�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
Monday, June 12, 2006
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
Monday, March 27, 2006
"No serious investigator who has worked in law enforcement for any substantial amount of time can walk away from their investigative mind set, any more than birds can learn to enjoy walking".
JUSTICE IN AMERICA
The United States recently became the most incarcerating country in the world, with a greater share of its population � 724 per 100,000 residents � in prisons and jails. Over 2.1 million people incarcerated as of December 31, 2004.
At the same time, there were 4.8 million adults on parole or probation.
These figures represent nearly 131,000 more than there were in 2002. According to recent Bureau of Justice statistics, 650,000 people are incarcerated in jails and prisons every day.
Did you know that in 2000, nearly 15 million Americans spent more than $60 billion to buy illegal drugs? Americans use 50 percent of the world�s cocaine, but comprise only about 6 percent of the world�s population.
Between 1960 and 1998, the population of the US increased by 50 percent. During the same period, the number of crimes reported to the police increased by almost 145 percent.
Every 54 hours a police officer is killed in the line of duty.
Almost two-thirds of defendants charged with a felony in the 75 most populated counties of the country in May 1996 were released from jail pending disposition of their case. Thirty-one percent of those released were rearrested for a new offense, did not show up for a court date or violated some other condition of their pretrial release.
In 1976, 79 percent of homicides nationwide were cleared by arrest compared to 66 percent in 1997.
The failure of 30 percent of US businesses has for many years been linked to employee theft. In the retail industry in 2000, 44.5 percent of all lost revenue � inventory shrinkage � was due to employee theft; 32.7 percent was due to shoplifting.
Some other alarming prison statistics indicate that there are over 700,000 parolees in the US and over 3.6 million probationers. The average incarceration period in the US state prisons in 1998 for murder was 8.6 years; for rape it was 5.5 years; for drugs it was 1.8 years.
ORGANIZE AND ASSOCIATE
There are a multitude of associations and organizations for investigators in the private sector. Some organized by specialty, others by geographic area.
Here�s a listing of some of the more unusual.
There is a European Council of Detectives. You can check their web site at:
www.euro-detectives.org
The Professional Investigators and Security Association
Based in Charlottesville, VA, they can be found at: www.pisa.gen.va.us
National Defender Investigator Association.
www.ndia.net
National Association of Legal Investigators.
This association represents private investigators who conduct work for the defense. They also have a national accreditation program.
www.NALI.com
The Council of International Investigators, headquartered in Singapore.
www.cii2.ord
World Association of Detectives. This international group hosts an annual convention that brings detectives from� all over the world (where else?)! Claim to be the largest and oldest association of its kind in the world.
www.wad.net
YOU CAN�T MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Here are some excerpts of actual conversations heard in and around Squad rooms. Some during interviews, some by� detectives?
�They were all conversating.
We conversated telephonically.
They were living domesticatarly.
They�re habitating.
Seeking the location of his whereabouts.
He was of Jamaican assessment.
Seeking to identify his identification.
Identified a pattern of unrelated crimes.
He was wearing a multi-colored white t-shirt.
He is known to congregate by himself.
The eyewitness is blind and didn�t see anything.
They went into a feet pursuit.
He has numerical arrests on his rap sheet.
The bus driver was working off duty at the time.
The information was received from an anonymous CI.
His sister states she was not related to her brother.
The suspicious package was examined and determined to be not suspicious.
The unarmed security guard fired 2 shots at the perp.
All the calls that day happened another day.
FREE 411
Free directory assistance and long distance dialing?
There is a new company that provides free directory assistance and long distance calling when connecting through their directory assistance.
The new service, at 1-800-FREE411, could make paying for directory assistance a thing of the past.
Too good to be true? Not as long as your willing to sit through a 10-second ad. The service is funded not by consumers paying to access it, as the conventional directory assistance is, but by companies that pay to have callers hear their ads while they wait for listings.
You can check out their web site at www.free411.com.
�COME IN DICK TRACY�
Remember the old Dick Tracy cartoons? Remember Dick Tracy�s wristwatch that he used to call for assistance? Well, it�s here.
There is a digital voice recorder that also functions as an MP3 player � and a wrist watch!
The fully functional watch is also a media player with 256MB flash memory built in which will allow you to record up to 9 hours of voice recording, as well as download MP3 music files.
You can play back the recording with an easy USB plug and play, or play back via stereo headphones or window media player.
Available for $189.95 at www.PIgear.com
Imagine the investigative potential of recording a conversation from a wristwatch?
WHERE DID THAT CAR COME FROM?
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has created an online database consiting of motor vehicles or boats affected by Huricanes Katrina and Rita for the public to search in an effort to protect them from fraudulent sellers.
The online data is made available to law enforcement, state fraud bureaus, insurance companies and state departments of motor vehicles. The NICB is also making the data available to the general public to help protect buyers against fraud.
Effective immediately, anyone can log on to www.nicb.org and query a suspected VIN free of charge, against the regularly updated database to find out if there is a match.
For more information on NICB and disaster fraud, visit their web site.
You can also call 1-800-TEL-NICB.
UPDATE ON IDENTITY THEFT
Greater consumer awareness regarding identity theft issues has resulted in a drop in the actual number of identity fraud victims nationwide, although the dollar amount per loss has increased.
Last year, about 4 percent of US adults, or 8.9 million people, had their personal data stolen and used in fraud.
The average dollar loss per victim increased from $5885 in 2004 to $6383 in 2005.
The Federal Trade Commission�s latest study confirmed that ID fraud complaints topped its list of consumer complaints in 2005. Of the 686,000 complaints, 255,000 were identity theft related.
Internet related complaints accounted for 46 percent of all fraud complaints.
The major metropolitan areas with the highest per capita rates of consumer fraud reported were Washington, DC; Tampa/St Petersburg/Clearwater FL; and Seattle WA.
Credit card fraud was the most common for of reported identity theft, followed by phone and utilities fraud, bank fraud, and employment fraud.
The major metropolitan areas with the highest per capita rates of reported identity theft were Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, AZ; Las Vegas NV; and Riverside/San Bernardino CA.
A NOTE FROM THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION
Any regular reader of this blog, who is somewhat familiar with current news, will associate the lack of updates with an increase in work here in Brooklyn North.
Looking back, I realized I neglected to post anything new to this site during the month of February 2006. I think even my more critical readers will realize that is not a common occurrence - I usually have news waiting to be posted, yet this past month has been unusually busy in the North.
I�ll try not to let that happen again! My staff let me down, leaving all the writing to myself. (Oh, I forgot � I have no staff. Sorry.)
In the over 375 postings I have made to this blog since I started it almost five years ago, I have tried to remain true to a certain standard. I will not use this space as a �rant� � I will not take your time to listen to gripes and moans about any aspect of this job. You can find that in other places. I intended to use this space to share information with investigators � tips, unusual web sites, and entertainment. Sometimes I succeed, other times I may fail � but I continue to try my best. I enjoy hearing about the history of this department, and of detectives. Some may call me a buff � alright, I may even call myself that � but if you�ve been reading closely, you know that the term is now an affectionate one. So be it. In any event, you will not see me criticizing leadership or decisions of this department or of this job in general, not on this site, anyway. At such time that I can no longer stick to this standard, I will stop writing. I like being a detective (yes, I still consider myself a detective), and I am proud of my history as a Transit cop and an NYPD Detective Commander. I grew up with cops, and never tire of hearing of �old-time� war stories. After spending 25 years as the police, I realize now that my stories are considered by many to be �old-time�. Go figure that!
It is still very satisfying to me to spend a few hours with a group in a CIC class, or at the Homicide Course, taking the time to try and help educate � train � others for this calling we have taken up � Detective work.
A Detective � the Police � no finer calling is there.
Anyway, enough said. Thank you for listening. Sometimes, when discouragement strikes, you need to step back and evaluate. As I tell the new rookies who I instruct them about Crime Scenes and Investigations, �work should be fun�. Louie Croce told me that fifteen years ago. Yes, work should be fun. When you are doing exactly what you want to do, then you are successful. And happy.
Be safe� and remember, work should be fun!
CONTACTING THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION...
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
March 22, 1932 Ptl George Myers, Line of duty injury
March 23, 1986 PO James Holmes, PSA3, Shot-off duty robbery
March 26, 1949 Ptl Anthony Oetheimer, 114 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
March 26, 1992 PO Joseph Alcamo, 100 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
March 27, 1921 Ptl Joseph Connelly, 10 Div, Shot-investigation
March 27, 1944 Ptl Arthur Eggers, Traffic C, Auto accident on patrol
March 28, 1922 Ptl James Baker, 83 Pct, Motorcycle accident
March 31, 1914 Ptl Thomas Wynn, 155 Pct, Arrest-robbery
March 31, 2002 Det Jamie Betancourt, BxNarco, Stabbed- o/d dispute
April 2, 1914 Det Joseph Guarneri, DetDiv, Shot-arrest
April 2, 1930 Ptl Thomas Harnett, 13 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
April 2, 1978 PO Christie Massone and PO Norman Cerullo, 79 Pct, Shot-car stop
April 3, 1953 Ptl John Pendegrass, 32 Pct, Shot-robbery
April 3, 1972 Ptl Phillip Cardillo, 28 Pct, Shot-investigation
JUSTICE IN AMERICA
The United States recently became the most incarcerating country in the world, with a greater share of its population � 724 per 100,000 residents � in prisons and jails. Over 2.1 million people incarcerated as of December 31, 2004.
At the same time, there were 4.8 million adults on parole or probation.
These figures represent nearly 131,000 more than there were in 2002. According to recent Bureau of Justice statistics, 650,000 people are incarcerated in jails and prisons every day.
Did you know that in 2000, nearly 15 million Americans spent more than $60 billion to buy illegal drugs? Americans use 50 percent of the world�s cocaine, but comprise only about 6 percent of the world�s population.
Between 1960 and 1998, the population of the US increased by 50 percent. During the same period, the number of crimes reported to the police increased by almost 145 percent.
Every 54 hours a police officer is killed in the line of duty.
Almost two-thirds of defendants charged with a felony in the 75 most populated counties of the country in May 1996 were released from jail pending disposition of their case. Thirty-one percent of those released were rearrested for a new offense, did not show up for a court date or violated some other condition of their pretrial release.
In 1976, 79 percent of homicides nationwide were cleared by arrest compared to 66 percent in 1997.
The failure of 30 percent of US businesses has for many years been linked to employee theft. In the retail industry in 2000, 44.5 percent of all lost revenue � inventory shrinkage � was due to employee theft; 32.7 percent was due to shoplifting.
Some other alarming prison statistics indicate that there are over 700,000 parolees in the US and over 3.6 million probationers. The average incarceration period in the US state prisons in 1998 for murder was 8.6 years; for rape it was 5.5 years; for drugs it was 1.8 years.
ORGANIZE AND ASSOCIATE
There are a multitude of associations and organizations for investigators in the private sector. Some organized by specialty, others by geographic area.
Here�s a listing of some of the more unusual.
There is a European Council of Detectives. You can check their web site at:
www.euro-detectives.org
The Professional Investigators and Security Association
Based in Charlottesville, VA, they can be found at: www.pisa.gen.va.us
National Defender Investigator Association.
www.ndia.net
National Association of Legal Investigators.
This association represents private investigators who conduct work for the defense. They also have a national accreditation program.
www.NALI.com
The Council of International Investigators, headquartered in Singapore.
www.cii2.ord
World Association of Detectives. This international group hosts an annual convention that brings detectives from� all over the world (where else?)! Claim to be the largest and oldest association of its kind in the world.
www.wad.net
YOU CAN�T MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Here are some excerpts of actual conversations heard in and around Squad rooms. Some during interviews, some by� detectives?
�They were all conversating.
We conversated telephonically.
They were living domesticatarly.
They�re habitating.
Seeking the location of his whereabouts.
He was of Jamaican assessment.
Seeking to identify his identification.
Identified a pattern of unrelated crimes.
He was wearing a multi-colored white t-shirt.
He is known to congregate by himself.
The eyewitness is blind and didn�t see anything.
They went into a feet pursuit.
He has numerical arrests on his rap sheet.
The bus driver was working off duty at the time.
The information was received from an anonymous CI.
His sister states she was not related to her brother.
The suspicious package was examined and determined to be not suspicious.
The unarmed security guard fired 2 shots at the perp.
All the calls that day happened another day.
FREE 411
Free directory assistance and long distance dialing?
There is a new company that provides free directory assistance and long distance calling when connecting through their directory assistance.
The new service, at 1-800-FREE411, could make paying for directory assistance a thing of the past.
Too good to be true? Not as long as your willing to sit through a 10-second ad. The service is funded not by consumers paying to access it, as the conventional directory assistance is, but by companies that pay to have callers hear their ads while they wait for listings.
You can check out their web site at www.free411.com.
�COME IN DICK TRACY�
Remember the old Dick Tracy cartoons? Remember Dick Tracy�s wristwatch that he used to call for assistance? Well, it�s here.
There is a digital voice recorder that also functions as an MP3 player � and a wrist watch!
The fully functional watch is also a media player with 256MB flash memory built in which will allow you to record up to 9 hours of voice recording, as well as download MP3 music files.
You can play back the recording with an easy USB plug and play, or play back via stereo headphones or window media player.
Available for $189.95 at www.PIgear.com
Imagine the investigative potential of recording a conversation from a wristwatch?
WHERE DID THAT CAR COME FROM?
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has created an online database consiting of motor vehicles or boats affected by Huricanes Katrina and Rita for the public to search in an effort to protect them from fraudulent sellers.
The online data is made available to law enforcement, state fraud bureaus, insurance companies and state departments of motor vehicles. The NICB is also making the data available to the general public to help protect buyers against fraud.
Effective immediately, anyone can log on to www.nicb.org and query a suspected VIN free of charge, against the regularly updated database to find out if there is a match.
For more information on NICB and disaster fraud, visit their web site.
You can also call 1-800-TEL-NICB.
UPDATE ON IDENTITY THEFT
Greater consumer awareness regarding identity theft issues has resulted in a drop in the actual number of identity fraud victims nationwide, although the dollar amount per loss has increased.
Last year, about 4 percent of US adults, or 8.9 million people, had their personal data stolen and used in fraud.
The average dollar loss per victim increased from $5885 in 2004 to $6383 in 2005.
The Federal Trade Commission�s latest study confirmed that ID fraud complaints topped its list of consumer complaints in 2005. Of the 686,000 complaints, 255,000 were identity theft related.
Internet related complaints accounted for 46 percent of all fraud complaints.
The major metropolitan areas with the highest per capita rates of consumer fraud reported were Washington, DC; Tampa/St Petersburg/Clearwater FL; and Seattle WA.
Credit card fraud was the most common for of reported identity theft, followed by phone and utilities fraud, bank fraud, and employment fraud.
The major metropolitan areas with the highest per capita rates of reported identity theft were Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, AZ; Las Vegas NV; and Riverside/San Bernardino CA.
A NOTE FROM THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION
Any regular reader of this blog, who is somewhat familiar with current news, will associate the lack of updates with an increase in work here in Brooklyn North.
Looking back, I realized I neglected to post anything new to this site during the month of February 2006. I think even my more critical readers will realize that is not a common occurrence - I usually have news waiting to be posted, yet this past month has been unusually busy in the North.
I�ll try not to let that happen again! My staff let me down, leaving all the writing to myself. (Oh, I forgot � I have no staff. Sorry.)
In the over 375 postings I have made to this blog since I started it almost five years ago, I have tried to remain true to a certain standard. I will not use this space as a �rant� � I will not take your time to listen to gripes and moans about any aspect of this job. You can find that in other places. I intended to use this space to share information with investigators � tips, unusual web sites, and entertainment. Sometimes I succeed, other times I may fail � but I continue to try my best. I enjoy hearing about the history of this department, and of detectives. Some may call me a buff � alright, I may even call myself that � but if you�ve been reading closely, you know that the term is now an affectionate one. So be it. In any event, you will not see me criticizing leadership or decisions of this department or of this job in general, not on this site, anyway. At such time that I can no longer stick to this standard, I will stop writing. I like being a detective (yes, I still consider myself a detective), and I am proud of my history as a Transit cop and an NYPD Detective Commander. I grew up with cops, and never tire of hearing of �old-time� war stories. After spending 25 years as the police, I realize now that my stories are considered by many to be �old-time�. Go figure that!
It is still very satisfying to me to spend a few hours with a group in a CIC class, or at the Homicide Course, taking the time to try and help educate � train � others for this calling we have taken up � Detective work.
A Detective � the Police � no finer calling is there.
Anyway, enough said. Thank you for listening. Sometimes, when discouragement strikes, you need to step back and evaluate. As I tell the new rookies who I instruct them about Crime Scenes and Investigations, �work should be fun�. Louie Croce told me that fifteen years ago. Yes, work should be fun. When you are doing exactly what you want to do, then you are successful. And happy.
Be safe� and remember, work should be fun!
CONTACTING THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION...
Can easily be done by dropping an e-mail to:
I'm always looking for new material, interesting web sites, investigative tips, etc.
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
March 22, 1932 Ptl George Myers, Line of duty injury
March 23, 1986 PO James Holmes, PSA3, Shot-off duty robbery
March 26, 1949 Ptl Anthony Oetheimer, 114 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
March 26, 1992 PO Joseph Alcamo, 100 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
March 27, 1921 Ptl Joseph Connelly, 10 Div, Shot-investigation
March 27, 1944 Ptl Arthur Eggers, Traffic C, Auto accident on patrol
March 28, 1922 Ptl James Baker, 83 Pct, Motorcycle accident
March 31, 1914 Ptl Thomas Wynn, 155 Pct, Arrest-robbery
March 31, 2002 Det Jamie Betancourt, BxNarco, Stabbed- o/d dispute
April 2, 1914 Det Joseph Guarneri, DetDiv, Shot-arrest
April 2, 1930 Ptl Thomas Harnett, 13 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
April 2, 1978 PO Christie Massone and PO Norman Cerullo, 79 Pct, Shot-car stop
April 3, 1953 Ptl John Pendegrass, 32 Pct, Shot-robbery
April 3, 1972 Ptl Phillip Cardillo, 28 Pct, Shot-investigation
Monday, March 20, 2006
�The key to any leader is the team he or she has.�
James Dallas, CEO Georgia Pacific
DEPARTMENT MEDALS & THE HONOR LEGION
Thanks to Ret. Sgt Mike Bosak, and Ret Det1 John Reilly, for some historical information of interest.
It seems that up to the present, the belief has always been that the first department issued medals were issued in 1871, and the Honor Legion�s date of inception was 1900.
Their research has indicated otherwise. The correct date of origin for both should be May 26, 1855.
On that date, the N.Y.C. Municipal Police Department had its first ever police parade and review, along with a medal day ceremony on the steps of City Hall.
Almost the entire department, somewhere between 900 to a 1,000 police officers, attended the ceremonies, where seven silver medals were awarded by Mayor Fernando Wood and NYC�s first 'Chief of Police' George W. Matsell.
Later that night there was a formal dinner to honor these seven medal winners and induct them into the newly minted NYC Police �Legion of Honor�.
WHAT ABOUT THAT SHOOFLY?
In an earlier posting I asked some of our senior readers to try and answer a few questions regarding derivation of some common NYPD terms. I received the following regarding �hairbag� and �shoofly�.
Keeping in mind that a clear-cut definition and derivation is hard to establish, these certainly seem to make sense. For now, anyway.
It seems that for as long as most can remember "hairbag" was used to refer to an older cop who was a complainer.
"Hairbag" was probably derived from the fact that his older wool uniform was starting to pill or show loose threads from lack of care or replacement. The assumption was that he had no pride in his appearance to take care of it. To be considered a "hairbag" was not a good thing, although today some younger cops say that that's not true anymore. A "hairbag" is just a veteran cop. Likewise a "buff" used to be a civilian who was cop fan or collector of police memorabilia. Today, though, a cop's cop can be called a "buff" - and it is a compliment.
The origin of "shoo-fly" is a little more difficult to discern. It has been assumed by many that it was like the Pennsylvania Dutch Shoo-fly pie. Shoo-fly pies are very sticky and you'd have to constantly shoo away the flies from it while it was cooling down or they would stick to it. Shoo the flies away and they would scatter. Cooping cops would likewise scatter when the inspector came around hence "shoo-fly"?
Anyone have any better idea, please pass them along to:
Ltjac77@yahoo.com
FOR THE FASHIONABLE DETECTIVE: GET A HAT?
The March 2006 issue of GQ had a rather interesting letter to �The Style Guy�, that I thought was worth repeating here.
The writer states that he �is a 33 year-old-white-male-detective at a major metropolitan police department� who �recently purchased a black fedora to wear with my suits at work.� Apparently he has been receiving the �typical amount of ridicule from coworkers� � if you can believe that!
The response from the GQ Style Guy follows: �Those attempting to ridicule you are probably alarmed that you are injecting style into their midst and therefore making them look even more noticeably lame. The best had advice I ever got was from my grandfather, a senatorial homburg wearer: �Always tip your hat when you meet a lady, when a funeral passes, and when you walk past a church. And never buy a car that you have to take your hat off to drive.�
It was noted as well that the hat worn by Popeye Doyle � the character played by Gene Hackman in French Connection � was a porkpie hat. That was a short-brimmed hat that is not a fedora and which connotes a lower class and a shorter fuse!
INVESTIGATIVE ROLODEX
Don�t forget the ability of the Real Time Crime Center to seek �Reverse Phone Listings� during an investigation.
You may have to specifically ask them to do so, but they have the ability to research in two separate databases a telephone number you may be trying to identify.
When seeking subscriber information, be sure to ask them to check the phone number in both �ACCURINT� and in �INTERSEC� databases.
Doing so may help to identify a subscriber to a phone number you are seeking.
BENEFIT FOR A FRIEND
Once again I ask that you open your hearts & your wallets for our extended family.
On March 23rd at 7:00 pm there is a 10-13 party for one of our own.
The location is Mulcahy's Pub and Music Hall located at 3232 Railroad Ave,Wantagh, NY. FOP Lodge #317 member Detective Michael Hopkins, of the Brooklyn South Homicide Squad & formerly of District 34, needs our help. He and his wife had triplets 2 years ago, but unfortunately one of them, his young son Joseph, has been diagnosed with a raredisease, Tuberous Sclerosis. Michael's medical bills have become astronomical and his friends are coming to his aid.
Donations of $40 perp person will allow your entry, which includes door prizes, raffles, hot and cold food as well as some great musical entertainment.
If you are unable to attend and would like to make a donation, you may do so by contacting Lt Bob Casazza, BSHS or any BSHS MOS. I will also be collecting and selling tickets from BNHS.
In addition, Sgt Mike Fanning of Hate Crimes, an FOP Board Member, has indicated that he would be happy to collect these funds & make sure they are delivered to Michael & Suzanne.
You can mail them to:
Hopkins 10-13
c/o FOP #317
PO Box 40
Bethpage, NY 11714
LEGAL BRIEF: THE DAVIS RULE
What should you do when a suspect who waived his Miranda rights says he might want a lawyer?
This is the question that the US Supreme Court recently ruled on.
WHILE I AM PRESENTING THE FACTS ACCORDING TO THE US SUPREME COURT RULING, THIS IN NO WAY IS MEANT AS A GUIDE IN A NEW YORK STATE COURT! ALWAYS REFER TO THE DEPARTMENT�S LEGAL BUREAU, OR THE DA OFFICE, FOR PARTICULAR RULINGS. THIS IS MEANT FOR THE FURTHERANCE OF THE INVESTIGATORS LEGAL KNOWLEDGE!
A fairly common scenario, you obtain a valid Miranda waiver from a suspect in custody and begin interrogation. Part way through your questioning, the suspect begins to feel uneasy about going forward and says something about remaining silent or talking to a lawyer. What then? Must you stop interrogating? Do you need to clarify his wishes? Or can you keep talking?
The US Supreme Court gave the answers in Davis v. U.S.
The Supreme Court acknowledged its earlier ruling in Edwards v. Arizona that a statement obtained through police custodial interrogation will not be admitted to prove guilt at trial if it resulted from questioning that continued after the suspect�s request for an attorney. But where it is not necessarily clear that a suspect who has already waived his rights is asking for an attorney, the court declined to place burden of resolving the ambiguity on the police.
�If a suspect makes a reference to an attorney that is ambiguous or equivocal in that a reasonable officer in light of the circumstances would have understood only that the suspect might be invoking the right to counsel, our precedents do not require the cessation of questioning. Rather, the suspect must unambiguously request counsel. He must articulate his desire to have counsel present sufficiently clearly that a reasonable police officer in the circumstances would understand the statement to be a request for an attorney.� Finding that the statement, �Maybe I should talk to a lawyer,� was not an unequivocal, unambiguous invocation of the right to counsel, the court upheld the admission of Davis�s statements and unanimously affirmed his conviction and sentence.
The five-member majority held that it is not necessary for officers to stop an interrogation when the suspect makes an ambiguous reference to invoking his rights.
There are no magic words that a suspect has to use to constitute a clear and unambiguous invocation of Miranda.
Certainly a statement such as �No more questions�, or �I want a lawyer� are unambiguous.
Wishy-washy qualifications such as �I think�� or �Maybe I should�� would normally be ambiguous enough to come within the Davis rule that there is no need to clarify the suspect�s wishes and no need to stop questioning.
It is further noted that the Davis ruling only applies where the suspect initially gave a clear, unambiguous waiver when given initially given his Miranda rights. Once he has waived, the burden shifts to him to clearly, unambiguously assert his rights if he wants questioning to cease.
For example, if the suspect responds to the Miranda admonishment by saying something like, �I think maybe I should get a lawyer,� you should not proceed without clarifying whether or not you have an invocation of counsel. It�s only after a clean waiver has been obtained that the Davis rule kicks.
NOTE: NOT all states follow the US Supreme Court rulings on exclusionary issues. States are free to interpret their own constitutions as providing greater protection to criminals than the US Constitution provides. Where do you suppose New York State falls??
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. THOMAS SCHIMENTI
On August 17, 1979, PO Thomas Schimenti of the MTS Precinct was killed in the line of duty.
The young bandit had just bolted from an East 41st Street bank and turned north towards Grand Central Station when a passerby yelled to PO Schimenti, �Hey! That man just robbed the bank.� PO Schimenti, who was on foot patrol, drew his service revolver and gave chase, shouting into his walkie-talkie as he ran. While PO Schimenti pursued, two detectives passing in an unmarked car joined the chase. They corned their man at the 42nd street store entrance in the Terminal building where the gunman turned and opened fire point blank. PO Schimenti took a fatal bullet in his chest, and Detective Gregory P. Demetriou, NYDAO, was wounded. The suspect sprinted away but was caught, slightly wounded, under a car nearby. PO Schimenti is survived by his wife Diane and daughters.
In the 1981 book, STREET COPS, author Jill Freedman, who spent time working with the MOS from MTS and the 9 Pct, had this to say about PO Schimenti:
�Male sure you tell about Tommy,� he said.
�How it was true what they said at his funeral, he was a good man and everyone loved him. How the people on his post cried when they heard. He was good, Tommy. Put that in your book.�
Tommy Schimenti had a steady foot post. He loved being out there on the street, knowing everybody, everybody knowing him. This was his last one and it was a gorgeous day. As soon as he finished, his wife and kids were picking him up in the camper, packed and ready to go. Two whole weeks in the mountains. One of the guys offered to work for him so he could take off early, but he said no thanks, he wanted to say goodbye to some people. Then there was a bank robber running down the street and when they cornered the guy he shot Tommy in the chest. It was the first time he ever fired a gun. Tommy died. Now his plaque is up in the station house next to the other ones. He�s smiling, like he always used to.�
A NOTED PASSING OF A MOB FIGHTER: KENNETH MCCABE
I saw recently that KENNETH MCCABE, a retired Detective and investigator with the US Attorney�s Office, passed away this past month, after a year-long battle with cancer.
Kenny McCabe was the premier figure in law enforcement�s fight against organized crime in New York City.
I first met Ken several years ago, just prior to John Barba�s retirement from the 77 Squad, while we were looking into an old homicide from the 77 that had mob connections. I have never met a more knowledgeable, professional investigator with such a memory for names, facts, and locations. A very unassuming character, as big as he was, who would take the time to help out another detective whenever asked.
For more than three decades McCabe handled government cooperators, making cases against the mob while following their every move with a camera. His work provided the backbone for dozens of successful prosecutions, including those of the late John Gotti and his brother Peter Gotti, that have left the city�s Mafia families weakened to the point of near extinction.
According to a story in the Daily News, McCabe�s intense preparation and his shun-the-spotlight manner won the 6-foot, 6-inch former college basketball player the respect of colleagues, and of the mobsters he arrested. They would regularly counsel their attorneys not to ask McCabe a question when he took the witness stand, said former Manhattan US Attorney David Kelley.
�The mob is all about playing by the rules,� said Kelley. �He didn�t lie. He dealt with them fairly. They got arrested fair and square.�
A story that went around has McCabe conducting surveillance from his car when a wiseguy ambled up to him and said �You know, Kenney, I�m thinking of retiring. I�m getting too old for this.� To which, McCabe repled, �Make sure it�s someplace warm because I�m tired of freezing out here.�
Mob informant Michael (Mikey Scars) DiLeonardo, testifying at the recent Junior Gotti kidnapping trial, was asked to identify a surveillance photo and noted �it was probably taken by McCabe, he was relentless.�
It was these surveillance photos that helped allow prosecutors to piece together mob associations and link them together at key moments in a conspiracy. In some of these shots, smiling mobsters wave hello to McCabe. McCabe was also known to scour the death notices for the names of mobsters so he could be sure and pay his respects; he would even turn up at their weddings, where they�d greet him with a slice of cake and coffee that he always refused.
Kenneth McCabe was only 59 years old when he died. The law enforcement community lost a legend. We salute you, Ken.
HELP FOR THE FAMILY OF PO HARRY RYMAN
Please go to the site listed to sign the �Online Petition Against the Parole of the killers of PO Harry Ryman�.
Online Petition - "Petition against parole for New York cop killers"
http://www.gopetition.com/region/237/8160.html
On August 14, 1980 PO Harry R Ryman of the 60 Pct was off duty and sleeping in his residence, located within the confines of the 63rd precinct in Brooklyn.After being awakened as the result of suspicious noises on the street, PO Ryman equipped himself with his shield and off-duty revolver and went to investigate. He observed 3 males attempting to steal a car.Officer Ryman identifed himself as a police officer and was fired upon; he immediately returned fire. Although fatally wounded, officer Ryman was able to wound one of his assailants before falling unconscious.The suspects fled in an auto but the wounded felon was arrested when he sought aid. The two remaining perpetrators were subsequently arrested.
Please take the few minutes to sign this online petition!
KATE WARNE � FIRST FEMALE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR
In 1856, a female walked into the offices of the Pinkerton Detective Agency and asked to see Allen Pinkerton for a job. Her name was Kate Warne.
Mrs. Warne was a widow simply looking for work. She had come to apply for a job as a secretary.
However, on the day she walked into Pinkerton's the secretary job had already been filled. Allen Pinkerton interviewed her and become impressed by her. No one knows for sure if Mrs. Warne had asked for a job as a detective but the following day, Allen Pinkerton appointed her as one over the strong objections of his brother who was his partner.
To learn more about her exploits, check out the following web site:
http://www.pimall.com/nais/pivintage/katewarne.html
INTERESTING WEB SITE
http://www.pimall.com/nais/pivintage/pivintage.html
From the personal collection of Ralph Thomas, this link brings you to the PI VINTAGE, a collection of old � and current � spy and PI gear. It also has some great links to other investigative sites, and will probably find itself bookmarked on your computer once you start browsing!
Computer Forensic Investigators:
Are you involved in the investigation of computer crimes?
Computer forensic investigators may want to take note of a new product released by Hot Pepper Technology, Inc.
The new software, Email Detective 3.0.5, provides investigators with a rapid method for retrieving Americaq Online e-mail messages and photos stored on a user�s computer disk. It features built-in key phrase search, automatic hash value tagging, and quick scan capability.
You can check out the company�s web site for more information, at:
www.hotpepperinc.com
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
March 11, 1930 Ptl Joseph Scott, 32 Pct, auto accident on patrol
March 11, 1947 Ptl Winthrop Paris, 30 Pct, Shot-Investigation, off duty
March 11, 1959 Ptl Robert Forrest, 24 Pct, Off duty LOD heart attack
March 11, 1987 Det Louis Miller, FTU10, Shot-Burglary in progress
March 12, 1909 Lt Joseph Petrosino, Det Div; Shot � Investigation in Italy **
March 12, 1931 Ptl James Flanagan, 25 Pct, Shot- off duty investigation
March 14, 1872 Det Phillip Lambreck, 19 Pct, Assaulted
March 14, 1967 Det John Pollins, Narc, Arrest- narcotics buy/bust
March 14, 1996 PO Kevin Gillespie, SCU, Shot � investigation
March 15, 1922 Ptl James McMail, 85 Pct, Assaulted during arrest
March 15, 1930 Ptl Walter DeCastillo, 84 Pct, Shot- robbery in progress
March 15, 1934 Ptl Philip Clarius, 78 Pct, Shot � robbery in progress
March 15, 1936 Ptl Dioniso Pasquarella, 75 Pct, Shot � off duty altercation
March 16, 1940 Ptl Francis Dolan, 10 Pct, Fell from auto
March 17, 1956 Ptl George Lessler, 10 Pct, LOD heart attack
March 18, 1926 Ptl William Higgins, 13 Div, LOD injury
March 18, 1948 Ptl John Casey, 20 Pct, LOD injury
March 18, 1972 Ptl Elijah Stroud, 80 Pct, Shot � robbery
March 19, 1943 Ptl James Donovan, 75 Pct, Shot � investigation, off duty
March 20, 1804 Ptl Hugh Enright, 24 Pct, Shot- burglary arrest
March 20, 1963 Ptl John Tuohy, TD2, Heart attack chasing felon
** Noted that Lt Joseph Petrosino is the only MOS who has been killed in the line of duty on foreign land. I have written about him previously on this site.
Editors Note: It�s hard to believe it�s been 10 years since Kevin Gillespie was gunned down in the Bronx. Our heartfelt thoughts go out to the Gillespie family.
James Dallas, CEO Georgia Pacific
DEPARTMENT MEDALS & THE HONOR LEGION
Thanks to Ret. Sgt Mike Bosak, and Ret Det1 John Reilly, for some historical information of interest.
It seems that up to the present, the belief has always been that the first department issued medals were issued in 1871, and the Honor Legion�s date of inception was 1900.
Their research has indicated otherwise. The correct date of origin for both should be May 26, 1855.
On that date, the N.Y.C. Municipal Police Department had its first ever police parade and review, along with a medal day ceremony on the steps of City Hall.
Almost the entire department, somewhere between 900 to a 1,000 police officers, attended the ceremonies, where seven silver medals were awarded by Mayor Fernando Wood and NYC�s first 'Chief of Police' George W. Matsell.
Later that night there was a formal dinner to honor these seven medal winners and induct them into the newly minted NYC Police �Legion of Honor�.
WHAT ABOUT THAT SHOOFLY?
In an earlier posting I asked some of our senior readers to try and answer a few questions regarding derivation of some common NYPD terms. I received the following regarding �hairbag� and �shoofly�.
Keeping in mind that a clear-cut definition and derivation is hard to establish, these certainly seem to make sense. For now, anyway.
It seems that for as long as most can remember "hairbag" was used to refer to an older cop who was a complainer.
"Hairbag" was probably derived from the fact that his older wool uniform was starting to pill or show loose threads from lack of care or replacement. The assumption was that he had no pride in his appearance to take care of it. To be considered a "hairbag" was not a good thing, although today some younger cops say that that's not true anymore. A "hairbag" is just a veteran cop. Likewise a "buff" used to be a civilian who was cop fan or collector of police memorabilia. Today, though, a cop's cop can be called a "buff" - and it is a compliment.
The origin of "shoo-fly" is a little more difficult to discern. It has been assumed by many that it was like the Pennsylvania Dutch Shoo-fly pie. Shoo-fly pies are very sticky and you'd have to constantly shoo away the flies from it while it was cooling down or they would stick to it. Shoo the flies away and they would scatter. Cooping cops would likewise scatter when the inspector came around hence "shoo-fly"?
Anyone have any better idea, please pass them along to:
Ltjac77@yahoo.com
FOR THE FASHIONABLE DETECTIVE: GET A HAT?
The March 2006 issue of GQ had a rather interesting letter to �The Style Guy�, that I thought was worth repeating here.
The writer states that he �is a 33 year-old-white-male-detective at a major metropolitan police department� who �recently purchased a black fedora to wear with my suits at work.� Apparently he has been receiving the �typical amount of ridicule from coworkers� � if you can believe that!
The response from the GQ Style Guy follows: �Those attempting to ridicule you are probably alarmed that you are injecting style into their midst and therefore making them look even more noticeably lame. The best had advice I ever got was from my grandfather, a senatorial homburg wearer: �Always tip your hat when you meet a lady, when a funeral passes, and when you walk past a church. And never buy a car that you have to take your hat off to drive.�
It was noted as well that the hat worn by Popeye Doyle � the character played by Gene Hackman in French Connection � was a porkpie hat. That was a short-brimmed hat that is not a fedora and which connotes a lower class and a shorter fuse!
INVESTIGATIVE ROLODEX
Don�t forget the ability of the Real Time Crime Center to seek �Reverse Phone Listings� during an investigation.
You may have to specifically ask them to do so, but they have the ability to research in two separate databases a telephone number you may be trying to identify.
When seeking subscriber information, be sure to ask them to check the phone number in both �ACCURINT� and in �INTERSEC� databases.
Doing so may help to identify a subscriber to a phone number you are seeking.
BENEFIT FOR A FRIEND
Once again I ask that you open your hearts & your wallets for our extended family.
On March 23rd at 7:00 pm there is a 10-13 party for one of our own.
The location is Mulcahy's Pub and Music Hall located at 3232 Railroad Ave,Wantagh, NY. FOP Lodge #317 member Detective Michael Hopkins, of the Brooklyn South Homicide Squad & formerly of District 34, needs our help. He and his wife had triplets 2 years ago, but unfortunately one of them, his young son Joseph, has been diagnosed with a raredisease, Tuberous Sclerosis. Michael's medical bills have become astronomical and his friends are coming to his aid.
Donations of $40 perp person will allow your entry, which includes door prizes, raffles, hot and cold food as well as some great musical entertainment.
If you are unable to attend and would like to make a donation, you may do so by contacting Lt Bob Casazza, BSHS or any BSHS MOS. I will also be collecting and selling tickets from BNHS.
In addition, Sgt Mike Fanning of Hate Crimes, an FOP Board Member, has indicated that he would be happy to collect these funds & make sure they are delivered to Michael & Suzanne.
You can mail them to:
Hopkins 10-13
c/o FOP #317
PO Box 40
Bethpage, NY 11714
LEGAL BRIEF: THE DAVIS RULE
What should you do when a suspect who waived his Miranda rights says he might want a lawyer?
This is the question that the US Supreme Court recently ruled on.
WHILE I AM PRESENTING THE FACTS ACCORDING TO THE US SUPREME COURT RULING, THIS IN NO WAY IS MEANT AS A GUIDE IN A NEW YORK STATE COURT! ALWAYS REFER TO THE DEPARTMENT�S LEGAL BUREAU, OR THE DA OFFICE, FOR PARTICULAR RULINGS. THIS IS MEANT FOR THE FURTHERANCE OF THE INVESTIGATORS LEGAL KNOWLEDGE!
A fairly common scenario, you obtain a valid Miranda waiver from a suspect in custody and begin interrogation. Part way through your questioning, the suspect begins to feel uneasy about going forward and says something about remaining silent or talking to a lawyer. What then? Must you stop interrogating? Do you need to clarify his wishes? Or can you keep talking?
The US Supreme Court gave the answers in Davis v. U.S.
The Supreme Court acknowledged its earlier ruling in Edwards v. Arizona that a statement obtained through police custodial interrogation will not be admitted to prove guilt at trial if it resulted from questioning that continued after the suspect�s request for an attorney. But where it is not necessarily clear that a suspect who has already waived his rights is asking for an attorney, the court declined to place burden of resolving the ambiguity on the police.
�If a suspect makes a reference to an attorney that is ambiguous or equivocal in that a reasonable officer in light of the circumstances would have understood only that the suspect might be invoking the right to counsel, our precedents do not require the cessation of questioning. Rather, the suspect must unambiguously request counsel. He must articulate his desire to have counsel present sufficiently clearly that a reasonable police officer in the circumstances would understand the statement to be a request for an attorney.� Finding that the statement, �Maybe I should talk to a lawyer,� was not an unequivocal, unambiguous invocation of the right to counsel, the court upheld the admission of Davis�s statements and unanimously affirmed his conviction and sentence.
The five-member majority held that it is not necessary for officers to stop an interrogation when the suspect makes an ambiguous reference to invoking his rights.
There are no magic words that a suspect has to use to constitute a clear and unambiguous invocation of Miranda.
Certainly a statement such as �No more questions�, or �I want a lawyer� are unambiguous.
Wishy-washy qualifications such as �I think�� or �Maybe I should�� would normally be ambiguous enough to come within the Davis rule that there is no need to clarify the suspect�s wishes and no need to stop questioning.
It is further noted that the Davis ruling only applies where the suspect initially gave a clear, unambiguous waiver when given initially given his Miranda rights. Once he has waived, the burden shifts to him to clearly, unambiguously assert his rights if he wants questioning to cease.
For example, if the suspect responds to the Miranda admonishment by saying something like, �I think maybe I should get a lawyer,� you should not proceed without clarifying whether or not you have an invocation of counsel. It�s only after a clean waiver has been obtained that the Davis rule kicks.
NOTE: NOT all states follow the US Supreme Court rulings on exclusionary issues. States are free to interpret their own constitutions as providing greater protection to criminals than the US Constitution provides. Where do you suppose New York State falls??
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. THOMAS SCHIMENTI
On August 17, 1979, PO Thomas Schimenti of the MTS Precinct was killed in the line of duty.
The young bandit had just bolted from an East 41st Street bank and turned north towards Grand Central Station when a passerby yelled to PO Schimenti, �Hey! That man just robbed the bank.� PO Schimenti, who was on foot patrol, drew his service revolver and gave chase, shouting into his walkie-talkie as he ran. While PO Schimenti pursued, two detectives passing in an unmarked car joined the chase. They corned their man at the 42nd street store entrance in the Terminal building where the gunman turned and opened fire point blank. PO Schimenti took a fatal bullet in his chest, and Detective Gregory P. Demetriou, NYDAO, was wounded. The suspect sprinted away but was caught, slightly wounded, under a car nearby. PO Schimenti is survived by his wife Diane and daughters.
In the 1981 book, STREET COPS, author Jill Freedman, who spent time working with the MOS from MTS and the 9 Pct, had this to say about PO Schimenti:
�Male sure you tell about Tommy,� he said.
�How it was true what they said at his funeral, he was a good man and everyone loved him. How the people on his post cried when they heard. He was good, Tommy. Put that in your book.�
Tommy Schimenti had a steady foot post. He loved being out there on the street, knowing everybody, everybody knowing him. This was his last one and it was a gorgeous day. As soon as he finished, his wife and kids were picking him up in the camper, packed and ready to go. Two whole weeks in the mountains. One of the guys offered to work for him so he could take off early, but he said no thanks, he wanted to say goodbye to some people. Then there was a bank robber running down the street and when they cornered the guy he shot Tommy in the chest. It was the first time he ever fired a gun. Tommy died. Now his plaque is up in the station house next to the other ones. He�s smiling, like he always used to.�
A NOTED PASSING OF A MOB FIGHTER: KENNETH MCCABE
I saw recently that KENNETH MCCABE, a retired Detective and investigator with the US Attorney�s Office, passed away this past month, after a year-long battle with cancer.
Kenny McCabe was the premier figure in law enforcement�s fight against organized crime in New York City.
I first met Ken several years ago, just prior to John Barba�s retirement from the 77 Squad, while we were looking into an old homicide from the 77 that had mob connections. I have never met a more knowledgeable, professional investigator with such a memory for names, facts, and locations. A very unassuming character, as big as he was, who would take the time to help out another detective whenever asked.
For more than three decades McCabe handled government cooperators, making cases against the mob while following their every move with a camera. His work provided the backbone for dozens of successful prosecutions, including those of the late John Gotti and his brother Peter Gotti, that have left the city�s Mafia families weakened to the point of near extinction.
According to a story in the Daily News, McCabe�s intense preparation and his shun-the-spotlight manner won the 6-foot, 6-inch former college basketball player the respect of colleagues, and of the mobsters he arrested. They would regularly counsel their attorneys not to ask McCabe a question when he took the witness stand, said former Manhattan US Attorney David Kelley.
�The mob is all about playing by the rules,� said Kelley. �He didn�t lie. He dealt with them fairly. They got arrested fair and square.�
A story that went around has McCabe conducting surveillance from his car when a wiseguy ambled up to him and said �You know, Kenney, I�m thinking of retiring. I�m getting too old for this.� To which, McCabe repled, �Make sure it�s someplace warm because I�m tired of freezing out here.�
Mob informant Michael (Mikey Scars) DiLeonardo, testifying at the recent Junior Gotti kidnapping trial, was asked to identify a surveillance photo and noted �it was probably taken by McCabe, he was relentless.�
It was these surveillance photos that helped allow prosecutors to piece together mob associations and link them together at key moments in a conspiracy. In some of these shots, smiling mobsters wave hello to McCabe. McCabe was also known to scour the death notices for the names of mobsters so he could be sure and pay his respects; he would even turn up at their weddings, where they�d greet him with a slice of cake and coffee that he always refused.
Kenneth McCabe was only 59 years old when he died. The law enforcement community lost a legend. We salute you, Ken.
HELP FOR THE FAMILY OF PO HARRY RYMAN
Please go to the site listed to sign the �Online Petition Against the Parole of the killers of PO Harry Ryman�.
Online Petition - "Petition against parole for New York cop killers"
http://www.gopetition.com/region/237/8160.html
On August 14, 1980 PO Harry R Ryman of the 60 Pct was off duty and sleeping in his residence, located within the confines of the 63rd precinct in Brooklyn.After being awakened as the result of suspicious noises on the street, PO Ryman equipped himself with his shield and off-duty revolver and went to investigate. He observed 3 males attempting to steal a car.Officer Ryman identifed himself as a police officer and was fired upon; he immediately returned fire. Although fatally wounded, officer Ryman was able to wound one of his assailants before falling unconscious.The suspects fled in an auto but the wounded felon was arrested when he sought aid. The two remaining perpetrators were subsequently arrested.
Please take the few minutes to sign this online petition!
KATE WARNE � FIRST FEMALE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR
In 1856, a female walked into the offices of the Pinkerton Detective Agency and asked to see Allen Pinkerton for a job. Her name was Kate Warne.
Mrs. Warne was a widow simply looking for work. She had come to apply for a job as a secretary.
However, on the day she walked into Pinkerton's the secretary job had already been filled. Allen Pinkerton interviewed her and become impressed by her. No one knows for sure if Mrs. Warne had asked for a job as a detective but the following day, Allen Pinkerton appointed her as one over the strong objections of his brother who was his partner.
To learn more about her exploits, check out the following web site:
http://www.pimall.com/nais/pivintage/katewarne.html
INTERESTING WEB SITE
http://www.pimall.com/nais/pivintage/pivintage.html
From the personal collection of Ralph Thomas, this link brings you to the PI VINTAGE, a collection of old � and current � spy and PI gear. It also has some great links to other investigative sites, and will probably find itself bookmarked on your computer once you start browsing!
Computer Forensic Investigators:
Are you involved in the investigation of computer crimes?
Computer forensic investigators may want to take note of a new product released by Hot Pepper Technology, Inc.
The new software, Email Detective 3.0.5, provides investigators with a rapid method for retrieving Americaq Online e-mail messages and photos stored on a user�s computer disk. It features built-in key phrase search, automatic hash value tagging, and quick scan capability.
You can check out the company�s web site for more information, at:
www.hotpepperinc.com
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
March 11, 1930 Ptl Joseph Scott, 32 Pct, auto accident on patrol
March 11, 1947 Ptl Winthrop Paris, 30 Pct, Shot-Investigation, off duty
March 11, 1959 Ptl Robert Forrest, 24 Pct, Off duty LOD heart attack
March 11, 1987 Det Louis Miller, FTU10, Shot-Burglary in progress
March 12, 1909 Lt Joseph Petrosino, Det Div; Shot � Investigation in Italy **
March 12, 1931 Ptl James Flanagan, 25 Pct, Shot- off duty investigation
March 14, 1872 Det Phillip Lambreck, 19 Pct, Assaulted
March 14, 1967 Det John Pollins, Narc, Arrest- narcotics buy/bust
March 14, 1996 PO Kevin Gillespie, SCU, Shot � investigation
March 15, 1922 Ptl James McMail, 85 Pct, Assaulted during arrest
March 15, 1930 Ptl Walter DeCastillo, 84 Pct, Shot- robbery in progress
March 15, 1934 Ptl Philip Clarius, 78 Pct, Shot � robbery in progress
March 15, 1936 Ptl Dioniso Pasquarella, 75 Pct, Shot � off duty altercation
March 16, 1940 Ptl Francis Dolan, 10 Pct, Fell from auto
March 17, 1956 Ptl George Lessler, 10 Pct, LOD heart attack
March 18, 1926 Ptl William Higgins, 13 Div, LOD injury
March 18, 1948 Ptl John Casey, 20 Pct, LOD injury
March 18, 1972 Ptl Elijah Stroud, 80 Pct, Shot � robbery
March 19, 1943 Ptl James Donovan, 75 Pct, Shot � investigation, off duty
March 20, 1804 Ptl Hugh Enright, 24 Pct, Shot- burglary arrest
March 20, 1963 Ptl John Tuohy, TD2, Heart attack chasing felon
** Noted that Lt Joseph Petrosino is the only MOS who has been killed in the line of duty on foreign land. I have written about him previously on this site.
Editors Note: It�s hard to believe it�s been 10 years since Kevin Gillespie was gunned down in the Bronx. Our heartfelt thoughts go out to the Gillespie family.
