joshuaRHETToric: January 2006

Friday, January 20, 2006

cop killers or political prisoners?

Prisoner Herman Bell, left, in an undated photograph. A former Black Panther and member of the Black Liberation Army, Bell was convicted in the 1971 murders of two NYPD officers. He goes before a parole board next month -- for the second time.

NEW YORK

Herman Bell, one of three men convicted in the shooting deaths of two NYPD officers 35 years ago, could soon again be smelling the roses.
But Diane Piagentini, whose 28-year-old husband Joseph died alongside his partner, Officer Waverly Jones, 33, as they responded to what was supposed to be a routine sick call on May 21, 1971, wants to stop Bell from ever getting that chance.
"These men have not shown any remorse for what they have done, they still consider themselves political prisoners," Piagentini said. "Every two years, the families have to deal with this. We relive what happened in 1971."
Bell, Anthony Bottom, and Albert Washington were convicted in April 1975, nearly four years after the officers were shot a total of 17 times while responding to a routine call at the Colonial Park Houses in Washington Heights. Patrick Murphy, the NYPD’s commissioner at the time, dubbed them “madmen” and said the shootings were “deliberate, unprovoked and maniacal.”
The men, who became known as the “New York 3” for their alleged memberships to the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, were convicted to 25 years to life.
Bell is slated to make his second appearance before a three-member parole board sometime in mid-February. He was denied parole in February 2004. Bottom, who was denied parole in July 2002 and July 2004, will return again in July, according to Carol Weaver, spokeswoman for the state’s Division of Parole. (Washington died of liver cancer in prison in April 2000.)
Prior to her appearance today before the state Division of Parole, where she will read a Victim’s Impact statement, Piagentini will hold a news conference in front of its office on West 31st Street.
“Under no circumstances should they ever be considered for parole,” according to Piagentini’s prepared remarks, which she read to me on the telephone a day before the hearing.
She continued, “From now until the end of time, they should be denied and spend the rest of their lives in jail.”
After every overnight shift, Officer Piagentini would return from the 32nd Precinct and share a cup of coffee with his wife, recapping his tour.
“As we talked about the job, he said that Waverly always had his back and he had Waverly’s,” Piagentini said. “And I said to him, ‘Then I guess when you’re with Waverly, you will both be safe.”

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According to a Web site maintained by the Prison Activist Resource Center, Bell, who published a statement in July 1997, looked forward to being paroled so he could fish with his mother. But Bell never got that chance -- she died two earlier.
“She and I had made big plans for when I got out, going fishing at the reservoir was at the top of our list,” Bell wrote. “It was a longstanding deal between us. From childhood, I acquired her love of flowers, especially for red roses. Hers were exceptionally pretty and fragrant, and she would remark: Not bad for a country girl. She had no direct hand in shaping my politics, but her strength of character, gentle spirit, wisdom and easy laughter had much to do with making me the person I am today; and I miss her so.”
Efia Nwangaza, co-chair of The Jericho Movement, a group founded in 1998 that represents political prisoners, believes it is politics -- and not the murder of two officers -- that has kept Bell and Bottom behind bars for more than three decades.
“They should be granted parole,” she said. “They are political prisoners who were charged and tried and convicted for their political activities -- and they continue to be held because of their political beliefs.”
In a statement issued last year, when both men went before parole boards, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said they should remain behind bars. Through a spokesman yesterday, Kelly said those remarks still stand.
“I was at work as a New York City police officer on the night [Jones and Waverly] were assassinated,” it read. “I remember vividly how word of the attacks spread through the ranks.”
Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, who will stand beside Piagentini today, said Bell should never get the chance to smell his favored red roses again.
“We look forward to the day that a person convicted of killing a police officer is given the death penalty or is incarcerated without the possibility of parole,” Lynch said in a statement. “Herman Bell, in an act so despicable and inhuman that it defies description, took the wounded police officer Piagentini’s service revolver from his holster and continued shooting the officer even as he pleaded for mercy . . . These cold blooded assassins and domestic terrorists should remain in jail for the rest of their lives.”

Friday, January 13, 2006

friday the 13th

Ever wonder why Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day? To me, it's always been just like any other Friday, except repeats of "Friday the 13th" on TBS and USA all night long. (Except the first flick, the entire series is trash, even if you're a horror fan, like me.)

But really, should I dodge walking under ladders or avoid opening my umbrella inside today any more than I would on the equally-as-dreadful Wednesday the 18th? Boo!

You be the judge. Here's a brief history of Friday the 13th, as excerpted from www.wikipedia.com, and don't forget to post your thoughts:

OVERVIEW

A Friday occurring on the 13th day of any month is considered to be a day of bad luck in many superstitions around the globe. Similar superstitions exist in some other traditions. In Greece and Spain, for example, Tuesday the 13th takes the same role. The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia, paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia, a specialized form of triskaidekaphobia, a phobia (fear) of the number thirteen.

ORIGINS

The origin of the Friday the 13th superstition has been linked to the belief that there were 13 people at The Last Supper of Jesus, who was crucified on Good Friday, but it probably originated in medieval times. It has also been linked to the fact that a lunisolar calendar must have 13 months in some years, while the solar Gregorian calendar and lunar Islamic calendar always have 12 months in a year. Another suggestion is that the belief originated in a Norse myth about twelve gods having a feast in Valhalla. The mischievous Loki gate-crashed the party as an uninvited 13th guest and arranged for Hod, the blind god of darkness, to throw a branch of mistletoe at Balder, the god of joy and gladness. Balder was killed instantly and the Earth was plunged into darkness and mourning as a result. Both the first and last explanations, however, seem more relevant to the superstition linked to having 13 people at the same table during a meal.

EFFECTS

Strangely, there is evidence to suggest that Friday the 13th is actually unlucky for some. Psychologists have found that some people are especially likely to have accidents or fall ill on Friday the 13th. This has been attributed to such people feeling a heightened state of anxiety on that day. The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina estimates that in the United States alone, $800 or $900 million is lost in business each Friday the 13th because some people will not travel or go to work.
The date is also well-known in the motorcycle (biker) community: since 1981, motorcycle enthusiasts and vendors gather every Friday the 13th in Port Dover, Ontario, Canada. This tradition started on November 13, 1981 by Chris Simons as a gathering of approximately 25 friends. The event has grown substantially, with an estimated 100,000 people attending in August 2004, as well as music bands, vendors, a bike show, etc.
In the Spanish-speaking world, it is Tuesday the 13th (as well as Tuesdays in general) that brings bad luck; a proverb runs En martes, ni te cases ni te embarques (on Tuesday, neither get married nor start a journey).

For more, go to http://www.snopes.com/luck/friday13.asp.

city shots, vol. 4

A saxophonist plays a tune in Central Park.

A view of Kips Bay in Murray Hill, Manhattan, along the East River.

A building along the East River.

Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Another shot of the Met.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Clubbers -- BioBouncer may be watching

(AS SEEN IN THE NEW YORK METRO, http://ny.metro.us/)

NEW YORK

Party-goers, beware — a trip to a nightclub could soon begin, and end, with a walk past a new device that instantly analyzes your face and compares it with a database of unwanted patrons.
Using biometrics, or the method of identifying a person by unique characteristics like facial features and fingerprints, a surveillance technology called BioBouncer may be tested in up to 10 Manhattan nightclubs as early as next month, said Jeff Dussich, president of JAD Communication and Security, which created the equipment.
“The system is basically designed as a highly skilled security guard to look for familiar faces of people coming in,” Dussich said. “These familiar faces may have been kicked out for fighting, for carrying a weapon, dealing drugs or for any other violation.”
Along with a sign informing patrons they are being watched, Dussich said a circular camera would be placed at the entrance of a club, capturing their image and entering it into a database shared by the clubs. Hours later, when a patron leaves the hotspot, that image would be destroyed.
“Information is only collected if they’ve done something wrong,” Dussich said.
If, however, a patron has a previous infraction with any of the other clubs in the system, a record of the incident is pulled up, informing the bouncer to deny entrance."

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A civil liberties advocate says facial recognition technology that is soon to be tested in Manhattan clubs is an inadequate security measure and could lead to patrons being denied entrance without recourse.
“All types of technology offer promises and have drawbacks, or succinctly put, are a double-edged sword,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “And so is this.”
Lieberman said the technology is “one of the least accurate security mechanisms out there,” referring to its usage at Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa in 2001, which generated controversy over privacy issues.
“Facial appearances can change so easily, and I think the experience at the Super Bowl shows it produces absolutely nothing but bad leads,” Lieberman said. “The downside nonetheless exists of people being wrongfully excluded from clubs based on inaccurate identifiers. Is there a danger of racial misidentification? I don’t know.”
Jeff Dussich, president of JAD Communication and Security, which created the BioBouncer system, said the information gathered will be shared solely with other clubs in a “virtual private network.” The images will not be distributed to law enforcement agencies.
Dussich said he plans to begin offering a trial run of the system to nightclubs by the end of the month, with its first usage sometime in late February. The technology, which will cost $7,500 up front and a $500 monthly fee, has yet to be offered to clubs.
The idea, however, has “potential,” according to Queens Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., chair of City Council’s Public Safety Committee.
“There are obvious concerns which would need to be addressed anytime a list is kept with no opportunity to challenge it, but on the whole, it seems like an idea with potential,” he said. “I’m a little concerned about someone being placed on the list by an untrained bouncer with a grudge and not to have an opportunity to see that list, which would get sent out to other clubs.”
Dussich said he’s not trying to reinvent the wheel.
“By no means do we mean to replace physical security,” he said. “But [BioBouncer] is a more accurate tool, an extra set of eyes to help out."

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

a non-fiction "bronx tale"

Court officers await the arraignment of actor Lillo Brancato Jr. and one-time Genovese crime family associate Steven Armento in the murder of NYPD Officer Daniel Enchautegui, who confronted them during a burglary in the Bronx last month.

A court officer waves back reporters who rushed the courtroom door after an initial group of reporters were allowed to enter.

After the hearing, about 200 officers await outside the Bronx Supreme Court building for a press conference held by Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.

More officers.

Backed by cops and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion (left), Lynch warned potential jurors that Brancato, who appeared in several episodes of "The Sopranos," could "summon tears upon request" after roles in more than a dozen movies. Lynch said both men should face the death penalty, despite statements by Brancato's attorney that the actor did not know Armento had a gun. "When you are there, you are as guilty as the person who did it," the union leader said.

BRONX
In a courtroom packed with off-duty police officers and distraught relatives, actor Lillo Brancato Jr. and a career criminal pleaded not guilty yesterday to murder charges in the shooting of an off-duty police officer last month.
Brancato, 29, who made his big-screen debut opposite Robert De Niro in 1993’s “A Bronx Tale,” and Steven Armento, 48, were arraigned in Bronx Supreme Court on charges of second-degree murder, burglary and weapon possession.
Armento, whose rap sheet dates back to 1979, was also charged with two counts of first-degree murder for allegedly firing the bullet from a .357-caliber revolver that killed Officer Daniel Enchautegui, 28, on Dec. 10 as he responded to a burglary in a Bronx apartment.
The men, both of Yonkers, entered the courtroom in handcuffs and pleaded not guilty before state Supreme Court Justice John Collins. Brancato was dressed in a dark suit with a white T-shirt and dark shoes. Armento wore a pink shirt, dark pants and white sneakers.
Immediately following his entrance, friends and relatives of the former “Sopranos” actor began sobbing, including his mother, Dominique Brancato. On the other side of the courtroom, the parents of the slain officer, Pedro and Maria Enchautegui, who were applauded by officers as they arrived, sat with dozens of New York’s Finest.
According to police sources and prosecutors, Brancato and Armento decided to break into an apartment in search of Valium. Enchautegui, who was returning home from a late-night shift, heard shattering glass and confronted the men as they exited the residence. Armento allegedly then opened fire after Enchautegui identified himself as an officer.
Enchautegui was struck once in the chest, with a bullet piercing his aorta. He somehow managed to return at least eight shots with his off-duty handgun, a .25-caliber pistol, striking Brancato twice and Armento six times.

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As he left the courthouse yesterday with Brancato’s family, attorney Mel Sachs tried to distance his client from Armento.
“[Brancato] did not shoot the police officer, he didn’t have a gun with him and he didn’t know that [Armento] had a gun,” Sachs said. “This wasn’t forseeable in any way. He is not criminally responsible for the murder.”
Sachs declined to comment whether or not Brancato would testifty against Armento, who befriended the actor about two years ago when he began dating Armento’s 20-year-old daughter, Stephanie.
Armento’s attorney, William Flack, said he was concerned with a decision by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office to take an audio statement -- and not a videotaped one -- from Armento as he was hospitalized for gunshot wounds.
“My client was in no condition to be spoken to,” Flack said. “They did not want the public to see what he looked like. It’s a shame that they did it that way.”

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Minutes later, Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch, who stood in front of nearly 200 officers on the steps of the courthouse, called Brancato an “evil man” who should “never see the light of day.”
“Our concern here today is to make sure that the celebrity that murdered a New York City police officer is not treated any
differently,” Lynch said. “Do not allow that celebrity to get in the way of treating these people like they are -- criminals who killed a resident of the Bronx and a proud New York City police officer.”
Lynch, who again called for the death penalty in the case, continued, “[Brancato] is an actor; he can summon tears upon request. Do not be fooled, he’s an evil man and you cannot take evil out of a person, actor or otherwise.”
When asked about Sach’s comments that Brancato did not know Armento was armed, Lynch was unmoved.
“When you are there, you are as guilty as the person who did it,” Lynch said. “He made his choice. His choice was to stand with that killer -- he’s equally as guilty. Now, when his fat is in the fryer, he decides he’s going to start pointing fingers. The reality is he was there, he participated, he committed the crime and he killed a hero. Now it’s time to make sure there’s justice and he never, ever sees the light of day.”
Both men were remanded without bail and are due back in court on March 13.

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Born in Bogota, Columbia, a four-month-old Brancato was adopted in 1976 by Lillo and Dominique Brancato, of Yonkers, N.Y., just north of New York City.
He was eventually discovered by talent scouts while wading in the water at Jones Beach. It was Brancato's impersonation of De Niro in "Taxi Driver" that reportedly won him the chance to play alongside one of the most respected and decorated actors in Hollywood.
In 1993's "A Bronx Tale," Brancato played Calogero, the teenage son of Lorenzo (De Niro), a bus driver in the Bronx. As a boy, Calogero, or "C," witnessed a fatal shooting by the neighborhood's mob boss (Chazz Palminteri) and decided not to inform police. A strong paternal bond between the gangster and boy ensued, much to the dismay of hard-working Lorenzo. Ultimately, however, Calogero shunned the gangster lifestyle, opting to follow his father's honest footsteps.
Brancato went onto appear in a dozen movies, including "Renaissance Man," "Crimson Tide" and "The Adventures of Pluto Nash."
He also played Matthew Bevilacqua, an aspiring mobster in HBO's "The Sopranos," and as "Lucky" in the crime drama "Falcone," based upon the book by undercover FBI agent Joseph Falcone, aka Donnie Brasco.