, it will dry them out and the cigars will need to be returned to normal temperature slowly before they can be smoked, (otherwise they could
split or crack).
The cigars should have a solid two to three weeks at the proper temperature in a humidified environment before lighting them up in order to ensure the best possible smoking experience.
Restoring dry cigars can be done, but even with effort, in the end they may not be as good as they could have been if stored properly in a humidified environment from the beginning.
After taking a cigar from the freezer, put it in the refrigerator. This will allow it to thaw
at a slower rate, putting less risk on damaging the cigars.
After the cigars have been in the refrigerator long enough to thaw, take them out and put them in Tupperware or plastic bag and let them come up to room temperature.
After that is achieved, you can add a damp towel or let them rest in a slightly dry
humidor for a few days so the cigars can start to absorb some of the humidity. If using a humidor go back and fill the humidification system only part way, letting the cigars rest for another week before fully charging the humidity regulator. This method ensures a slow absorption of moisture, preventing the cigars from getting too much humidity too soon, which can result in splitting or cracking making the cigars un-smokeable.
If you don�t store your cigars in a freezer and they dried out at room temperature, a great method is to place a box inside a plastic bag. Be sure the bag is not completely closed because some airflow is actually desired.
A dampened sponge with water or 50/50 solution should be placed in the bag.
This process can take several weeks or a month. Rotate the cigars every few
days, bringing the ones on the bottom to the top, etc. If this is done properly
the result is usually successful and pleasurable.
If a cigar box is not available, other containers like Tupperware may be used. Put the dry cigars in the container and seal it for a couple days - this traps any moisture left in the cigars.
On the third day a damp sponge can be added, but don�t over-saturate the sponge so the cigars become moist too quickly. Keep the lid propped open in one corner so air can circulate.
When cigars lose moisture, they also lose much of their bouquet, and which together results in a cigar not tasting as good as one that has been properly humidified.
The most important factor that needs to be reiterated, is this is a slow process. With patience the wait is usually always worth it.
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
June 2, 1973 PO Robert Laurenson, 20 Pct, Shot- robbery
June 2, 1989 PO Jeff Herman, 71 Pct, Shot- investigation
June 2, 1853 Det George Trenchard, NYMunicPD, Fire rescue
June 3, 1938 Ptl James Fisher, 73 Pct, Shot- accidental discharge
June 4, 1927 Sgt Benjamin Cantor, DetDiv, Shot- robbery arrest
June 4, 1932 Ptl Thomas Burns, McyUnit, Injured on patrol
June 5, 1973 PO Sid Thompson, TD12, Shot- arrest
June 6, 1939 Ptl Emmitt Cassidy, 120 Pct, Shot- off duty incident
June 8, 1958 Ptl Herman Corn, 52 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
June 9, 1931 Sgt William O�Shaughnessy, 28 Pct, Shot- robbery in progress
June 9, 1939 Ptl Alexander Stult, ESU, Asphyxiated during rescue
June 9, 1969 Sgt Edward Henninger, AIS, LOD Heart Attack
June 11, 1925 Ptl James Cullen, 37 Pct, Motorcycle accident on patrol
June 12, 1991 PO Kenneth Hansen, Harbor, Drowned
June 14, 1960 Ptl William Ramos Jr, 80 Pct, Shot- robbery
June 15, 1944 Ptl Eliote Holmes, 13DetSq, Line of duty injury
June 15, 1967 Ptl Walter Ferguson, DetDiv, LOD heart attack
June 15, 1979 PO Ted Donald, PSA7, Shot- burglary arrest
June 15, 1980 PO John Patwell, 43 Pct, Assaulted
June 15, 1983 PO John Mandia, 25 Pct, Fell under train
June 15, 1984 PO Juan Andino, 40 Pct, Shot- robbery arrest
Friday, May 12, 2006
THE ITALIAN ANTIQUE POLICE
It seems in Italy they have an Antique Police Force.
I don�t mean a police force consisting of older members, but an entire police force dedicated to preventing the theft and tracking of stolen ancient artifacts.
Highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal article written by Stephanie Gruner, the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Patrimony is perhaps the largest armed force of its kind anywhere, and most surely the world�s most effective.
There are over 300 of the country�s 120,000 carabinieri, in 11 offices from Venice to Palermo, leading the anti-looting and recovery efforts for this country�s antiquities.
�Each morning a report arrives on the desk of Col. Giovanni Pastore, second in command of a military police unit charged with protecting Italy�s cultural patrimony. The few pages list everything from antique watches to Renaissance paintings that were either ripped off or recovered the day before.�
A recent report listed that �robbers entered a church in Ascoli Piceno and left with two ancient wood pews, the better for making fake antique furniture. A burglar at a church farther north in Novara had just enough time to break the wooden arm off of a baby Jesus, as it lay cradled in the arms of the Virgin Mary, before making an escape. Thieves stole a cache of marble statues from a family villa elsewhere. On a bright note, more than two dozen sculptures, antiques and paintings were recovered just one month after their theft from a villa outside Milan.�
These antiques gumshoes have become internationally well-regarded, and have served as experts and trainers in Iraq, Kosovo, Cuba and Peru. Representatives from countries such as Greece and Hungary have traveled to Italy to learn how these officers work.
In an average week, carabinieri fly helicopters over archaeological sites taking aerial photographs to reveal illegal diggings. They go on offshore dives to prevent unauthorized underwater excavations. They also lecture at schools, universities and conferences �to convince Italians that looting and trafficking in their own cultural heritage isn�t just against the law, but against their own interests. Still other officers in their stylish black-and-red uniforms show up unannounced at antiques shops, auction houses and outdoor markets to videotape items for sale to match against the more than 2.5 million missing objects cataloged in the art squad�s vast database.�
They don�t stop there. There are others poring through other databases that list sales at auction houses such as Sotheby�s and Christie�s, and also surfing the internet to find hot antiquities for sale. They also utilize wire-tapping, satellites, and other modern technological devices in their battle to track down stolen goods.
What detective force would exist without its �sources of information� � paid and unpaid.
Archaeologists, museum curators, and the anonymous source all contribute to their success. �Sometimes it�s a tombaroli with a grudge against a competitor who tips them off. Other times word arrives out of the blue � like the email received recently with a link to an auction on eBay, listing for sale an Etruscan urn missing since the summer of 2004.�
Between 1970 and 2005, according to the organization�s own figures, 845,838 objects were reported stolen, while less than a third of that number were recovered and only 4,159 arrests were made. In addition, according to Col. Pastore, the number of robberies at private properties has decreased from 673 in 2003 to 619 in 2005. This unit has also confiscated over 228,000 counterfeit works since 1970.
Despite the odds, this unit is credited with doing an outstanding job.
The quantity of potential targets is quite astounding. Italy has some 6,000 registered archaeological sites, 100,000 or so churches, more than 45,000 castles and gardens, and roughly 35,000 historic residences � not to mention thousands of miles of coastline, beneath which lie yet more buried treasure. All are potential targets.
Some of the obstacles that arise include the issue that many of these valuabvles aren�t cordoned off behind ropes or protected by glass walls, much less watched around the clock by guards or cameras. �Italy is not a country of museums�, says a cultural ministry employee. �It�s a museum in itself, a large open-air museum.�
Not surprisingly, funding is another issue that often stands in the way.
Financing for cultural affairs have been drastically reduced by the government � by over 20% in just the past two years alone. While these cuts have hit protection efforts, it was also noted by the ministry official that �no matter how much money Italy has for art protection, preservation and anti-looting, it�s never enough.�
Not only protecting the theft of these antique items from their Italian home, the unit spends a considerable amount of time fighting the demand for these objects overseas. In the United States alone, hundreds of museum pieces remain under dispute as to their rightful ownership.
The squad�s operational headquarters, in Rome, houses the loot collected in their crime fighting efforts. A recent visit their showed art work from Picasso, Dali, Miros and a delicate Degas ballerina line up along the floor � all fakes. The seller applied for and got an export license for his �masterpieces� but they were stopped at the border � all counterfeit.
FOR THE FASHIONABLE DETECTIVE
A recent issue of GQ Magazine has noted a few �Commandments of Style� that may be of value to some of our more fashionable gumshoes.
The first commandment mentioned was to �Honor thy Tailor�. Finding a good tailor is so important � don�t leave it for the clothing hack in the dry cleaners, find a good tailor who will make what you wear look like it belongs on you.
Match your socks with your suit. Your socks should be a shade darker than your suit but not quite as dark as your shoes. Leave the socks with cartoon adornments in the drawer.
Put your wallet on a diet. Purge what�s not needed; carry your money in a money clip, and leave the other nonsense either in your desk drawer or in your (leather) briefcase.
Wear brown shoes with nearly everything. Brown shoes have become very underrated. Brown shoes knock your style up a notch; people notice them. They go best with gray, khaki, or navy. Dark brown shoes are easier to pull off than light brown shoes.
A pocket square, or white cloth handkerchief in the breast pocket dresses up the suit immeasurably. Don�t, however, use a matching square and tie. The pocket square should coordinate with your tie, but not be an exact match.
Despite our innate need to show affiliation, such as the �apple� or benevolent association pin, there really is no room for a lapel pin on a well dressed suit. That being said, the wearing of the distinctive �DB� pin in NYPD circles is an exception that The Minister is willing to make. (As the DB pin was once an award of merit and not attendance, and will especially be noted in its absence by esteemed retired Chiefs of Detectives!).
And, if I may mention another fashionable tip � a plaid sport jacket is best worn� in the closet. Right next to the sport coats with leather elbow pads.
Note by The Minister: Although he did not provide any material for this piece, I am quite sure that Ret. Det JOHN CANTWELL, himself a gumshoe at Conde Nast, publisher of GQ and other renowned publications, is quite familiar and continues to follow the commandments of the fashionable detective. The picture of a true "Manhattan Detective"!
INNOVATIONS IN SECURITY
Noted in a recent issue of SECURITY MANAGEMENT magazine, the expansion of CCTV cameras is booming in almost every aspect of everyday life.
In the area of public transportation, CCTV cameras have been introduced not only to stations, tunnels and passageways, but is now seeing the introduction inside of train cars as well.
These expanded applications are being seen in various areas of the country.
Public buses in Cincinnati and Chicago already have surveillance systems on board. In Houston, wireless transmission onto video in real time from buses to a control center has already been put in place.
The light rail system under construction in Phoenix will have several cameras per car.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) just began installing cameras on its subway trains. It has a goal of four cameras per car.
New York�s MTA, it is noted, is not one of the systems on board with these cameras, though.
Although the MTA is �in the midst of a massive security upgrade that includes an integrated electronic security system, biometrics for access control, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear detection, it has no immediate plans for cameras on trains.� That�s due, in large part, to networking issues.
The MTA is, however, beginning a pilot project in which cameras will be installed on buses, but issues involving trade unions still need to be settled. These issues with unions apparently are strong enough for the MTA President for Capital Construction, Mysore Nagaraja, to note that �eventually we�re going to get (cameras), but I don�t know if it will be in my lifetime.�
Until a major incident strikes the transit system, I guess these trade union issues will be enough to prevent the advancement of cameras into the security component of the MTA.
KITTY GENOVESE
On March 13th, 1964, one of one of the most infamous crimes in American history occurred in the Kew Gardens neighborhood of Queens, New York. At around 3 AM, 28-year-old Catherine "Kitty" Genovese was attacked, sexually assaulted, and murdered as she walked from her parked car.
The assault lasted thirty-five minutes and occurred outside of an apartment building where a reported 38 witnesses either heard or saw the attack and did nothing to stop it.
A front-page article in the New York Times sparked an avalanche of press and weeks of national soul searching. The case has lived on in plays, musicals, TV dramas -- it even spawned a whole new branch of psychology.
Today the name Kitty Genovese remains synonymous with public apathy.
REFLECTIONS
I sometimes find myself reflecting over the past twenty-five years, on my career in policing as it stands thus far.
I sometimes get reminded, not always in the kindest of ways, that I have become one of the �old timers� around here. Although I can�t for the life of me understand how, and don�t for even a second believe it, but it�s hard not to realize it when you stand and talk to a group of new recruits fresh out of the Academy.
Heck, I find myself looking at some Sergeant�s and wondering if their mother�s know they�re out so late!
I�ve been driving the Belt Parkway to the Conduit and Atlantic Avenue for 25 years!
I can remember being a rookie in District 33, taking the same route, and passing by Pitkin Avenue & the Conduit every morning observing a young blonde male panhandling in the street. Wonder whatever happened to him? He was probably a lot older than he appeared � how did he ever make out?
Remember the short black male who would work along Atlantic Avenue, panhandling for money as he rubbed his stomach in a circle to indicate he was hungry? He was around for a while as well � then just seemed to disappear one day. As did the white female with short hair who weighed about 75 pounds; when I was in Warrants back ten years ago I recall seeing her BCI photo attached to a prost warrant. Not very surprised.
Then there was the black male with a plastic jug on his head who would dance up and down at Atlantic Ave near Schenectady, with a large stick in his hand. I believe he passed on some years ago.
As I was saying, though, without a blink of an eye I�ve become an old-timer. (But I don�t want to be an old timer!) It just happens that way.
I�m talking to a group of new white-shield detectives coming into the Bureau, trying to extend a bit of orientation to the new job, and recalling my own days seated in those seats in a reversed role. Then, it was Tommy Burke talking to a group of 20 newly assigned white-shield Transit Detectives. We were in Gold Street, when that building housed a major part of the Transit Police Department�s offices � including the Detective Division and Training. Tommy told us all the �big secret� of being a Detective � which is just as true today as it was in 1985. �Getting people to tell you what happened, and then acting on that information�. I use that today in the training I also conduct � and it is just as important as ever.
I was in the white-shield class with Jerry Lyons, who would eventually end up as my partner later in the Robbery Squad. We shared a lot of laughs, and a lot of good successful case investigations � as I did with Mike Sapraicone and Jeff Aiello.
I share a Combat Cross with Jerry, as we were sharing a bag of peanuts in the porters room at Cleveland Street on the J line in a booth robbery stake-out. The perps in the pattern hit on the day I returned from vacation, with Glenn Davidson and Freddie Crocket in our backup car in the street. We made them sorry they came to rob our token booth that night.
Mike Sapraicone, a great detective, and an even greater entrepreneur. Can you believe I learned my �people skills� from Jerry and Mike? Working with those guys personified that saying, �the more I learn, the more I realize that I need to learn�. Times past�
I drive up and down Bushwick Avenue daily, and recall the times I did so with Willy Melendez in the car with me, as Detective partners in District 33. Willy was a lot like another detective I was to meet years later � he could get anywhere, as long as he started at Bushwick Avenue! Carol Sciannameo almost came to blows with him one time when she demanded, �if you drive down Bushwick Avenue one more time I�ll strangle you�. Willy was the senior detective in the team, and as such he demanded to always drive the car. It didn�t matter whether he knew where he was going or not.
Then there was Clarence Surgeon in the Robbery Squad. Bob Nardi noted that driving with Clarence was like a Mister Magoo adventure � he�d drive around in circles, eventually getting where you needed to go.
Bob Nardi was great at recognizing people in a crowd. Like the time he recognized Rod Carew hailing a cab in Times Square, or when he noticed Yoko Ono crossing our path as we drove through Central Park. Bob is still chasing crooks up in the Bronx, as far as I know.
Some people pop into my mind every now and then, and it�s usually because I recall some happy times we shared. I can�t ever remember a time with Gamon Stewart when I wasn�t either laughing, or learning a lot about being a detective. Or ever having a bad time on patrol in Anti-Crime with Louie Mauro in District 33. Louie had a story for everything, and taught me a lot about working anti-crime and decoys. A great cop, Louie made a robbery collar as he left the command on his last tour before official retirement. True to form.
I think often about Fran Lozada, and the times we shared on patrol in District 33. The time that we were teamed up in Anti-Crime for summons enforcement, for The Duke to see how we�d work out, and we came writing a book of (personal C) summonses each, and two collars. Fran should have been here nearing her 25 years, certainly with a gold shield � a life cut way too short.
Hey, as it�s been said, �this is the life we chose�. And, by the way, Bushwick Avenue is still a *&?!@ to drive on!
INTERESTING WEB SITES
Property tax search http://nycserv.nyc.gov/NYCServInquiry/NYCSERVMain
NYS Professions: Online Verifications http://www.op.nysed.gov/opsearches.htm
HOAXBUSTERS HomePage
http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HoaxBustersHome.html
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
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
May 12, 1925 Ptl Charles Godfrey, 16 Pct, Shot- arrest
May 12, 1932 Sgt Theodore Werdann, 87 Pct, Injured on patrol
May 12, 1944 Ptl Joseph Curtis, Mtd, Line of duty injury
May 12, 1951 Ptl Harold Randolph, 75 Pct, shot- off duty incident
May 13, 1913 Ptl Charles Teare, 12 Pct, Shot- arrest
May 15, 1934 Ptl John Morrissey, Telegrph Bur, Injured- assaulted
May 16, 1864 Ptl George Duryea, 19 Pct, Arrest-robbery
May 16, 1947 Ptl Frank Golden, 108 Pct, Shot- accidental discharge
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
Note from The Minister: Some observations upon reviewing the listing of Line of Duty Deaths needs to be mentioned, concerning some deaths with a significant impact on this writers life.
Det's Fallon & Finnegan, of the 70 Squad, killed in the line of duty 44 years ago in 1962 when they interrupted a robbery in progress in a tobacco store. Their deaths have been noted previously on this web site.
The assasination deaths of Patrolmen Piagentini and Jones in Harlem's 32 Precinct in 1971, 25 years ago, during the terrible 70's and the BLA efforts.
The death of PO Anthony Mosomillo of the 67 Precinct, a precinct warrant officer killed while apprehending a subject on a warrant.
We pledge that all those officers killed in the line of duty will NOT be forgotten. Take a moment to remember these brother and sister officers, and their families, as you continue on your day to day activities. May they rest in peace.
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMORIAL REMINDER:
Just a short reminder that May 15 is National Law Enforcement Officers Day, and that the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial services will be conducted this weekend in Washington D.C.
It seems in Italy they have an Antique Police Force.
I don�t mean a police force consisting of older members, but an entire police force dedicated to preventing the theft and tracking of stolen ancient artifacts.
Highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal article written by Stephanie Gruner, the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Patrimony is perhaps the largest armed force of its kind anywhere, and most surely the world�s most effective.
There are over 300 of the country�s 120,000 carabinieri, in 11 offices from Venice to Palermo, leading the anti-looting and recovery efforts for this country�s antiquities.
�Each morning a report arrives on the desk of Col. Giovanni Pastore, second in command of a military police unit charged with protecting Italy�s cultural patrimony. The few pages list everything from antique watches to Renaissance paintings that were either ripped off or recovered the day before.�
A recent report listed that �robbers entered a church in Ascoli Piceno and left with two ancient wood pews, the better for making fake antique furniture. A burglar at a church farther north in Novara had just enough time to break the wooden arm off of a baby Jesus, as it lay cradled in the arms of the Virgin Mary, before making an escape. Thieves stole a cache of marble statues from a family villa elsewhere. On a bright note, more than two dozen sculptures, antiques and paintings were recovered just one month after their theft from a villa outside Milan.�
These antiques gumshoes have become internationally well-regarded, and have served as experts and trainers in Iraq, Kosovo, Cuba and Peru. Representatives from countries such as Greece and Hungary have traveled to Italy to learn how these officers work.
In an average week, carabinieri fly helicopters over archaeological sites taking aerial photographs to reveal illegal diggings. They go on offshore dives to prevent unauthorized underwater excavations. They also lecture at schools, universities and conferences �to convince Italians that looting and trafficking in their own cultural heritage isn�t just against the law, but against their own interests. Still other officers in their stylish black-and-red uniforms show up unannounced at antiques shops, auction houses and outdoor markets to videotape items for sale to match against the more than 2.5 million missing objects cataloged in the art squad�s vast database.�
They don�t stop there. There are others poring through other databases that list sales at auction houses such as Sotheby�s and Christie�s, and also surfing the internet to find hot antiquities for sale. They also utilize wire-tapping, satellites, and other modern technological devices in their battle to track down stolen goods.
What detective force would exist without its �sources of information� � paid and unpaid.
Archaeologists, museum curators, and the anonymous source all contribute to their success. �Sometimes it�s a tombaroli with a grudge against a competitor who tips them off. Other times word arrives out of the blue � like the email received recently with a link to an auction on eBay, listing for sale an Etruscan urn missing since the summer of 2004.�
Between 1970 and 2005, according to the organization�s own figures, 845,838 objects were reported stolen, while less than a third of that number were recovered and only 4,159 arrests were made. In addition, according to Col. Pastore, the number of robberies at private properties has decreased from 673 in 2003 to 619 in 2005. This unit has also confiscated over 228,000 counterfeit works since 1970.
Despite the odds, this unit is credited with doing an outstanding job.
The quantity of potential targets is quite astounding. Italy has some 6,000 registered archaeological sites, 100,000 or so churches, more than 45,000 castles and gardens, and roughly 35,000 historic residences � not to mention thousands of miles of coastline, beneath which lie yet more buried treasure. All are potential targets.
Some of the obstacles that arise include the issue that many of these valuabvles aren�t cordoned off behind ropes or protected by glass walls, much less watched around the clock by guards or cameras. �Italy is not a country of museums�, says a cultural ministry employee. �It�s a museum in itself, a large open-air museum.�
Not surprisingly, funding is another issue that often stands in the way.
Financing for cultural affairs have been drastically reduced by the government � by over 20% in just the past two years alone. While these cuts have hit protection efforts, it was also noted by the ministry official that �no matter how much money Italy has for art protection, preservation and anti-looting, it�s never enough.�
Not only protecting the theft of these antique items from their Italian home, the unit spends a considerable amount of time fighting the demand for these objects overseas. In the United States alone, hundreds of museum pieces remain under dispute as to their rightful ownership.
The squad�s operational headquarters, in Rome, houses the loot collected in their crime fighting efforts. A recent visit their showed art work from Picasso, Dali, Miros and a delicate Degas ballerina line up along the floor � all fakes. The seller applied for and got an export license for his �masterpieces� but they were stopped at the border � all counterfeit.
FOR THE FASHIONABLE DETECTIVE
A recent issue of GQ Magazine has noted a few �Commandments of Style� that may be of value to some of our more fashionable gumshoes.
The first commandment mentioned was to �Honor thy Tailor�. Finding a good tailor is so important � don�t leave it for the clothing hack in the dry cleaners, find a good tailor who will make what you wear look like it belongs on you.
Match your socks with your suit. Your socks should be a shade darker than your suit but not quite as dark as your shoes. Leave the socks with cartoon adornments in the drawer.
Put your wallet on a diet. Purge what�s not needed; carry your money in a money clip, and leave the other nonsense either in your desk drawer or in your (leather) briefcase.
Wear brown shoes with nearly everything. Brown shoes have become very underrated. Brown shoes knock your style up a notch; people notice them. They go best with gray, khaki, or navy. Dark brown shoes are easier to pull off than light brown shoes.
A pocket square, or white cloth handkerchief in the breast pocket dresses up the suit immeasurably. Don�t, however, use a matching square and tie. The pocket square should coordinate with your tie, but not be an exact match.
Despite our innate need to show affiliation, such as the �apple� or benevolent association pin, there really is no room for a lapel pin on a well dressed suit. That being said, the wearing of the distinctive �DB� pin in NYPD circles is an exception that The Minister is willing to make. (As the DB pin was once an award of merit and not attendance, and will especially be noted in its absence by esteemed retired Chiefs of Detectives!).
And, if I may mention another fashionable tip � a plaid sport jacket is best worn� in the closet. Right next to the sport coats with leather elbow pads.
Note by The Minister: Although he did not provide any material for this piece, I am quite sure that Ret. Det JOHN CANTWELL, himself a gumshoe at Conde Nast, publisher of GQ and other renowned publications, is quite familiar and continues to follow the commandments of the fashionable detective. The picture of a true "Manhattan Detective"!
INNOVATIONS IN SECURITY
Noted in a recent issue of SECURITY MANAGEMENT magazine, the expansion of CCTV cameras is booming in almost every aspect of everyday life.
In the area of public transportation, CCTV cameras have been introduced not only to stations, tunnels and passageways, but is now seeing the introduction inside of train cars as well.
These expanded applications are being seen in various areas of the country.
Public buses in Cincinnati and Chicago already have surveillance systems on board. In Houston, wireless transmission onto video in real time from buses to a control center has already been put in place.
The light rail system under construction in Phoenix will have several cameras per car.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) just began installing cameras on its subway trains. It has a goal of four cameras per car.
New York�s MTA, it is noted, is not one of the systems on board with these cameras, though.
Although the MTA is �in the midst of a massive security upgrade that includes an integrated electronic security system, biometrics for access control, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear detection, it has no immediate plans for cameras on trains.� That�s due, in large part, to networking issues.
The MTA is, however, beginning a pilot project in which cameras will be installed on buses, but issues involving trade unions still need to be settled. These issues with unions apparently are strong enough for the MTA President for Capital Construction, Mysore Nagaraja, to note that �eventually we�re going to get (cameras), but I don�t know if it will be in my lifetime.�
Until a major incident strikes the transit system, I guess these trade union issues will be enough to prevent the advancement of cameras into the security component of the MTA.
KITTY GENOVESE
On March 13th, 1964, one of one of the most infamous crimes in American history occurred in the Kew Gardens neighborhood of Queens, New York. At around 3 AM, 28-year-old Catherine "Kitty" Genovese was attacked, sexually assaulted, and murdered as she walked from her parked car.
The assault lasted thirty-five minutes and occurred outside of an apartment building where a reported 38 witnesses either heard or saw the attack and did nothing to stop it.
A front-page article in the New York Times sparked an avalanche of press and weeks of national soul searching. The case has lived on in plays, musicals, TV dramas -- it even spawned a whole new branch of psychology.
Today the name Kitty Genovese remains synonymous with public apathy.
REFLECTIONS
I sometimes find myself reflecting over the past twenty-five years, on my career in policing as it stands thus far.
I sometimes get reminded, not always in the kindest of ways, that I have become one of the �old timers� around here. Although I can�t for the life of me understand how, and don�t for even a second believe it, but it�s hard not to realize it when you stand and talk to a group of new recruits fresh out of the Academy.
Heck, I find myself looking at some Sergeant�s and wondering if their mother�s know they�re out so late!
I�ve been driving the Belt Parkway to the Conduit and Atlantic Avenue for 25 years!
I can remember being a rookie in District 33, taking the same route, and passing by Pitkin Avenue & the Conduit every morning observing a young blonde male panhandling in the street. Wonder whatever happened to him? He was probably a lot older than he appeared � how did he ever make out?
Remember the short black male who would work along Atlantic Avenue, panhandling for money as he rubbed his stomach in a circle to indicate he was hungry? He was around for a while as well � then just seemed to disappear one day. As did the white female with short hair who weighed about 75 pounds; when I was in Warrants back ten years ago I recall seeing her BCI photo attached to a prost warrant. Not very surprised.
Then there was the black male with a plastic jug on his head who would dance up and down at Atlantic Ave near Schenectady, with a large stick in his hand. I believe he passed on some years ago.
As I was saying, though, without a blink of an eye I�ve become an old-timer. (But I don�t want to be an old timer!) It just happens that way.
I�m talking to a group of new white-shield detectives coming into the Bureau, trying to extend a bit of orientation to the new job, and recalling my own days seated in those seats in a reversed role. Then, it was Tommy Burke talking to a group of 20 newly assigned white-shield Transit Detectives. We were in Gold Street, when that building housed a major part of the Transit Police Department�s offices � including the Detective Division and Training. Tommy told us all the �big secret� of being a Detective � which is just as true today as it was in 1985. �Getting people to tell you what happened, and then acting on that information�. I use that today in the training I also conduct � and it is just as important as ever.
I was in the white-shield class with Jerry Lyons, who would eventually end up as my partner later in the Robbery Squad. We shared a lot of laughs, and a lot of good successful case investigations � as I did with Mike Sapraicone and Jeff Aiello.
I share a Combat Cross with Jerry, as we were sharing a bag of peanuts in the porters room at Cleveland Street on the J line in a booth robbery stake-out. The perps in the pattern hit on the day I returned from vacation, with Glenn Davidson and Freddie Crocket in our backup car in the street. We made them sorry they came to rob our token booth that night.
Mike Sapraicone, a great detective, and an even greater entrepreneur. Can you believe I learned my �people skills� from Jerry and Mike? Working with those guys personified that saying, �the more I learn, the more I realize that I need to learn�. Times past�
I drive up and down Bushwick Avenue daily, and recall the times I did so with Willy Melendez in the car with me, as Detective partners in District 33. Willy was a lot like another detective I was to meet years later � he could get anywhere, as long as he started at Bushwick Avenue! Carol Sciannameo almost came to blows with him one time when she demanded, �if you drive down Bushwick Avenue one more time I�ll strangle you�. Willy was the senior detective in the team, and as such he demanded to always drive the car. It didn�t matter whether he knew where he was going or not.
Then there was Clarence Surgeon in the Robbery Squad. Bob Nardi noted that driving with Clarence was like a Mister Magoo adventure � he�d drive around in circles, eventually getting where you needed to go.
Bob Nardi was great at recognizing people in a crowd. Like the time he recognized Rod Carew hailing a cab in Times Square, or when he noticed Yoko Ono crossing our path as we drove through Central Park. Bob is still chasing crooks up in the Bronx, as far as I know.
Some people pop into my mind every now and then, and it�s usually because I recall some happy times we shared. I can�t ever remember a time with Gamon Stewart when I wasn�t either laughing, or learning a lot about being a detective. Or ever having a bad time on patrol in Anti-Crime with Louie Mauro in District 33. Louie had a story for everything, and taught me a lot about working anti-crime and decoys. A great cop, Louie made a robbery collar as he left the command on his last tour before official retirement. True to form.
I think often about Fran Lozada, and the times we shared on patrol in District 33. The time that we were teamed up in Anti-Crime for summons enforcement, for The Duke to see how we�d work out, and we came writing a book of (personal C) summonses each, and two collars. Fran should have been here nearing her 25 years, certainly with a gold shield � a life cut way too short.
Hey, as it�s been said, �this is the life we chose�. And, by the way, Bushwick Avenue is still a *&?!@ to drive on!
INTERESTING WEB SITES
Property tax search http://nycserv.nyc.gov/NYCServInquiry/NYCSERVMain
NYS Professions: Online Verifications http://www.op.nysed.gov/opsearches.htm
HOAXBUSTERS HomePage
http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HoaxBustersHome.html
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
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
May 12, 1925 Ptl Charles Godfrey, 16 Pct, Shot- arrest
May 12, 1932 Sgt Theodore Werdann, 87 Pct, Injured on patrol
May 12, 1944 Ptl Joseph Curtis, Mtd, Line of duty injury
May 12, 1951 Ptl Harold Randolph, 75 Pct, shot- off duty incident
May 13, 1913 Ptl Charles Teare, 12 Pct, Shot- arrest
May 15, 1934 Ptl John Morrissey, Telegrph Bur, Injured- assaulted
May 16, 1864 Ptl George Duryea, 19 Pct, Arrest-robbery
May 16, 1947 Ptl Frank Golden, 108 Pct, Shot- accidental discharge
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
Note from The Minister: Some observations upon reviewing the listing of Line of Duty Deaths needs to be mentioned, concerning some deaths with a significant impact on this writers life.
Det's Fallon & Finnegan, of the 70 Squad, killed in the line of duty 44 years ago in 1962 when they interrupted a robbery in progress in a tobacco store. Their deaths have been noted previously on this web site.
The assasination deaths of Patrolmen Piagentini and Jones in Harlem's 32 Precinct in 1971, 25 years ago, during the terrible 70's and the BLA efforts.
The death of PO Anthony Mosomillo of the 67 Precinct, a precinct warrant officer killed while apprehending a subject on a warrant.
We pledge that all those officers killed in the line of duty will NOT be forgotten. Take a moment to remember these brother and sister officers, and their families, as you continue on your day to day activities. May they rest in peace.
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMORIAL REMINDER:
Just a short reminder that May 15 is National Law Enforcement Officers Day, and that the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial services will be conducted this weekend in Washington D.C.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
�Nothing is impossible for those who don�t have to do the work.�
THE DETECTIVES FORTE: TALKING TO PEOPLE
A detective must be good at talking to people � all kinds of people. Complainants, witnesses, victim�s family, and suspects who we require a statement from.
One of the truly best at interviewing people is Retired Detective Gennaro (Jerry) Giorgio, of Manhattan North. In a recent book written by Professor Robert Jackle, titled �Street Stories� (which has been highlighted on this site previously), Giorgio provides his keys for interrogation.
It is certainly worth posting here.
"Detective Gennaro Giorgio, dressed to the nines and with his customary aplomb, testified about his cat-and-mouse interviews and conversations with (a suspect).
Giorgio�s rules for interrogation are simple and straightforward:
"Know the case from beginning to end, down to the smallest detail.
Specific knowledge is the key to successful interrogation.
Listen patiently to suspects. Never confront them in an accusatory way.
At first, write nothing, taking in everything a suspect says without challenge. Then go back over the suspect�s statement, writing it out carefully.
Read it back to the suspect and have him sign it.
Lock suspects into their statements, whether true or false.
Then key in on inconsistencies in the statements or on aspects of the statements one knows independently to be false.
Make careful notes of casual conversations with suspects. Sometimes suspects blurt out damning statements spontaneously at off-guard moments.
Observe the suspect�s demeanor carefully during the interview,especially when he is telling known lies. Make a mental note of any behavioral patterns that regularly accompany the known lies, such as facial tics, hand rubbing, head touching, turning away, licking lips, or displays of anger.
Point out the lies without, at first, letting the suspect know how one knows he is lying. Ask the suspect why he is lying.
Then point out some piece of actual evidence that contradicts his story. Insistently but quietly demand an explanation for the discrepancy. If none is forthcoming, move on to the next discrepancy.
If one has no tangible evidence on hand, use dodges, ruses, or tricks to elicit statements from suspects.
At a certain point, offer the suspect an out�a plausible explanation, justification, or excuse for his depredation, suppressing all personal moral revulsion and clearly indicating that one understands and indeed empathizes with such a motive or account.
In short, let suspects convict themselves with their own words. Denials of guilt are as useful legally as admissions or confessions if one has independent evidence to undermine the denials and thus the suspect�s credibility before a jury.
THE ROCKFORD FILES
The Rockford Files is generally regarded as one of the finest private eye series of the 1970s, and indeed of all time, consistently ranked at or near the top in polls of viewers, critics, and mystery writers.
The series offered superbly-plotted mysteries, with the requisite amounts of action, yet it was also something of a revisionist take on the hard-boiled detective genre, grounded more in character than crime, and infused with humor and realistic relationships. Driven by brilliant writing, an ensemble of winning characters, and the charm of its star, James Garner, the series went from prime-time Nielsen hit in the seventies, to a syndication staple with a loyal cult following in the eighties, spawning a series of made-for-TV movie sequels beginning in 1994.
The show�s concept originally sketched the premise of a private eye who only took on closed cases, but this was a concept quickly abandoned in the series.
The Rockford Files ran for five full seasons, 114 episodes running from 1974-1977. It came to a premature end in the middle of the sixth, when Garner left the show due to a variety of physical ailments brought on by the strenuous demands of the production. Yet Rockford never really left the air; not only has the series remained steadily popular in syndication and on cable, three of a projected six made-for-television reunion movies aired on CBS between 1994 and 1996 (the first scoring blockbuster ratings). In addition, a loyal cult following celebrates the series on the Rockford Files Web site, and Internet discussion groups.
Jim Rockford did indeed break the mold set by television's earlier two-fisted chivalric P.I.s. His headquarters was a mobile home parked at the beach rather than a shabby office off Sunset Boulevard; in lieu of a gorgeous secretary, an answering machine took his messages; he preferred to talk, rather than slug, his way out of a tight spot; and he rarely carried a gun. (When one surprised client asked why, Rockford replied, "Because I don't want to shoot anybody.")
No troubled loner, Jim Rockford spent much of his free time fishing or watching TV with his father Joe Rockford (Noah Beery, Jr.), a retired trucker with a vocal antipathy to "Jimmy's" chosen profession. Inspired by an episode of Mannix in which that tough-guy P.I. took on a child's case for some loose change and a lollipop, the producer decided to make Rockford "the Jack Benny of private eyes." Rockford always announced his rates up front: $200 a day, plus expenses (which he itemized with abandon). He was tenacious on the job, but business was business--and he had payments on the trailer.
The Rockford Files hewed closely to the hard-boiled tradition in style and theme.
The series' depiction of L.A.'s sun-baked streets and seamy underbelly rivals the novels of Raymond Chandler and Ross MacDonald. Chandler, in his essay "The Simple Art of Murder," could have been writing about Jim Rockford when he describes the hard-boiled detective as a poor man, a common man, a man of honor, who talks with the rude wit of his age.
Rockford's propensity for wisecracks, his fractious relationship with the police, and his network of shady underworld connections, lead straight back to the classic writing of Dashiell Hammett. As for his aversion to fisticuffs, Rockford was not a coward, but a pragmatist, different only by degree (if at all) from Philip Marlowe; when violence was inevitable, he was as tough as nails.
Most tellingly of all, he shared the same code as his L.A. predecessors Marlowe and Lew Archer: an unwavering sense of morality, and an almost obsessive thirst for the truth. Thus, despite his ostensible concern for the bottom line, in practice Rockford ended up doing as much or more charity work as any fictional gumshoe (as in "The Reincarnation of Angie," when the soft-hearted sleuth agrees to take on a distressed damsel's case for his "special sucker rate" of $23.74).
During its run the series was nominated for the Writer's Guild Award and the Mystery Writer's of America "Edgar" Award, in addition to winning the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 1978.
INTERESTING WEB SITE
Check out this site that allows you to generate a police sketch, its pretty cool:
http://flashface.ctapt.de/
NEW RESTRAINT � HANDCUFFS?
As I�ve said before, you can never tell what you may find in an old issue of Spring 3100.
The June 1957 issue of SPRING introduced a new restraint � handcuffs � that were being carried by MOS. (Or, at that time, would have been referred to as MOF).
All members appointed after June 1956 were required to carry handcuffs as official equipment. In addition, all MOS who desired to replace �worn-out, defective or lost nippers� were also encouraged to so equip themselves.
Prior to this, the authorized, required restraint device was a pair of �nippers�. These looked like a small chain with flat handles on each end that you could wrap around a prisoner�s wrist and tighten so as to restrain them. If you�ve ever seen a real pair of these nippers, you�d have to wonder how this task was ever safely accomplished.
The two-page photo spread on �how-to� use handcuffs was accompanied by this advice.
�Handcuffs are only to be used on a prisoner, to prevent escape, or on sufficiently disorderly or mentally disturbed persons to prevent injury to themselves or others. Only where absolutely necessary are they to be used on juveniles or women�. This closing line of precaution was also added: �Before employing the use of handcuffs, make certain that the key to open them is readily available�.
They also specifically mentioned the caution in handcuffing a prisoner to another patrolman! Prisoners should not be handcuffed to an officer�s gun hand, making it difficult if not impossible to draw his revolver if needed. He should only cuff himself to the prisoner �if another officer is accompanying him�.
I wonder how many calls ESU had that year to free someone from handcuffs?
(This particular issue of Spring 3100 has special meaning to The Minister of Investigation � this was the month / year I was born. My father, who would have just celebrated his 1 year anniversary on the job, would have had to break down and make sure he had a pair of handcuffs! Actually, his appointment class in the Academy would have been one of the first to have trained with, and been issued, handcuffs. My, how times change.)
What else of interest?
You could have bought a house in Atlantic City, complete with fruit trees, electric, on 2 acres of land for $8990. A 2-family home in St. Albans, complete with a finished basement and a hot water heater was selling for $21,990. And a 6 room house in upstate Walden, complete with �city water�, a new roof and a garage, probably neighbors to Billy Ponzio, was for sale for $11,000. A 2-family house that was way out there in Smithtown, on 1 acre of land, could have been yours for $17,000.
MOS VS. MOF
We are all aware of the phrase "MOS" used to refer to a "Member of the Service".
What is an "MOF"?
Sometime in the mid-1970's, the term "MOF" was replaced by "MOS". It's original meaning, "Member of the Force" referred to the Police Force - but when that term became too politically incorrect (the use of the word "force" was not likeable), the term was changed - and we became members of the "Police Service" and NO LONGER the "Police Force".
SECURITY FORCES
(Or maybe: Security Services??)
Many law enforcement practitioners find themselves retiring from policing to take a job in private security.
I found it interesting to discover, from a recent issue of SECURITY MANAGEMENT magazine, that the turnover in security force workers is estimated to be between 100 and 300 percent per year.
I had to read that over a few times � 100 to 300 percent per year turnover in security workers!
I would imagine the single biggest task you�d have as a security manager somewhere is hiring and training your �square-badge� force, while at the same time keeping your current staff motivated, while addressing the potential for problems occurring from disgruntled guards who have had access to your critical areas.
Sounds like fun, doesn�t it?
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
�It is not how they died that makes them a hero, but how they lived their lives�.
May 1, 1892 Ptl Robert Nichol, 20 Pct, Off duty fire rescue
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 8, 2000 PO David Regan, 62 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
May 9, 1939 Ptl William Holstein, Mcy2, Motorcycle accident
THE DETECTIVES FORTE: TALKING TO PEOPLE
A detective must be good at talking to people � all kinds of people. Complainants, witnesses, victim�s family, and suspects who we require a statement from.
One of the truly best at interviewing people is Retired Detective Gennaro (Jerry) Giorgio, of Manhattan North. In a recent book written by Professor Robert Jackle, titled �Street Stories� (which has been highlighted on this site previously), Giorgio provides his keys for interrogation.
It is certainly worth posting here.
"Detective Gennaro Giorgio, dressed to the nines and with his customary aplomb, testified about his cat-and-mouse interviews and conversations with (a suspect).
Giorgio�s rules for interrogation are simple and straightforward:
"Know the case from beginning to end, down to the smallest detail.
Specific knowledge is the key to successful interrogation.
Listen patiently to suspects. Never confront them in an accusatory way.
At first, write nothing, taking in everything a suspect says without challenge. Then go back over the suspect�s statement, writing it out carefully.
Read it back to the suspect and have him sign it.
Lock suspects into their statements, whether true or false.
Then key in on inconsistencies in the statements or on aspects of the statements one knows independently to be false.
Make careful notes of casual conversations with suspects. Sometimes suspects blurt out damning statements spontaneously at off-guard moments.
Observe the suspect�s demeanor carefully during the interview,especially when he is telling known lies. Make a mental note of any behavioral patterns that regularly accompany the known lies, such as facial tics, hand rubbing, head touching, turning away, licking lips, or displays of anger.
Point out the lies without, at first, letting the suspect know how one knows he is lying. Ask the suspect why he is lying.
Then point out some piece of actual evidence that contradicts his story. Insistently but quietly demand an explanation for the discrepancy. If none is forthcoming, move on to the next discrepancy.
If one has no tangible evidence on hand, use dodges, ruses, or tricks to elicit statements from suspects.
At a certain point, offer the suspect an out�a plausible explanation, justification, or excuse for his depredation, suppressing all personal moral revulsion and clearly indicating that one understands and indeed empathizes with such a motive or account.
In short, let suspects convict themselves with their own words. Denials of guilt are as useful legally as admissions or confessions if one has independent evidence to undermine the denials and thus the suspect�s credibility before a jury.
THE ROCKFORD FILES
The Rockford Files is generally regarded as one of the finest private eye series of the 1970s, and indeed of all time, consistently ranked at or near the top in polls of viewers, critics, and mystery writers.
The series offered superbly-plotted mysteries, with the requisite amounts of action, yet it was also something of a revisionist take on the hard-boiled detective genre, grounded more in character than crime, and infused with humor and realistic relationships. Driven by brilliant writing, an ensemble of winning characters, and the charm of its star, James Garner, the series went from prime-time Nielsen hit in the seventies, to a syndication staple with a loyal cult following in the eighties, spawning a series of made-for-TV movie sequels beginning in 1994.
The show�s concept originally sketched the premise of a private eye who only took on closed cases, but this was a concept quickly abandoned in the series.
The Rockford Files ran for five full seasons, 114 episodes running from 1974-1977. It came to a premature end in the middle of the sixth, when Garner left the show due to a variety of physical ailments brought on by the strenuous demands of the production. Yet Rockford never really left the air; not only has the series remained steadily popular in syndication and on cable, three of a projected six made-for-television reunion movies aired on CBS between 1994 and 1996 (the first scoring blockbuster ratings). In addition, a loyal cult following celebrates the series on the Rockford Files Web site, and Internet discussion groups.
Jim Rockford did indeed break the mold set by television's earlier two-fisted chivalric P.I.s. His headquarters was a mobile home parked at the beach rather than a shabby office off Sunset Boulevard; in lieu of a gorgeous secretary, an answering machine took his messages; he preferred to talk, rather than slug, his way out of a tight spot; and he rarely carried a gun. (When one surprised client asked why, Rockford replied, "Because I don't want to shoot anybody.")
No troubled loner, Jim Rockford spent much of his free time fishing or watching TV with his father Joe Rockford (Noah Beery, Jr.), a retired trucker with a vocal antipathy to "Jimmy's" chosen profession. Inspired by an episode of Mannix in which that tough-guy P.I. took on a child's case for some loose change and a lollipop, the producer decided to make Rockford "the Jack Benny of private eyes." Rockford always announced his rates up front: $200 a day, plus expenses (which he itemized with abandon). He was tenacious on the job, but business was business--and he had payments on the trailer.
The Rockford Files hewed closely to the hard-boiled tradition in style and theme.
The series' depiction of L.A.'s sun-baked streets and seamy underbelly rivals the novels of Raymond Chandler and Ross MacDonald. Chandler, in his essay "The Simple Art of Murder," could have been writing about Jim Rockford when he describes the hard-boiled detective as a poor man, a common man, a man of honor, who talks with the rude wit of his age.
Rockford's propensity for wisecracks, his fractious relationship with the police, and his network of shady underworld connections, lead straight back to the classic writing of Dashiell Hammett. As for his aversion to fisticuffs, Rockford was not a coward, but a pragmatist, different only by degree (if at all) from Philip Marlowe; when violence was inevitable, he was as tough as nails.
Most tellingly of all, he shared the same code as his L.A. predecessors Marlowe and Lew Archer: an unwavering sense of morality, and an almost obsessive thirst for the truth. Thus, despite his ostensible concern for the bottom line, in practice Rockford ended up doing as much or more charity work as any fictional gumshoe (as in "The Reincarnation of Angie," when the soft-hearted sleuth agrees to take on a distressed damsel's case for his "special sucker rate" of $23.74).
During its run the series was nominated for the Writer's Guild Award and the Mystery Writer's of America "Edgar" Award, in addition to winning the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 1978.
INTERESTING WEB SITE
Check out this site that allows you to generate a police sketch, its pretty cool:
http://flashface.ctapt.de/
NEW RESTRAINT � HANDCUFFS?
As I�ve said before, you can never tell what you may find in an old issue of Spring 3100.
The June 1957 issue of SPRING introduced a new restraint � handcuffs � that were being carried by MOS. (Or, at that time, would have been referred to as MOF).
All members appointed after June 1956 were required to carry handcuffs as official equipment. In addition, all MOS who desired to replace �worn-out, defective or lost nippers� were also encouraged to so equip themselves.
Prior to this, the authorized, required restraint device was a pair of �nippers�. These looked like a small chain with flat handles on each end that you could wrap around a prisoner�s wrist and tighten so as to restrain them. If you�ve ever seen a real pair of these nippers, you�d have to wonder how this task was ever safely accomplished.
The two-page photo spread on �how-to� use handcuffs was accompanied by this advice.
�Handcuffs are only to be used on a prisoner, to prevent escape, or on sufficiently disorderly or mentally disturbed persons to prevent injury to themselves or others. Only where absolutely necessary are they to be used on juveniles or women�. This closing line of precaution was also added: �Before employing the use of handcuffs, make certain that the key to open them is readily available�.
They also specifically mentioned the caution in handcuffing a prisoner to another patrolman! Prisoners should not be handcuffed to an officer�s gun hand, making it difficult if not impossible to draw his revolver if needed. He should only cuff himself to the prisoner �if another officer is accompanying him�.
I wonder how many calls ESU had that year to free someone from handcuffs?
(This particular issue of Spring 3100 has special meaning to The Minister of Investigation � this was the month / year I was born. My father, who would have just celebrated his 1 year anniversary on the job, would have had to break down and make sure he had a pair of handcuffs! Actually, his appointment class in the Academy would have been one of the first to have trained with, and been issued, handcuffs. My, how times change.)
What else of interest?
You could have bought a house in Atlantic City, complete with fruit trees, electric, on 2 acres of land for $8990. A 2-family home in St. Albans, complete with a finished basement and a hot water heater was selling for $21,990. And a 6 room house in upstate Walden, complete with �city water�, a new roof and a garage, probably neighbors to Billy Ponzio, was for sale for $11,000. A 2-family house that was way out there in Smithtown, on 1 acre of land, could have been yours for $17,000.
MOS VS. MOF
We are all aware of the phrase "MOS" used to refer to a "Member of the Service".
What is an "MOF"?
Sometime in the mid-1970's, the term "MOF" was replaced by "MOS". It's original meaning, "Member of the Force" referred to the Police Force - but when that term became too politically incorrect (the use of the word "force" was not likeable), the term was changed - and we became members of the "Police Service" and NO LONGER the "Police Force".
SECURITY FORCES
(Or maybe: Security Services??)
Many law enforcement practitioners find themselves retiring from policing to take a job in private security.
I found it interesting to discover, from a recent issue of SECURITY MANAGEMENT magazine, that the turnover in security force workers is estimated to be between 100 and 300 percent per year.
I had to read that over a few times � 100 to 300 percent per year turnover in security workers!
I would imagine the single biggest task you�d have as a security manager somewhere is hiring and training your �square-badge� force, while at the same time keeping your current staff motivated, while addressing the potential for problems occurring from disgruntled guards who have had access to your critical areas.
Sounds like fun, doesn�t it?
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
�It is not how they died that makes them a hero, but how they lived their lives�.
May 1, 1892 Ptl Robert Nichol, 20 Pct, Off duty fire rescue
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 8, 2000 PO David Regan, 62 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
May 9, 1939 Ptl William Holstein, Mcy2, Motorcycle accident
Thursday, April 13, 2006
EARLY COMMUNICATIONS BY RATTLE
When the policing in New York City was in its infancy, back in 1651, the first people involved in the job of law enforcement were citizens selected as �watchmen� who would patrol their neighborhood at night.
If the watchman needed assistance, they would simply twirl a wooden ratchet or �rattle� that they carried; hence the tour of duty became known as the �Rattle Watch.�
Ninety years later, watchmen turned in their rattles for a bell and lantern, making it much easier for other members of the public to find them at night. The �bellmen,� as they were now called, also carried an hourglass, as they were required to inform the public of the time every hour which, not only made it easier for the public to find them, but it also proved that they were still awake.
This primitive method of using a hand-held bell to summon assistance may have been fine for a small town or village, but as New York City grew, so did the need for a more advanced system.
It was no surprise that when the Municipal Police (later known as the New York City Police Department) was officially founded in 1845, that one of the first orders of business was to adopt the latest miracle of technology, the telegraph. Instantly successful, precincts now had the ability to communicate directly with Headquarters, but cops on the street had to wait until 1885 before the first telegraphic signal boxes would be installed on the streets.
Once the experimental boxes were set up patrolmen, using Morse Code, were now able to contact the precinct in a matter of seconds, and the desk lieutenant could now be alerted of emergencies in the field, such as a fire, in a more rapid manner.
Required to carry a signal box key at all times, patrolmen also carried a code book and originally rang the precinct at whatever frequency the duty captain had ordered. Exempt from these regulations were a small group of �responsible citizens� who had also been given keys. Later, patrolmen were required to signal the house three times each tour, which was recorded in a special signal box log at the stationhouse. (Did you think there wouldn�t be a log for this??)
LOOK WHO WAS MENTIONED IN SPRING 3100
The February 1962 issue of SPRING 3100 in the 81 Precinct�s �Looking �Em Over� column, notes a fine arrest made by an even finer gumshoe!
�Ptl Catrone teamed up with Det Bolz to nab a team of burglars that specialized in burglarizing Puerto Rican homes.�
Det Bolz is none other than Retired Captain Frank Bolz of Hostage Negotiation fame, and avid reader of this blog site!! Frank is very proud to say his roots are in Brooklyn North (although back then I believe it was Brooklyn East).
HEROIC ACT BY DETECTIVE: JUNE 1957
The June 1957 issue of Spring 3100 notes a heroic action by an off duty Detective from the 77 Squad.
Hero Detective Nathaniel Greer of the 77 Squad received honors from the Journal-American newspaper and the Daily News, for the month of April 1957.
At about 1:15 am on April 25, 1957, the sleuth was walking his dog on Saratoga Avenue when he heard the scream of a 23-year old woman who had been followed from a subway station and pulled into a hallway by a mugger.
When Greer reached the woman, he found her being held artound the neck with a knife pressed to her back by the tyhief.
As he saw the thug holding the woman, the detective identified himself and grappled with the man. In the ensuing struggle the robber ran out of the hallway. The detective pursued him north on Saratoga Avenue to Macon Street, but the officer�s warning shot failed to halt the mugger.
The chase continued for three blocks when the man forced open the door of a 4-story tenement and raced up the stairs to the darkened roof. As Greer approached him, the man suddenly attacked the officer, lashing out with a 3 �� knife, cutting the detective on the finger. Greer was able to fire a shot from his weapon, hitting the thug and felling him.
Great collar by this detective, who was accompanied to the award ceremony by his wife, his 4 children and his mother.
I particularly associated with this story � Detective from the 77 Squad, incident in 81 / 79 Precinct confines, victim walking from a transit location � but it left me with a few questions as well.
What did he do with the dog he was walking? And did you notice the mention of the �warning shot�?
WHO SAID THAT? QUOTES FROM THE TRENCHES IN BROOKLYN NORTH
Back when I was in the 77 Squad, a dear friend, John Barba, started keeping track of some fantastic, actual quotes � stuff you couldn�t make up even if you wanted to.
Well, John is gone, and I miss him everyday. But one of the things he did for me was to make a copy, and send me, his log of �quotable quotes�. Every time I hear another gem of a quote I can just picture John Barba�s sly smile and that look in his eye to let you know he caught it as well.
Some of these I may have printed on this site in years past � but nevertheless, they are certainly worth repeating. Keep in mind that these are actual quotes � some from complainants, witnesses, prisoner debriefings � and many from other Detectives!
Enjoy!
�That�s putting the horse before the cart�
�If you don�t like the smell of Ben-Gay, try using the senseless kind�
�I got a mind brain headache (migraine headache)�
�He�s like a bull in a china closet�
�Behind every cloud is a silver platter�
�Go through everything with a fine toothbrush�
�Too many fires on the iron�
�We�re all making some shingles� (shekels)
�Let�s shake some feathers, or ruffle the trees�
�What time was the pronunciation�? (pronouncement of death)
�He�s in a seduced (induced) coma�
�I want her arrested, she kicked me in my test cycles (testicles)�
�She�s my wife-in-law� (common law wife)
�The statue of liberties (statute of limitations) passed on that charge�
�I�m an oppartunour.� (entrepreneur)
�I don�t speak English, I speak American�.
�I�m no criminal, I�m on parole�.
�I shot in self defense, I�m a defendant�.
�He don�t drink, he has sore roses (cirrhosis) of the liver�.
�She speaks English and Spanish, she�s bilateral�. (bilingual)
�I took one of those elastic altitude (scholastic aptitude) tests when I was upstate�.
�Can I play solitary on the computer on my break?� (solitaire)
�He�s got Al�s-Hammer (Alzheimer�s) disease�
�It was one of those 2 lebonese girls that live down the street�. (Lesbian)
�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)�.
�The Arabs got biodegradable weapons.� (Biological weapons)
�He�s not a Baptist, he�s an Episcopal Alien�.
�I had a depraved (deprived) childhood�.
�I got an upper repository (respiratory) infection�.
Sign on a car repair shop: �We Fix Automated Transitions�
�He can�t come to work. He has conductors eye sores�. (Conjunctivitis)
�Somebody has to come here to sign the affa-davis�. (affidavit)
�You know, that Ornamental (Oriental) Chinese looking guy down the block�
�That�s one of them bomb dogs, it�s a Laboratory Receiver.� (Labrador Retriever)
IN AND AROUND THE SQUAD ROOM
It�s always a nice time of the year, as spring takes over and the weather changes for the better. It's also that time of the year when barbs fly around the squad room over whose team will be better - Mets versus Yankees, and then there's always the Red Sox connection - when Spring Training becomes opening day. What�s been going on around the Squad Rooms?
Congratulations are definitely in order for Bobby Rivera of the 77 Sqd, who recently received a very deserving promotion to Detective First Grade! I had the privilege of working directly with Bobby in the 77 Squad, and he personifies a First Grade Detective for sure. Maybe we�ll keep him around Brooklyn North a little longer?.... I know Dave Stein is certainly hoping so. Look around every squad room, and the story is the same. Where have all the Detectives gone? Hoping to see an influx of some new gumshoes in the near future�. Some familiar faces from the past made their way to the recent retirement celebration at Russo�s. Joe Ferrara had a great turnout, of family and friends, celebrating his retirement after 40 years. A former partner, John Howard, made it in from California, bypassing that of Mike Chason who came in from Chicago to see Tommy Joyce!.... Tommy Joyce, who also looked great that night, is another big loss to this department. Tommy often helped ease my mind acting as a sounding board when things weren�t going just right, or as a conciliator to aggravating times. Tommy is sorely missed by me, and by the department � a true caring leader, who has gone on to a next life. I sorely miss Tommy at Brooklyn North events, especially supervisor�s meetings � at a time when I would be the �quiet� one!�. Mike McWilliams looks great as always, enjoying the retired life that comes with great ease. Fishing, keeping tabs on the boat and watching out for Danny Powers sure keeps Mike busy enough�. Chuck Ribando hasn�t been getting out as often as in the past at familiar Farmingdale haunts, now that he has taken over as Chief Investigator for the Nassau County DA�s Office. Congratulations to Chuck, and as a Nassau resident I feel safer already!.... John Muller sure looked very spiffy, as retirement seems to be suiting him well. He�s been doing some super-secret work for another former Brooklyn North sleuth, Bo Dietl; wonder if Bo lets him feast on martini�s and sushi? Sorry that I didn�t get the opportunity to share a cigar with John, but hoping to be able to make up for that real soon�. One pleace I didn�t want to find myself was having a conversation standing between Steve Feeley and Sal Brajuha � two six and a half footers with my small portly frame between them, must have looked like some sight! It�s always great to see Steve, though, and catch up on going�s on with him � Steve�s retirement was a great loss to us in Brooklyn North, and we�re still trying to make up for it! �. Neil Tasso looked great as always, and the way things are going we may have to start assigning cases to him and Jerry Rupprecht again! �. Porkchop Joe Herbert does still exist! Seriously, it was great to see Joe, who is always busy keeping Terrorists on the run. Joe is another of those great losses we�ve had to endure in Brooklyn North; I miss Joe a lot, and don�t get to see him nearly enough. I know that murder is still in Joe�s heart (I mean that in a good, �buffy� sort of way), and wish I had more time to spend with him�. Does anyone know what happened to Steve Stemmler�s hair? What was that little spike move on top? �. Was that Angel Jimenez walking out with doggie bags of food? �. We�re still trying to make sense out of what happened to a certain Detective in Homicide who volunteered for the department�s peer assistance program, to be a counselor, but was rejected. We wonder what could have gone on at that interview session to be rejected as a volunteer peer counselor? Guess his hope to become a Hostage Negotiator should be re-evaluated?... Speaking of baseball, have you seen the new SNY channel for Mets fans? Jay Genna must be doubly happy - the Mets have their own channel, and their loss to Fox Sports channel has left them with a programming assignment - and it seems they've introduced a Boston Sports show to their network! We all know how much of a Red Sox fan Jay is; one can't wonder if he had anything to do with getting that show onto Fox? .... Remember hockey? Well, the Rangers are gearing up for the playoffs, and playoff tickets are sure to be around. Timmy Duffy has had a smile on his face for a few weeks - could it be Stanley Cup fever? ... Note to Johnny K: The "new" coffee club is great - we have pretzels, peanuts, little tiny chocolate candies, a water cooler - but we have no more milk or sugar! How about some half & half? ... Be safe out there!
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
April 12, 1929 Ptl Andrew McLean-Wood, NFI
April 13, 1961 Ptl Robert Dugo, 6 Pct, LOD heart attack
April 13, 1988 PO Anthony McLean, PSA2, Shot- investigation
April 14, 1907 Ptl George Sechler, 16 Pct, Shot � arrest
April 14, 1929 Ptl William Schmeller, 32 Pct, Accident � auto pursuit
April 15, 1857 Ptl Stephen Hardenbrook, 9Dist MetroPDNY, Stabbed-arrest
April 15, 1932 Ptl James Morrissey, Traffic F, Auto accident on patrol
April 15, 1968 Ptl John Banks, ESU, LOD heart attack
April 16, 1907 Ptl Alfred Selleck, 16 Pct, Shot � arrest
April 16, 1955 Ptl Andrew Reynolds, 107 Pct, Motorcycle accident on patrol
April 17, 1925 Ptl Thomas Kelly, 12 Div, Shot � arrest, GLA
April 17, 1938 Ptl Humbert Morruzzi, 9 Pct, Shot- robbery in progress
April 18, 1936 Ptl Leroy Sheares, 32 Pct, stabbed, arrest
April 19, 1963 Ptl Kenneth Cozier, ESU, LOD heart attack
WISHING ALL A VERY HEALTHY AND HAPPY HOLIDAY!
Spring seems to be busting at the seams; hoping all get a chance to enjoy some quality time with friends and loved ones!
When the policing in New York City was in its infancy, back in 1651, the first people involved in the job of law enforcement were citizens selected as �watchmen� who would patrol their neighborhood at night.
If the watchman needed assistance, they would simply twirl a wooden ratchet or �rattle� that they carried; hence the tour of duty became known as the �Rattle Watch.�
Ninety years later, watchmen turned in their rattles for a bell and lantern, making it much easier for other members of the public to find them at night. The �bellmen,� as they were now called, also carried an hourglass, as they were required to inform the public of the time every hour which, not only made it easier for the public to find them, but it also proved that they were still awake.
This primitive method of using a hand-held bell to summon assistance may have been fine for a small town or village, but as New York City grew, so did the need for a more advanced system.
It was no surprise that when the Municipal Police (later known as the New York City Police Department) was officially founded in 1845, that one of the first orders of business was to adopt the latest miracle of technology, the telegraph. Instantly successful, precincts now had the ability to communicate directly with Headquarters, but cops on the street had to wait until 1885 before the first telegraphic signal boxes would be installed on the streets.
Once the experimental boxes were set up patrolmen, using Morse Code, were now able to contact the precinct in a matter of seconds, and the desk lieutenant could now be alerted of emergencies in the field, such as a fire, in a more rapid manner.
Required to carry a signal box key at all times, patrolmen also carried a code book and originally rang the precinct at whatever frequency the duty captain had ordered. Exempt from these regulations were a small group of �responsible citizens� who had also been given keys. Later, patrolmen were required to signal the house three times each tour, which was recorded in a special signal box log at the stationhouse. (Did you think there wouldn�t be a log for this??)
LOOK WHO WAS MENTIONED IN SPRING 3100
The February 1962 issue of SPRING 3100 in the 81 Precinct�s �Looking �Em Over� column, notes a fine arrest made by an even finer gumshoe!
�Ptl Catrone teamed up with Det Bolz to nab a team of burglars that specialized in burglarizing Puerto Rican homes.�
Det Bolz is none other than Retired Captain Frank Bolz of Hostage Negotiation fame, and avid reader of this blog site!! Frank is very proud to say his roots are in Brooklyn North (although back then I believe it was Brooklyn East).
HEROIC ACT BY DETECTIVE: JUNE 1957
The June 1957 issue of Spring 3100 notes a heroic action by an off duty Detective from the 77 Squad.
Hero Detective Nathaniel Greer of the 77 Squad received honors from the Journal-American newspaper and the Daily News, for the month of April 1957.
At about 1:15 am on April 25, 1957, the sleuth was walking his dog on Saratoga Avenue when he heard the scream of a 23-year old woman who had been followed from a subway station and pulled into a hallway by a mugger.
When Greer reached the woman, he found her being held artound the neck with a knife pressed to her back by the tyhief.
As he saw the thug holding the woman, the detective identified himself and grappled with the man. In the ensuing struggle the robber ran out of the hallway. The detective pursued him north on Saratoga Avenue to Macon Street, but the officer�s warning shot failed to halt the mugger.
The chase continued for three blocks when the man forced open the door of a 4-story tenement and raced up the stairs to the darkened roof. As Greer approached him, the man suddenly attacked the officer, lashing out with a 3 �� knife, cutting the detective on the finger. Greer was able to fire a shot from his weapon, hitting the thug and felling him.
Great collar by this detective, who was accompanied to the award ceremony by his wife, his 4 children and his mother.
I particularly associated with this story � Detective from the 77 Squad, incident in 81 / 79 Precinct confines, victim walking from a transit location � but it left me with a few questions as well.
What did he do with the dog he was walking? And did you notice the mention of the �warning shot�?
WHO SAID THAT? QUOTES FROM THE TRENCHES IN BROOKLYN NORTH
Back when I was in the 77 Squad, a dear friend, John Barba, started keeping track of some fantastic, actual quotes � stuff you couldn�t make up even if you wanted to.
Well, John is gone, and I miss him everyday. But one of the things he did for me was to make a copy, and send me, his log of �quotable quotes�. Every time I hear another gem of a quote I can just picture John Barba�s sly smile and that look in his eye to let you know he caught it as well.
Some of these I may have printed on this site in years past � but nevertheless, they are certainly worth repeating. Keep in mind that these are actual quotes � some from complainants, witnesses, prisoner debriefings � and many from other Detectives!
Enjoy!
�That�s putting the horse before the cart�
�If you don�t like the smell of Ben-Gay, try using the senseless kind�
�I got a mind brain headache (migraine headache)�
�He�s like a bull in a china closet�
�Behind every cloud is a silver platter�
�Go through everything with a fine toothbrush�
�Too many fires on the iron�
�We�re all making some shingles� (shekels)
�Let�s shake some feathers, or ruffle the trees�
�What time was the pronunciation�? (pronouncement of death)
�He�s in a seduced (induced) coma�
�I want her arrested, she kicked me in my test cycles (testicles)�
�She�s my wife-in-law� (common law wife)
�The statue of liberties (statute of limitations) passed on that charge�
�I�m an oppartunour.� (entrepreneur)
�I don�t speak English, I speak American�.
�I�m no criminal, I�m on parole�.
�I shot in self defense, I�m a defendant�.
�He don�t drink, he has sore roses (cirrhosis) of the liver�.
�She speaks English and Spanish, she�s bilateral�. (bilingual)
�I took one of those elastic altitude (scholastic aptitude) tests when I was upstate�.
�Can I play solitary on the computer on my break?� (solitaire)
�He�s got Al�s-Hammer (Alzheimer�s) disease�
�It was one of those 2 lebonese girls that live down the street�. (Lesbian)
�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)�.
�The Arabs got biodegradable weapons.� (Biological weapons)
�He�s not a Baptist, he�s an Episcopal Alien�.
�I had a depraved (deprived) childhood�.
�I got an upper repository (respiratory) infection�.
Sign on a car repair shop: �We Fix Automated Transitions�
�He can�t come to work. He has conductors eye sores�. (Conjunctivitis)
�Somebody has to come here to sign the affa-davis�. (affidavit)
�You know, that Ornamental (Oriental) Chinese looking guy down the block�
�That�s one of them bomb dogs, it�s a Laboratory Receiver.� (Labrador Retriever)
IN AND AROUND THE SQUAD ROOM
It�s always a nice time of the year, as spring takes over and the weather changes for the better. It's also that time of the year when barbs fly around the squad room over whose team will be better - Mets versus Yankees, and then there's always the Red Sox connection - when Spring Training becomes opening day. What�s been going on around the Squad Rooms?
Congratulations are definitely in order for Bobby Rivera of the 77 Sqd, who recently received a very deserving promotion to Detective First Grade! I had the privilege of working directly with Bobby in the 77 Squad, and he personifies a First Grade Detective for sure. Maybe we�ll keep him around Brooklyn North a little longer?.... I know Dave Stein is certainly hoping so. Look around every squad room, and the story is the same. Where have all the Detectives gone? Hoping to see an influx of some new gumshoes in the near future�. Some familiar faces from the past made their way to the recent retirement celebration at Russo�s. Joe Ferrara had a great turnout, of family and friends, celebrating his retirement after 40 years. A former partner, John Howard, made it in from California, bypassing that of Mike Chason who came in from Chicago to see Tommy Joyce!.... Tommy Joyce, who also looked great that night, is another big loss to this department. Tommy often helped ease my mind acting as a sounding board when things weren�t going just right, or as a conciliator to aggravating times. Tommy is sorely missed by me, and by the department � a true caring leader, who has gone on to a next life. I sorely miss Tommy at Brooklyn North events, especially supervisor�s meetings � at a time when I would be the �quiet� one!�. Mike McWilliams looks great as always, enjoying the retired life that comes with great ease. Fishing, keeping tabs on the boat and watching out for Danny Powers sure keeps Mike busy enough�. Chuck Ribando hasn�t been getting out as often as in the past at familiar Farmingdale haunts, now that he has taken over as Chief Investigator for the Nassau County DA�s Office. Congratulations to Chuck, and as a Nassau resident I feel safer already!.... John Muller sure looked very spiffy, as retirement seems to be suiting him well. He�s been doing some super-secret work for another former Brooklyn North sleuth, Bo Dietl; wonder if Bo lets him feast on martini�s and sushi? Sorry that I didn�t get the opportunity to share a cigar with John, but hoping to be able to make up for that real soon�. One pleace I didn�t want to find myself was having a conversation standing between Steve Feeley and Sal Brajuha � two six and a half footers with my small portly frame between them, must have looked like some sight! It�s always great to see Steve, though, and catch up on going�s on with him � Steve�s retirement was a great loss to us in Brooklyn North, and we�re still trying to make up for it! �. Neil Tasso looked great as always, and the way things are going we may have to start assigning cases to him and Jerry Rupprecht again! �. Porkchop Joe Herbert does still exist! Seriously, it was great to see Joe, who is always busy keeping Terrorists on the run. Joe is another of those great losses we�ve had to endure in Brooklyn North; I miss Joe a lot, and don�t get to see him nearly enough. I know that murder is still in Joe�s heart (I mean that in a good, �buffy� sort of way), and wish I had more time to spend with him�. Does anyone know what happened to Steve Stemmler�s hair? What was that little spike move on top? �. Was that Angel Jimenez walking out with doggie bags of food? �. We�re still trying to make sense out of what happened to a certain Detective in Homicide who volunteered for the department�s peer assistance program, to be a counselor, but was rejected. We wonder what could have gone on at that interview session to be rejected as a volunteer peer counselor? Guess his hope to become a Hostage Negotiator should be re-evaluated?... Speaking of baseball, have you seen the new SNY channel for Mets fans? Jay Genna must be doubly happy - the Mets have their own channel, and their loss to Fox Sports channel has left them with a programming assignment - and it seems they've introduced a Boston Sports show to their network! We all know how much of a Red Sox fan Jay is; one can't wonder if he had anything to do with getting that show onto Fox? .... Remember hockey? Well, the Rangers are gearing up for the playoffs, and playoff tickets are sure to be around. Timmy Duffy has had a smile on his face for a few weeks - could it be Stanley Cup fever? ... Note to Johnny K: The "new" coffee club is great - we have pretzels, peanuts, little tiny chocolate candies, a water cooler - but we have no more milk or sugar! How about some half & half? ... Be safe out there!
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
April 12, 1929 Ptl Andrew McLean-Wood, NFI
April 13, 1961 Ptl Robert Dugo, 6 Pct, LOD heart attack
April 13, 1988 PO Anthony McLean, PSA2, Shot- investigation
April 14, 1907 Ptl George Sechler, 16 Pct, Shot � arrest
April 14, 1929 Ptl William Schmeller, 32 Pct, Accident � auto pursuit
April 15, 1857 Ptl Stephen Hardenbrook, 9Dist MetroPDNY, Stabbed-arrest
April 15, 1932 Ptl James Morrissey, Traffic F, Auto accident on patrol
April 15, 1968 Ptl John Banks, ESU, LOD heart attack
April 16, 1907 Ptl Alfred Selleck, 16 Pct, Shot � arrest
April 16, 1955 Ptl Andrew Reynolds, 107 Pct, Motorcycle accident on patrol
April 17, 1925 Ptl Thomas Kelly, 12 Div, Shot � arrest, GLA
April 17, 1938 Ptl Humbert Morruzzi, 9 Pct, Shot- robbery in progress
April 18, 1936 Ptl Leroy Sheares, 32 Pct, stabbed, arrest
April 19, 1963 Ptl Kenneth Cozier, ESU, LOD heart attack
WISHING ALL A VERY HEALTHY AND HAPPY HOLIDAY!
Spring seems to be busting at the seams; hoping all get a chance to enjoy some quality time with friends and loved ones!
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
PETROSINO PARK
I�ve written previously on this site about Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino � the only NYPD member to have been killed in the line of duty on foreign soil.
Well, a recent article in the New York Sun that was written by James Coll, a Detective assigned to ESU1 adds some additional information that is worth repeating on this site.
It was noted that the intersection of Kenmare and Lafayette Streets in Manhattan is a triangular park named in memory of Lt Joseph Petrosino. (This park is across the street from a bar of very recent notoriety � The Falls.)
Giuseppe Petrosino was appointed to the NYPD on October 19, 1883 (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.
�In March of 1909, newspapers throughout the city, across the nation, and around the world lamented the death of Giuseppe "Joseph" Petrosino. Mourners, estimated at 200,000 strong, turned out to line the streets of the city to watch the funeral casket pass by in procession. He had lived as he had died: A hero of the metropolis.�
Petrosino arrived in New York City in 1873 as a young boy from Salerno, Italy. Only ten years later, not long after sailing into New York Harbor and past the Statue of Liberty to begin his life in America, he found himself among the ranks of the New York City Police Department.
In 1895, Petrosino was appointed detective sergeant by then-Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt.
Petrosino's heritage and commanding presence - despite being only 5 feet, 4 inches tall - made him a natural to lead a new unit known as the Italian Squad. This select group of New York's Finest was a precursor to the present-day Bomb Squad. It was formed to combat the unusually high number of bombings perpetrated by the Black Hand against Italian merchants and shopkeepers who refused to comply with the organized crime syndicate's extortion attempts.
Many immigrants at the turn of the century had been distrustful of patrolmen. Yet in Petrosino and his squad, the cautious new arrivals found men they could trust. Before long, the activity of the arsonists and bomb throwers had been cut in half and, in 1906, Petrosino was rewarded with a promotion to lieutenant.
Lawmakers in Washington in 1907 also tried their hand at putting down such violence with the passage of a law aimed at keeping would-be immigrants determined to commit crimes from coming to America. The law called for the deportation of any immigrant within three years of arrival who had concealed from American officials a previous criminal record in their native country.
Naturally, the department selected the best man for the job to help implement the new legislation. Lt. Petrosino was aware of the dangers such an assignment presented. Despite the threat to his own safety, and with a pregnant wife at home, he traveled to Italy on what was supposed to be a secret assignment investigating the police records of such criminals.
The police commissioner and the mayor, however, were so proud to send Lt. Petrosino to his country of birth that they boasted to reporters, who did their job readily and printed news of the supposedly clandestine excursion. Upon arrival in Palermo, Petrosino was to meet with two men who would provide valuable information.
Instead of meeting informants, as Lt. Petrosino waited beside a statue in Marina Square he was met with an assassin's bullet. The mafia, no doubt, had heard of the lieutenant's arrival as well.�
An aside to this story, added by Ret Sgt Mike Bosak, notes that what the author, James Coll, is kind enough to omit is the fact that Gen. Theodore A. Bingham, an autocratic and headstrong police commissioner (January 1, 1906 - July 1, 1909) had actually announced the above to the world at a press conference. Since the department had actively publicized Petrosino's police career, his Italian heritage, and his work on the 'Black Hand'; it didn't take a brain surgeon to put two and two together. This effectively sealed Petrosino�s fate.
Today, a century after Petrosino made his final, tragic journey across the Atlantic Ocean and as New York detectives are now similarly stationed around the world to combat international crime and terrorism.
The Department of Parks and Recreation recently announced a $2 million renovation project of Lt. Petrosino Square. Preliminary plans call for an expansion of the park and an up-to-date revitalization of the immediate area.
Editors Note: This story illustrates how the official release of confidential law enforcement information can be even more harmful than the unauthorized release of inconsequential information.
SPRING 3100: YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MAY FIND
Looking over an old edition of Spring 3100, from April 1976, uncovered a small blurb that�s worth mentioning.
In the �At Your Command� section, some good collars were noted in the 23 Precinct.
Among them was a good arrest fro Robbery by (now Retired Lt. Joe) FERRARA, and a good burglary arrest by (DB XO- Asst. Chief Robert) GIANELLI. Good work by this crime-fighting duo!
Joe Ferrara just recently retired, noted previously on this site as Lt-CDS of the 75 Squad, this past January with over forty years on the job, and Chief Gianelli is still going strong as the Detective Bureau�s X.O.
By the way, that same issue saw some real estate listed for sale, including an 4-bedroom colonial on 100 x 100 property in Babylon for $42,000, and a 6 room home in the Gibson section of Valley Stream for $46,500. My how real estate prices have changed!
PHILIP MARLOWE, P.I. � WORDS OF WISDOM
Raymond Chandler�s classic gumshoe Philip Marlowe has been described as the quintessential American detective. Starring in such stories as �The Big Sleep�, �Farewell My Lovely� as well as some six other hard-boiled crime fiction collections, he displayed effortless masculinity, smoldering sexuality, and a verbal fleetness that remains the embodiment of cool. He liked liquor, women, and working alone, and combined a rough exterior with an unshakable code of honor.
Here are some quotes on Philip Marlowe�s guide to life.
On Blondes:
�It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick in a stained glass window.�
On Booze:
�There was a sad fellow over on a bar stool talking to the bartender, who was polishing a glass and listening with that plastic smile people wear when they are trying not to scream.�
�I don�t drink. The more I see of people who do, the more glad I am that I don�t.�
On brass knuckles:
�If you�re big enough you don�t need them, and if you need them you�re not big enough to push me around.�
On coffee:
�I went out to the kitchen to make coffee � yards of coffee. Rich, strong, bitter, boiling hot, ruthless, depraved. The life-blood of tired men.�
On cops:
�An honest cop with a bad conscience always acts tough. So does a dishonest cop. So does almost anyone, including me.�
�Cops are just people,� she said irrelevantly. �They start out that way, I�ve heard.�
�He was the kind of cop who spits on his blackjack every night instead of saying his prayers.�
On crime:
�That�s the difference between crime and business. For business you gotta have capital. Sometimes I think it�s the only difference.�
�Crime isn�t a disease, it�s a symptom.�
�We�re a big rough rich wild people and crime is the price we pay for it, and organized crime is the price we pay for organization.�
On dames:
�I like smooth shiny girls, hardboiled and loaded with sin.�
�I didn�t ask to see you. You sent for me. I don�t mind your ritzing me or drinking your lunch out of a Scotch bottle. I don�t mind your showing me your legs. They�re very swell legs and it�s a pleasure to make their acquaintance. I don�t mind if you don�t like my manners. They�re pretty bad. I grieve over them during long winter evenings.�
�Then she lowered her lashes until they almost cuddled her cheeks and slowly raised them again, like a theater curtain. I was to get to know that trick. That was supposed to make me roll over on my back with all four paws in the air.�
On death:
�A dead man is the best fall guy in the world. He never talks back.�
INTERESTING WEB SITES
InfoPlus Internet Directory: Search for someone using just about any fact that you may have about the person.
www.infop.com/phone/isearch.html
Info Space Search: Offers white pages, yellow pages, international listings, government listings and city guides.
www.infospace.com
Internet Address Finder: Find an email address
www.iaf.net
Biographical Dictionary: Contains biographical information on thousands of notable people spanning from present day to ancient times.
www.s9.com/biography
IN MEMORIAM
The last posting to this site noted the line of duty deaths, in 1978 of PO�s Cerullo and Masone of the 79 Pct, and the 1972 murder of Ptl Cardillo of the 28 Precinct.
Please note the following, which has been previously published on this site, but certainly worth repeating for any who may have missed them.
April 2, 1978: PO Norman Cerullo & PO Christie Masone, 79 Pct
Officers Cerullo and Massone were shot after stopping two men on a street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, in the 79 Pct.
The radio car partners were slain in a gun battle in the early hours of April 2, 1978 when they stopped to question 2 men near an alley at Willoughby Street and Throop Avenue, in the 79 Precinct in Brooklyn.
Officer Masone noticed a gun on one of the men and when he attempted to remove it the man began grappling with him. As PO Cerullo came to his partner�s aid, the second suspect opened fire with a 9mm automatic pistol. Although PO Cerullo managed to get four shots off, both he and Masone fell mortally wounded.
The man who attacked Masone was also killed in the gunfire from his former associate.
The killer, although wounded in the groin, managed to flee the scene by car, but only drove a few blocks before he crashed into several parked cars.
Off-duty PO James Dennedy of the 79 Pct Anti-Crime unit arrested the man at the scene of the collision.
Both Cerullo and Masone were highly decorated officers having earned over 34 citations between them.
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. PHILLIP CARDILLO
Ptl. Phillip Cardillo, #26620 of the 28 Precinct, was shot and killed in the line of duty on April 14, 1972, and what has become known as the �Murder at the Harlem Mosque� incident.
This incident, which is one of the most controversial department incidents of recent times, started out with a radio call of an anonymous and unverified �10-13�.
A brother officer's life might have been in, danger. So that was all Ptl Phillip Cardillo and his partner, Ptl. Vito Navarra, of the 28 Pct., were concerned about as they sped to the location transmitted by Sixth Division Radio as "102 West 116 Street, on the second floor," on April 14, 1972.
Arriving first at the scene, the officers raced into the building, which was a Black Muslim Mosque. They heard scuffling on the above floor. As they made it up the staircase they were intercepted by 15 to 20 men who forced the officers to retreat down the stairs and back into the hallway.
Meanwhile, Ptl. Victor Padilla and Ivan Negron, 25 Pct., along with additional units, arrived and entered the premises. The officers, who were out numbered, were then attacked and overwhelmed.
All of them except Ptl. Cardillo, Padilla and Negron were forced out of the building. A steel door was closed behind them.
Ptl. Padilla was then beaten and blackjacked into semi-consciousness while his partner fought off several men who were trying to grab his revolver. With his back to the door, Ptl. Negron suddenly heard shots. He turned and saw a man with a gun in his hand who seemed to be getting up from the floor where Ptl. Cardillo now lay shot. Negron, managing to free himself from his attackers, drew his revolver and fired three shots.
It is not known if the man with the gun was hit; he escaped.
There were 20 to 25 men in the hallway when Ptl. Navarra and Ptl. Rudy Andre, 28 Pct., who had been beaten out of the Mosque moments earlier, broke a glass on the metal door and saw the patrolmen inside on their backs.
They fired several shots through the broken glass into the hallway. This scattered the men who had been assaulting the officers and enabled Ptl. Negron to unbolt the double metal door. During the melee, Ptl. Cardillo and Padilla, seriously injured, had their service revolvers taken from them.
Immediately upon getting out into the street these officers were rushed to St. Luke�s Hospital. Despite intensive efforts on the part of surgeons, hospital personnel and numerous blood donors, a week later Ptl. Cardillo died. His chest wound was inflicted by a bullet fired at such a close distance that powder burns were on his jacket.
Ptl Padilla never fully recovered from the brutal beating he received.
An investigation of the incident disclosed that the original ''assist patrolman" phone call, made by a man who identified himself as a detective, was unfounded. Two men have been arrested on assault charges. The person responsible for Ptl. Cardillo�s murder has never been identified. An Inspector's Funeral was given to Officer Cardillo. The five-year-veteran of the force left behind a wife and three children.
This controversial incident, and the department�s response in the aftermath, was documented in an excellent book by Sonny Grosso, who was one of the officers on the scene that day.
If you ever have the opportunity, I urge you to read this book. Although it�s out of print, you may be able to find a copy in your public library, or on line through one of the used-book-selling sites.
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
April 4, 1947 Ptl Jack Chason, 79 Pct, Shot-robbery
April 5, 1926 Ptl Charles Reilly, 13 Pct, Shot-Robbery arrest
April 5, 1952 Insp Thomas Boylan, Airplane struck auto
April 6, 1937 Ptl Daniel Sullivan, Mcy Unit, motorcycle accident
April 6, 1953 Ptl Sam Katz, 32 Pct, Shot-investigation
April 6, 1955 Ptl John Conlon, 28 Pct, Injuries sustained on patrol
April 10, 1937 Det Michael Foley, 9 Sq, Shot-robbery arrest
April 10, 1950 Ptl Louis Balzano, line of duty incident
April 10, 1960 Ptl Vito Valenzano, 20 Pct, LOD heart attack
April 15, 1857 Ptl Stephen Hardenbrook, NFI
I�ve written previously on this site about Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino � the only NYPD member to have been killed in the line of duty on foreign soil.
Well, a recent article in the New York Sun that was written by James Coll, a Detective assigned to ESU1 adds some additional information that is worth repeating on this site.
It was noted that the intersection of Kenmare and Lafayette Streets in Manhattan is a triangular park named in memory of Lt Joseph Petrosino. (This park is across the street from a bar of very recent notoriety � The Falls.)
Giuseppe Petrosino was appointed to the NYPD on October 19, 1883 (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.
�In March of 1909, newspapers throughout the city, across the nation, and around the world lamented the death of Giuseppe "Joseph" Petrosino. Mourners, estimated at 200,000 strong, turned out to line the streets of the city to watch the funeral casket pass by in procession. He had lived as he had died: A hero of the metropolis.�
Petrosino arrived in New York City in 1873 as a young boy from Salerno, Italy. Only ten years later, not long after sailing into New York Harbor and past the Statue of Liberty to begin his life in America, he found himself among the ranks of the New York City Police Department.
In 1895, Petrosino was appointed detective sergeant by then-Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt.
Petrosino's heritage and commanding presence - despite being only 5 feet, 4 inches tall - made him a natural to lead a new unit known as the Italian Squad. This select group of New York's Finest was a precursor to the present-day Bomb Squad. It was formed to combat the unusually high number of bombings perpetrated by the Black Hand against Italian merchants and shopkeepers who refused to comply with the organized crime syndicate's extortion attempts.
Many immigrants at the turn of the century had been distrustful of patrolmen. Yet in Petrosino and his squad, the cautious new arrivals found men they could trust. Before long, the activity of the arsonists and bomb throwers had been cut in half and, in 1906, Petrosino was rewarded with a promotion to lieutenant.
Lawmakers in Washington in 1907 also tried their hand at putting down such violence with the passage of a law aimed at keeping would-be immigrants determined to commit crimes from coming to America. The law called for the deportation of any immigrant within three years of arrival who had concealed from American officials a previous criminal record in their native country.
Naturally, the department selected the best man for the job to help implement the new legislation. Lt. Petrosino was aware of the dangers such an assignment presented. Despite the threat to his own safety, and with a pregnant wife at home, he traveled to Italy on what was supposed to be a secret assignment investigating the police records of such criminals.
The police commissioner and the mayor, however, were so proud to send Lt. Petrosino to his country of birth that they boasted to reporters, who did their job readily and printed news of the supposedly clandestine excursion. Upon arrival in Palermo, Petrosino was to meet with two men who would provide valuable information.
Instead of meeting informants, as Lt. Petrosino waited beside a statue in Marina Square he was met with an assassin's bullet. The mafia, no doubt, had heard of the lieutenant's arrival as well.�
An aside to this story, added by Ret Sgt Mike Bosak, notes that what the author, James Coll, is kind enough to omit is the fact that Gen. Theodore A. Bingham, an autocratic and headstrong police commissioner (January 1, 1906 - July 1, 1909) had actually announced the above to the world at a press conference. Since the department had actively publicized Petrosino's police career, his Italian heritage, and his work on the 'Black Hand'; it didn't take a brain surgeon to put two and two together. This effectively sealed Petrosino�s fate.
Today, a century after Petrosino made his final, tragic journey across the Atlantic Ocean and as New York detectives are now similarly stationed around the world to combat international crime and terrorism.
The Department of Parks and Recreation recently announced a $2 million renovation project of Lt. Petrosino Square. Preliminary plans call for an expansion of the park and an up-to-date revitalization of the immediate area.
Editors Note: This story illustrates how the official release of confidential law enforcement information can be even more harmful than the unauthorized release of inconsequential information.
SPRING 3100: YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MAY FIND
Looking over an old edition of Spring 3100, from April 1976, uncovered a small blurb that�s worth mentioning.
In the �At Your Command� section, some good collars were noted in the 23 Precinct.
Among them was a good arrest fro Robbery by (now Retired Lt. Joe) FERRARA, and a good burglary arrest by (DB XO- Asst. Chief Robert) GIANELLI. Good work by this crime-fighting duo!
Joe Ferrara just recently retired, noted previously on this site as Lt-CDS of the 75 Squad, this past January with over forty years on the job, and Chief Gianelli is still going strong as the Detective Bureau�s X.O.
By the way, that same issue saw some real estate listed for sale, including an 4-bedroom colonial on 100 x 100 property in Babylon for $42,000, and a 6 room home in the Gibson section of Valley Stream for $46,500. My how real estate prices have changed!
PHILIP MARLOWE, P.I. � WORDS OF WISDOM
Raymond Chandler�s classic gumshoe Philip Marlowe has been described as the quintessential American detective. Starring in such stories as �The Big Sleep�, �Farewell My Lovely� as well as some six other hard-boiled crime fiction collections, he displayed effortless masculinity, smoldering sexuality, and a verbal fleetness that remains the embodiment of cool. He liked liquor, women, and working alone, and combined a rough exterior with an unshakable code of honor.
Here are some quotes on Philip Marlowe�s guide to life.
On Blondes:
�It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick in a stained glass window.�
On Booze:
�There was a sad fellow over on a bar stool talking to the bartender, who was polishing a glass and listening with that plastic smile people wear when they are trying not to scream.�
�I don�t drink. The more I see of people who do, the more glad I am that I don�t.�
On brass knuckles:
�If you�re big enough you don�t need them, and if you need them you�re not big enough to push me around.�
On coffee:
�I went out to the kitchen to make coffee � yards of coffee. Rich, strong, bitter, boiling hot, ruthless, depraved. The life-blood of tired men.�
On cops:
�An honest cop with a bad conscience always acts tough. So does a dishonest cop. So does almost anyone, including me.�
�Cops are just people,� she said irrelevantly. �They start out that way, I�ve heard.�
�He was the kind of cop who spits on his blackjack every night instead of saying his prayers.�
On crime:
�That�s the difference between crime and business. For business you gotta have capital. Sometimes I think it�s the only difference.�
�Crime isn�t a disease, it�s a symptom.�
�We�re a big rough rich wild people and crime is the price we pay for it, and organized crime is the price we pay for organization.�
On dames:
�I like smooth shiny girls, hardboiled and loaded with sin.�
�I didn�t ask to see you. You sent for me. I don�t mind your ritzing me or drinking your lunch out of a Scotch bottle. I don�t mind your showing me your legs. They�re very swell legs and it�s a pleasure to make their acquaintance. I don�t mind if you don�t like my manners. They�re pretty bad. I grieve over them during long winter evenings.�
�Then she lowered her lashes until they almost cuddled her cheeks and slowly raised them again, like a theater curtain. I was to get to know that trick. That was supposed to make me roll over on my back with all four paws in the air.�
On death:
�A dead man is the best fall guy in the world. He never talks back.�
INTERESTING WEB SITES
InfoPlus Internet Directory: Search for someone using just about any fact that you may have about the person.
www.infop.com/phone/isearch.html
Info Space Search: Offers white pages, yellow pages, international listings, government listings and city guides.
www.infospace.com
Internet Address Finder: Find an email address
www.iaf.net
Biographical Dictionary: Contains biographical information on thousands of notable people spanning from present day to ancient times.
www.s9.com/biography
IN MEMORIAM
The last posting to this site noted the line of duty deaths, in 1978 of PO�s Cerullo and Masone of the 79 Pct, and the 1972 murder of Ptl Cardillo of the 28 Precinct.
Please note the following, which has been previously published on this site, but certainly worth repeating for any who may have missed them.
April 2, 1978: PO Norman Cerullo & PO Christie Masone, 79 Pct
Officers Cerullo and Massone were shot after stopping two men on a street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, in the 79 Pct.
The radio car partners were slain in a gun battle in the early hours of April 2, 1978 when they stopped to question 2 men near an alley at Willoughby Street and Throop Avenue, in the 79 Precinct in Brooklyn.
Officer Masone noticed a gun on one of the men and when he attempted to remove it the man began grappling with him. As PO Cerullo came to his partner�s aid, the second suspect opened fire with a 9mm automatic pistol. Although PO Cerullo managed to get four shots off, both he and Masone fell mortally wounded.
The man who attacked Masone was also killed in the gunfire from his former associate.
The killer, although wounded in the groin, managed to flee the scene by car, but only drove a few blocks before he crashed into several parked cars.
Off-duty PO James Dennedy of the 79 Pct Anti-Crime unit arrested the man at the scene of the collision.
Both Cerullo and Masone were highly decorated officers having earned over 34 citations between them.
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. PHILLIP CARDILLO
Ptl. Phillip Cardillo, #26620 of the 28 Precinct, was shot and killed in the line of duty on April 14, 1972, and what has become known as the �Murder at the Harlem Mosque� incident.
This incident, which is one of the most controversial department incidents of recent times, started out with a radio call of an anonymous and unverified �10-13�.
A brother officer's life might have been in, danger. So that was all Ptl Phillip Cardillo and his partner, Ptl. Vito Navarra, of the 28 Pct., were concerned about as they sped to the location transmitted by Sixth Division Radio as "102 West 116 Street, on the second floor," on April 14, 1972.
Arriving first at the scene, the officers raced into the building, which was a Black Muslim Mosque. They heard scuffling on the above floor. As they made it up the staircase they were intercepted by 15 to 20 men who forced the officers to retreat down the stairs and back into the hallway.
Meanwhile, Ptl. Victor Padilla and Ivan Negron, 25 Pct., along with additional units, arrived and entered the premises. The officers, who were out numbered, were then attacked and overwhelmed.
All of them except Ptl. Cardillo, Padilla and Negron were forced out of the building. A steel door was closed behind them.
Ptl. Padilla was then beaten and blackjacked into semi-consciousness while his partner fought off several men who were trying to grab his revolver. With his back to the door, Ptl. Negron suddenly heard shots. He turned and saw a man with a gun in his hand who seemed to be getting up from the floor where Ptl. Cardillo now lay shot. Negron, managing to free himself from his attackers, drew his revolver and fired three shots.
It is not known if the man with the gun was hit; he escaped.
There were 20 to 25 men in the hallway when Ptl. Navarra and Ptl. Rudy Andre, 28 Pct., who had been beaten out of the Mosque moments earlier, broke a glass on the metal door and saw the patrolmen inside on their backs.
They fired several shots through the broken glass into the hallway. This scattered the men who had been assaulting the officers and enabled Ptl. Negron to unbolt the double metal door. During the melee, Ptl. Cardillo and Padilla, seriously injured, had their service revolvers taken from them.
Immediately upon getting out into the street these officers were rushed to St. Luke�s Hospital. Despite intensive efforts on the part of surgeons, hospital personnel and numerous blood donors, a week later Ptl. Cardillo died. His chest wound was inflicted by a bullet fired at such a close distance that powder burns were on his jacket.
Ptl Padilla never fully recovered from the brutal beating he received.
An investigation of the incident disclosed that the original ''assist patrolman" phone call, made by a man who identified himself as a detective, was unfounded. Two men have been arrested on assault charges. The person responsible for Ptl. Cardillo�s murder has never been identified. An Inspector's Funeral was given to Officer Cardillo. The five-year-veteran of the force left behind a wife and three children.
This controversial incident, and the department�s response in the aftermath, was documented in an excellent book by Sonny Grosso, who was one of the officers on the scene that day.
If you ever have the opportunity, I urge you to read this book. Although it�s out of print, you may be able to find a copy in your public library, or on line through one of the used-book-selling sites.
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
April 4, 1947 Ptl Jack Chason, 79 Pct, Shot-robbery
April 5, 1926 Ptl Charles Reilly, 13 Pct, Shot-Robbery arrest
April 5, 1952 Insp Thomas Boylan, Airplane struck auto
April 6, 1937 Ptl Daniel Sullivan, Mcy Unit, motorcycle accident
April 6, 1953 Ptl Sam Katz, 32 Pct, Shot-investigation
April 6, 1955 Ptl John Conlon, 28 Pct, Injuries sustained on patrol
April 10, 1937 Det Michael Foley, 9 Sq, Shot-robbery arrest
April 10, 1950 Ptl Louis Balzano, line of duty incident
April 10, 1960 Ptl Vito Valenzano, 20 Pct, LOD heart attack
April 15, 1857 Ptl Stephen Hardenbrook, NFI
