The Capo in Brooklyn

Here are some incidents from my brother’s career as a sergeant in Brooklyn’s 90th Precinct during which he became known as the Capo.

On his beat was Peter Luger’s Steakhouse, a favorite eating place for celebrities. 


Mayor Koch had his own security detail of two detectives. The Patrol Borough which was upstairs in the precinct would get a call, “the Eagle would be at Lugers around 7 pm, no uniform cops”. As the anti-crime supervisor I would be notified to give this special attention. When Mayor Koch pulled up, I was talking to the doorman. As he walked by, he said, “I thought I said no cops.” I replied being in plainclothes, “I don’t see any cops.” He smiled and said thank you.

Now with Elizabeth Taylor, I only saw her as she was the Diva, i.e., front round table with a rose, she was the Queen of Hollywood.

John Lennon did not have any cash and as Luger did not accept credit cards, he was issued an instant credit card and wrote on application, international drug dealer. Although I didn’t drink, I was sitting at the long bar, with Charlie the bartender having been informed that John Lennon was inside. Maybe, I should have told him to retract that line, “the Beatles are more famous than Jesus”.

Peter Luger Steakhouse

My father used to make store deliveries to the new Waste Management center in the industrial section of the precinct. One day he jumped a red light and was pulled over by a marked patrol car. Before he gave the officer his identification, he told him that his son was a Sergeant in the precinct. The officer replied, “your son is the Capo, please don’t tell him I stopped you.” He truly made my Father’s Day.

There was a famous street in the precinct named Graham Avenue. South of Metropolitan Ave. It was called the Avenue of Puerto Rico, and north it was the Via Vespucci. Actually you thought you were in Puerto Rico with the stores and Hispanic music in the south side. In the north was a stronghold of Italians who had not left the neighborhood for Nassau County. One day I went into a pizza parlor, and the owner could not believe that there was an Italian Sergeant in the precinct.

Later his 6-year-old son would fall off his bike and break his arm, and me and my chauffeur took him and his mother directly to the hospital.The father and son never forgot and many years later I would coach his son in baseball at McClancy high school. I would always be their Capo.

There is a procedure when you place a female in a police vehicle that you have to notify Central, of female in/ out of car and give the times. One winter night it was cold and snowy, and I spotted a female with two young children at a bus stop. I asked her where she was going and then put them in the back of the unmarked police car. I advised Central that we had a female and 2 to a certain location. Upon arrival I once again advised Central, 90 Anti-crime supervisor “female and two out of car.” Well somebody in our division of 5 precincts keyed the radio and said, “way to go, Capo”.

I was now to be known as the Capo for my next 7 years in the 90th. The name would follow me when I was to be assigned to the Narcotic Division until I retired 7 years later.

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Note, when assigned to Anti-crime you wear your shield around your neck on a chain for identification purposes.

Case of Characters

Precinct Characters.

The precinct had a cast of characters from bosses to the patrolmen who would be called Police Officers with the advent of female officers. 

One of our Captains would send me for a can of tuna fish, he said don’t pick the top one as a mouse might have walked on it.

Ptl. Artie A. was a stickler for neatness. His locker was like no other for everything was placed in a specific order. Summer shirts, winter shirts, summer jacket and winter jacket. Also a special hook for his gun belt. He sustained an injury and was assigned to the interior of the precinct. He made a key rack for the keys to the police cars, each hook had two screws and he had the slot go up and down. Other officers would change the direction just to annoy him.

Ptl. John T. He always wanted to be a draftsman. Unlike other police officers who hand drew their accident reports, he drew them with accurate precision.

Ptl. Ralph M. He was one of the precinct typists and would type Uf 61, compliant reports, as well as other reports. One day he saw me typing my own report with 10 fingers. He said you can type? I said I was taught in high school. Soon after that I became his assistant.

Ptl. Kenny M. He was a police trainee and was assigned to the telephone switchboard. When he finished his trainee program he became my partner.

Ptl. Paul D. He was a collar, an arrest guy. Often at roll call someone would ask who’s catching. You didn’t have to ask him twice.

Ptl. Danny K. was a big Yankee fan and our best 3rd basemen on the precinct softball team.

One of the precinct characters was Sgt D. He had a VW green beetle and would come early to work and go thru the garbage. His family was in the junk business, and he once said he found a gold ingot.

Another Sergeant wanted to play 1st base for the Precinct softball team. He dropped every other throw, and  got the name “iron glove”.

Ptl. Jerry W. always put his hand over his mouth when he talked to you. I think the football and baseball coaches got it from him.

Ptl. Edwin B. asked me why I locked up his people, I told him don’t you realize you work in Harlem.

Other characters and celebs:

I soon found out that there were many more characters especially when I flew to the Central Park Precinct. One middle aged man, a former professor stands out. He went by the name Pete the parrot. He rode a bicycle and had two beautiful Macaw parrots on the handle bars. He was always enticing young police officers up to his apt, for refreshments, as he really loved cops.

We had a German Lieutenant who once asked us to take his uncle for a tour of the precinct. Later in the lunch room he said he was on the other side during WW2. He said he was in a tank and it was good while they were winning. As the war turned he had to survive on green pea soup. Finally he said his ears were still ringing as his tank ran over a land mine.

At Central Park precinct I met Otto Preminger, the Byrds, and Rocky Graziano. Met George H.W. Bush, then CIA director, at the Waldorf Hotel.

In 1979 me and my partner recovered one limousine of the Iranian Shah of Iran. Two retired detectives came to the precinct and asked if the Telex was still in the trunk. We went outside and popped the trunk and it was still there. The detectives said the Shah would be overthrown in a week, otherwise we could have retired and worked for the Iranian government.

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