90th Precinct Demographics

Unlike the 30th, the 90th precinct was like a pie, with the Hasidic Jews comprising about 40-50% of the population, the remaining 50% were mostly Hispanics, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, and then Blacks. When I began in the 30th I knew very little about Blacks, and now in the 90th I knew nothing about the Jewish Hasidim. My first commanding officer told me that they are very politically connected with the mayor’s office and vote as a 50,000 block. With a wink of the eye he said treat all equally but some more equal, and you will survive.

The Hasidic community is like a very large self-sustaining beehive. However, it can very quickly become a Hornet nest. They live in their own world with their old-world customs. They developed a security force and a private ambulance service manned by community members. They are holocaust survivors or descendants, and basically, they want to be left alone. It’s where their community boundaries meet with others that there is friction.

The Hasidim would celebrate Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, by walking down Division Ave to the East River. They would then take a live chicken and after waving it over their head three times cut the head off and throw it in the river. At first, I was surprised but later found out that the males used a rooster while the females used a hen. Later, environmentalists tried to get them to use a rubber chicken so as to reduce pollution.

Another custom that was observed, was the white beard of the elders. The elders were held in high respect and because my beard was graying, they took favor with me.

On the other hand, the males in the Hispanic community felt that having a beer in a brown bag did not violate the open container law. As a rookie sergeant I soon learned that I was in a different precinct than the 30th.

These demographics led me and my officers to devise what would become the Robbery Identification Program, RIP for short. We made binders of those who had committed robberies in each sector. This pilot program was so successful that my Commanding Officer got a promotion. Years later I would meet him and he asked, “Capo do you have any more ideas? I thought you retired.”

As I was getting familiar with this new precinct, my chauffeur, as we passed by South 3rd street and Driggs Ave, pointed out the building where Police officer Frank Serpico was shot during a set up attempt on his life. Later, Al Pacino would play the part in this same named movie, Serpico.

After I left the 90th a new wave of White Hipsters, who could not afford to live in Manhattan, started taking up residence in the precinct.

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