Saturday, November 26, 2005
The Two Investigations begin...
On Monday August 11,1997 a reporter for the New York Daily News calls and makes some initial inquires about me,what happened at the zoo,how long it went on,how the cops were successful, how I felt about it,see any accidents,arrests,what I do for a living.This reporters
name is Jim Rutenberg writes a column on NYC transportation issues. We speak briefly and I hear the his keyboard singing. After that call I receive another call from City Hall, the Mayor's
chief of Staff Mr.Sorenson (?) tells me,no,thanks me for calling attention to the problem and it will be thoroughly investigated. He goes on to say,all NY'ers should report misconduct when confronted with questionable policy issues. I thank Mr.Sorenson and asked him to send me that in writing,I would later get that correspondence. I was absolutely elated! I did have a 125.00 dollar redlight summons to fight and not only video but the NY.Daily News looking into the zoo trap. I didn't know what to expect from the NYPD.
The following morning Jim Rutenberg calls telling me he was at the Bx,Zoo with his photographer hoping to catch the cops pulling their trick. They were there at 6;30 AM but no activity. I told Jim I didn't believe they would be back because of the call to Rudy on WABC. Jim
decided he'd try again the next morning, my feeling was "they won't be back again" that CASH COW was dead!!!!! Now the fallout. Later in the week Jim calls me for additional information about how the cops rigged the light,how many motorists were victimized,how often did they work there,what did I do for a living. I was honest and said, I'm unemployed,I receive Public Assistance but that wasn't good for the story so,Jim asks what kind of job would I have if not PA. Well,I'd be driving a car,so Jim Rutenberg cast me as the "disabled limo driver" which wasn't far from the truth. Also at this time,, in Rudy's life, were rumors of a fling with his "communications director" Christine Lategano. Was Rudy cheating on Donna ? We think so but like all men Rudy denied it. The big story in NYC was the Abna Louima "plunger in his rectum" case. it was raging, those cops literally and not figuratively rammed a stick up a man's rectum 6 inches deep. And the NYPD cover-up machine was at work until a hospital staff member reached out and called Internal Affairs to report the incident. My week passed fairly smoothly,my neighbor Joe (NYPD Chief) would rib me,"you're gonna get arrested" naw,I tell Joe because I searched my memory,no open cases,no warrants, no nothing that could be the cause of another arrest in my life. Joe suggests I leave it alone and let Internal Affairs handle it. As the days pass Jim Rutenberg continues to call to "pick my brain" for additional facts for his story about the redlight trap. Still no word from the NYPD. Later I would learn the Detectives were indeed investigating
only it wasn't the traffic light they checked out poor old ME.
On/about August 18 1997 Sergeant Jeffrey McGuinness calls me about the complaints at the Bx.Zoo. he informs me that after speaking with NYPD Legal Dept. And the Bx. Traffic Court Chief Administrator (?) the practice of "manipulation" (I say rigged) of the traffic light was perfectly legal and not a crime. The Bx.Borough Commander Chief Scanlon saw the problem and ordered the police to patrol other areas and stay out of the Rainey Gate. Rudy understood the ramifications of supporting me and agreeing with me that those cops were out of line,rigging a light to go red but no if Rudy supported me and said,"I'm going to see that Jimmy's summons be dismissed and voided well then Rudy would have to give that same consideration to thousands of drivers over the 6 years the same break, it was an impossible position to be in. Four people died there,could the 52nd police officers be responsible by contributing to the chain of events that caused the crashes? So, the police covered their ass and supposedly the case was closed I asked McGuinness for a letter of what he explained for my own records. I was really disappointed by the outcome and joy turned to despair so I called Joe DePlasco who relayed the information I got from McGuinness to Mark Green. Jim Rutenberg again called for a few final details since his story was getting ready for the presses. Even the NY.DailyNews saw a flawed policy at the zoo. So I waited and waited. On August 21 1997 Jim Rutenberg called the NYPD
Office of Public Information for their side of the story about to be published. They weren't aware yet of the zoo trap. I later learned a flurry of activity occurred between Bx.Command and Police Plaza (hdqts) about this upcoming story. But Mark Green fell ill and was hospitalized so the story was delayed but on Tuesday August 26 1997 the front page of the NY Daily News read in 3 inch type,"GOTCHA" cops tricky light show,officers from the 52nd pct. accused of monkeying around with a traffic light. WOW...more tomorrow
name is Jim Rutenberg writes a column on NYC transportation issues. We speak briefly and I hear the his keyboard singing. After that call I receive another call from City Hall, the Mayor's
chief of Staff Mr.Sorenson (?) tells me,no,thanks me for calling attention to the problem and it will be thoroughly investigated. He goes on to say,all NY'ers should report misconduct when confronted with questionable policy issues. I thank Mr.Sorenson and asked him to send me that in writing,I would later get that correspondence. I was absolutely elated! I did have a 125.00 dollar redlight summons to fight and not only video but the NY.Daily News looking into the zoo trap. I didn't know what to expect from the NYPD.
The following morning Jim Rutenberg calls telling me he was at the Bx,Zoo with his photographer hoping to catch the cops pulling their trick. They were there at 6;30 AM but no activity. I told Jim I didn't believe they would be back because of the call to Rudy on WABC. Jim
decided he'd try again the next morning, my feeling was "they won't be back again" that CASH COW was dead!!!!! Now the fallout. Later in the week Jim calls me for additional information about how the cops rigged the light,how many motorists were victimized,how often did they work there,what did I do for a living. I was honest and said, I'm unemployed,I receive Public Assistance but that wasn't good for the story so,Jim asks what kind of job would I have if not PA. Well,I'd be driving a car,so Jim Rutenberg cast me as the "disabled limo driver" which wasn't far from the truth. Also at this time,, in Rudy's life, were rumors of a fling with his "communications director" Christine Lategano. Was Rudy cheating on Donna ? We think so but like all men Rudy denied it. The big story in NYC was the Abna Louima "plunger in his rectum" case. it was raging, those cops literally and not figuratively rammed a stick up a man's rectum 6 inches deep. And the NYPD cover-up machine was at work until a hospital staff member reached out and called Internal Affairs to report the incident. My week passed fairly smoothly,my neighbor Joe (NYPD Chief) would rib me,"you're gonna get arrested" naw,I tell Joe because I searched my memory,no open cases,no warrants, no nothing that could be the cause of another arrest in my life. Joe suggests I leave it alone and let Internal Affairs handle it. As the days pass Jim Rutenberg continues to call to "pick my brain" for additional facts for his story about the redlight trap. Still no word from the NYPD. Later I would learn the Detectives were indeed investigating
only it wasn't the traffic light they checked out poor old ME.
On/about August 18 1997 Sergeant Jeffrey McGuinness calls me about the complaints at the Bx.Zoo. he informs me that after speaking with NYPD Legal Dept. And the Bx. Traffic Court Chief Administrator (?) the practice of "manipulation" (I say rigged) of the traffic light was perfectly legal and not a crime. The Bx.Borough Commander Chief Scanlon saw the problem and ordered the police to patrol other areas and stay out of the Rainey Gate. Rudy understood the ramifications of supporting me and agreeing with me that those cops were out of line,rigging a light to go red but no if Rudy supported me and said,"I'm going to see that Jimmy's summons be dismissed and voided well then Rudy would have to give that same consideration to thousands of drivers over the 6 years the same break, it was an impossible position to be in. Four people died there,could the 52nd police officers be responsible by contributing to the chain of events that caused the crashes? So, the police covered their ass and supposedly the case was closed I asked McGuinness for a letter of what he explained for my own records. I was really disappointed by the outcome and joy turned to despair so I called Joe DePlasco who relayed the information I got from McGuinness to Mark Green. Jim Rutenberg again called for a few final details since his story was getting ready for the presses. Even the NY.DailyNews saw a flawed policy at the zoo. So I waited and waited. On August 21 1997 Jim Rutenberg called the NYPD
Office of Public Information for their side of the story about to be published. They weren't aware yet of the zoo trap. I later learned a flurry of activity occurred between Bx.Command and Police Plaza (hdqts) about this upcoming story. But Mark Green fell ill and was hospitalized so the story was delayed but on Tuesday August 26 1997 the front page of the NY Daily News read in 3 inch type,"GOTCHA" cops tricky light show,officers from the 52nd pct. accused of monkeying around with a traffic light. WOW...more tomorrow
