Saturday, October 27, 2007

Law Enforcement Myopia Ignores all Crime except Italian

The ANNOTICO Report

 

"American Gangster" is a film based on the life of Frank Lucas, who for 15 years operated  openly in Harlem, right under the noses of the NY Police, and the FBI, who were completely ignorant of him, because they were so narrowly focused on Italians as being the "only" criminals!!!!!!!!!!

 

Interestingly,  Nicky Barnes, a compatriot, was far more interesting, and has  already been the  subject of a documentary Mr. Untouchable , a film about  the most powerful black drug kingpin in New York City history. it was not until June 1977, when Barnes rather cavalierly  posed for the cover of The New York Times Magazine  with the headline "Mister Untouchable", that the FBI took notice. 

 

Only then did law enforcement widen their "fixation" from Italians and wake up.to that which was staring them in the face.

 

Barnes was sent to prison for life, but Barnes became an informant. He forwarded a list of 109 names, five of which were Council members, along with his wife's name, implicating them all in illegal activities related to the heroin trade. Barnes helped to indict 44 other traffickers, 16 of whom were ultimately convicted. In this testimony, he implicated himself in eight murders.

 

Then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani sought to have Barnes' life sentence, shortened to a 30-year term. In 2003, his cooperation with prosecutors was rewarded with an early release from prison.Barnes is now in the Witness Protection Program.

 

There were NO Wire Taps, only Informants. It seems like every Italian in NY is "bugged", pizza owners, street peddlers, et al!!!!!

 

Law Enforcement seems like it can get more Headlines by 'busting" petty Italian criminals, since the Media will get hysterical about "Mafia", that Law Enforcement seems to be ignoring the  Columbian, Mexican, and Jamaican Drug Cartels,Russian Jewish Mafia, the Israeli Kosher Nostra, and the THOUSANDS OF GANGS controlling large sections of our major cities.

 

One wonders about their Priorities, their Agenda, or Political Influence!!!!!!

 

Is Law Enforcement Motto:  "Protect and Serve" or " Posture and Pension" ???

 

Cops and Robber
"American Gangster" and the underside of 1970s New York

Directed by Ridley Scott

American Standard
by John Podhoretz
October 27,2007 Volume 013, Issue 08

Frank Lucas, the title character of American Gangster, is a precise and controlled man. A Harlem kingpin in the late 1960s and early '70s, Lucas (Denzel Washington) dresses formally in quiet suits and ties, adheres to a rigorous schedule, provides stable employment for his family, is a hero in his neighborhood for providing community services, and lives with his mother. Lucas has become the most successful heroin dealer in New York, and is entirely invisible to the authorities. They are wedded to the idea that organized crime is the exclusive province of Italians, and that any black crook must be in the Mafia's employ.

Lucas prizes his low profile. He upbraids one of his brothers for tricking himself out like a pimp at a Harlem nightclub because a successful and powerful man does not need to stand out. One night, and only one night, Lucas fails to heed his own advice. He has just proposed to his girlfriend, Miss Puerto Rico, and she has presented him with a $50,000 chinchilla coat and hat to wear to the championship boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

Because of his showy gear and ringside seats, Lucas captures the attention of two police officers working in the area of drug enforcement. One is Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), a Newark cop whose private life is as sloppy as Lucas's is disciplined but who won't take an illicit cent. The other is Trupo (Josh Brolin), a demonically dirty New York City ...

While the principle character in this film is Frank Lucas, another character in the film Nicky Barnes, was far more interesting, and has  already been the  subject of a documentary Mr. Untouchable , a film about the rise and fall of a teen-age heroin junkie to the most powerful black drug kingpin in New York City history.

In June 1977, Barnes went national when he posed for the cover of The New York Times Magazine, with the headline ?Mister Untouchable".

 

The ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (and are Archived) on:

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