My South Philly Review Crime Beat Column On The Heightened Threat Of Emerging Synthetic Drugs

You can click on the above to enlarge. 

How FBI Philadelphia Prepared To Secure The World Cup From Matches To Celebrations, The Bureau And Our Partners Are Postured For Safety

The FBI Philadelphia Field Office released the information below:

This summer, soccer fans will flock from every corner of the world to cities across North America to attend World Cup matches and related festivities.

Philadelphia, in particular, is hosting six of these matches and a fan festival within its local boundaries.

And since high-profile events demand elite-level security, the FBI Philadelphia Field Office is partnering with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) to ensure a safe experience for all.

Here’s a look at how the whole-of-government team prepared to secure this year’s World Cup.

National coordination, local specialization

On a nationwide level, the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026™ is coordinating a whole-of-government effort to making the international soccer tournament a secure and enjoyable event for all.

The FBI’s role in this broader effort is to provide investigative, intelligence, and law enforcement support, as needed, in host cities across the United States.

"This is more than just security—this is about protecting America's legacy on the world stage," said FBI Director Kash Patel in a video about the Bureau's preparations to protect this year's World Cup events.

At the Headquarters level, this support includes the establishment of the International Police Cooperation Center (IPCC). This interagency communications hub will keep the local, state, federal, and international law enforcement partners in constant contact and coordination with one another—no matter how geographically spaced out they might be—for the extent of the World Cup. 

Note: You can read my Philly Daily On Crime column about security in Philadelphia during the World Cup games via the link below:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Philly Daily On Crime Column: Safeguarding The FIFA World Cup Events In Philadelphia                 

Former U.S. National Security Advisor John R. Bolton, II Pleads Guilty To Violating the Espionage Act

The U.S. Justice Department released the information below:

John R. Bolton, II, 77, of Bethesda, Maryland, pleaded guilty in federal court to willfully retaining national defense information. Bolton used personal accounts to send classified information to family members who were unauthorized to access such information, including a personal email account that was later hacked by a cyber actor allegedly linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“John Bolton held a position of extraordinary public trust as the country’s top National Security Advisor, and he betrayed that trust, jeopardizing our nation’s security,” said Hayden O’Byrne, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division. “Today’s resolution ought to send a message to other public officials whom the public has entrusted with classified, national defense information. If you willfully mishandle these state secrets, the Department of Justice, led by the National Security Division, will investigate and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”         

“Mr. Bolton knew the damage mishandling confidential material could cause to national security, and yet he still committed this misconduct and put American lives at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O’Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Keeping Americans safe has always been, and will always be, the top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. No one is above the law, and so anyone who endangers our national security will be brought to justice.”

“By his own admission, John Bolton willfully and carelessly copied top secret information into his personal notes and then transmitted those secrets to unauthorized family members,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “When guardians of our nation’s secrets play fast and loose with classified information, it opens the door for foreign adversaries to get their hands on it, which is exactly what happened. This plea stands as a reminder: the FBI will remain steadfast in our pursuit of anyone who puts the security of America’s secrets at risk.”

“Americans’ safety and security were needlessly put at risk by Bolton's reckless and illegal actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “In this case, the worst happened — our most sensitive government secrets were stolen by an adversary. Today's guilty plea is a testament to the diligent work by investigators and prosecutors to ensure anyone jeopardizing our national security is held accountable.”

Bolton served as the National Security Advisor to the President of the United States between April 2018 and September 2019. According to court documents, during this time, Bolton incorporated highly sensitive classified information that he had learned in the course of his official duties into documents that he wrote about his daily activities, which he referred to as “diary” entries. The documents contained information classified up to the TOP SECRET level, as well as Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), including foreign adversaries’ military operation plans, covert U.S. government actions in foreign countries, and intelligence about adversary foreign leaders obtained from clandestine human sources and intercepted communications. 

Bolton sent these documents to two family members who were not authorized to access, receive, or possess classified information. He sent the documents via non-governmental email accounts and a non-governmental messaging application which were not approved for processing classified information, and he retained copies at his home in Bethesda where they were not permitted to be stored.   

According to court documents, Bolton’s personal email account was hacked by a cyber actor believed to be associated with the Islamic Republic of Iran after Bolton left office in September 2019. Bolton reported that hack to law enforcement but did not tell the agents or anyone else in the U.S. government that the account contained national defense information.

In October 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Maryland indicted Bolton on 18 counts of willfully transmitting and retaining national defense information. 

The plea agreement filed today resolves all 18 counts. According to the plea agreement, Bolton will face a maximum penalty of 60 months in prison. The defendant also agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine. Further, under federal law as noted in the plea agreement, Bolton’s conviction prohibits Bolton or his survivors from collecting an annuity or federal retirement pay. The Hon. Theodore D. Chuang, U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Maryland, set Bolton’s sentencing date for Oct. 28.

The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case with key support from FBI’s Counterintelligence & Espionage Division, FBI New York Office, and FBI’s Operational Technology Division.

Acting Deputy Chief Tanner Kroeger and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. Multiple former prosecutors in both offices made significant contributions to the yearslong investigation.                         

FBI: Foreign Virtual Targeting Using Online Job Offers To Recruit Insiders

The FBI released a warning about virtual targeting via offers to recruit insiders:  

Recruiter: “We are impressed by your government experience. We’d like to offer you paid consulting work.”

Federal retiree: “Consulting? What kind of work?”

The message sounded like a perfect opportunity. A recently retired military analyst wanting to stay professionally active was approached online by someone claiming to represent an international consulting company.

The recruiter praised the analyst’s expertise and offered flexible, remote assignments writing short reports. The work appeared harmless. The pay was generous. The recruiter seemed professional.

But the opportunity was not what it seemed.

“Foreign intelligence services frequently use professional networking websites, social media platforms, and job boards to identify and target individuals under the guise of consulting or employment,” said Roman Rozhavsky, the assistant director of the FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division.

The tactic is known as virtual targeting, a strategy that some foreign intelligence services use to find new intelligence sources. Instead of meeting in person, foreign actors use online platforms to identify and recruit individuals with access to sensitive or classified information.

Using false online identities, they may pose as recruiters, consulting firm representatives, researchers, or analysts to establish professional relationships and collect information that supports their intelligence objectives.

Foreign intelligence services rely heavily on online platforms because they provide direct access to potential targets. Among U.S. foreign adversaries, China is by far the most prolific practitioner.

You can read the rest of the piece via the link below:

 Foreign Virtual Targeting — FBI                         

Philadelphia Orchestra Performs Wizard Of Oz Score At Classic Film’s Screening

Philly Daily, where my On Crime column appears each week, reports that the Philadelphia Orchestra will perform The Wizard of Oz musical score at a screening of the classic film.    

There’s no place like Oz! Experience it anew as the Philadelphia Orchestra brings the unforgettable music of The Wizard of OZ to life, performing the score line as the film unfolds on screen,” the Philadelphia Orchestra announced. “Judy Garland’s iconic performance, timeless songs, ad a journey down the Yellow Brick Road come together in an evening that invites audiences of all ages to rediscover why Oz feels like home.

You can read the rest of the piece via the link below:

 Philadelphia Orchestra Performs Wizard of Oz Score At Classic Film’s Screening – Philly Daily

My Philly Daily On Crime Column: Ask Any Cop: What Do You Think Of District Attorney Larry Krasner?

Philly Daily posted my On Crime column today on what cops think of Philly’s DA.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Paul Davis: Just ask cops what they think of Larry Krasner – Philly Daily

The Pennsylvania State Supreme Court ruled that Philly District Attorney Larry Kresner’s progressive campaign to overturn criminal convictions – as opposed to seeking convictions like a proper prosecutor – must now have oversight from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.

The ruling comes after the court discovered that Krasner’s DA Office (DAO) failed to properly investigate these cases, misled judges and misrepresented facts. Ralph Ciprano’s Big Trial pieces at Substack go into great detail about Krasner’s outrageous conduct.      

Ask any cop about Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and you are likely to get an earful about his progressive politics and law & order polices.

I reached out to one retired cop and asked retired Philadelphia Police Lieutenant Martin O’Donnell (seen in the above photo) if he, like most cops I know, dislikes Krasner and his policies?

O’Donnell: Dislike is a broad term and kind of benign. I don’t personally know our DA, but I dislike his cavalier attitude and his policies that, in my opinion, seemed more focused against law enforcement and police officers doing their job.

What do you think of Krasner’s progressive policies about prosecuting criminal suspects?

O’Donnell: The DAO is promoting Krasner’s personal agenda. The DA is supposed to represent ‘Blind Justice,’ but it is obvious that he shies away from actually prosecuting criminals. One feels that the victim of a crime is not who the DAO is championing. It takes very little time for the word to spread in criminal circles about the lack of or minimal prosecution. The champion of the victim has now become the champion of the criminal. I know the DAO floats numbers about the reduction in crime, but I wonder about that and how to interpret those statistics. The DA said he was going to reduce the prison population. Well, he did, but at what cost? History will be the judge of his progressive policies, and in the end, I don’t think history will look upon them favorably. 

What do you think of Krasner exonerating convicted murders?

O’Donnell: Again, the word on the street spreads quicker than the Internet. When the DAO has ‘110 prosecutorial concessions’ most involving murder convictions that should be a red flag. No police officer would want to send an innocent person to jail, however it is almost ironic that his office can find a technicality on any of these cases and then refused to try the case again.

Some have said that with Krasner as DA, there are two attorneys in court looking out for the accused, and no one looking out for the victim.

O’Donnell: Krasner worked for years suing the Philadelphia Police Department 75 times - let that sink in. You can’t go from spending most of your professional career suing the police and then the next day supporting them. In one case, in which a person was a victim of harassment and eventually a homicide, Krasner is quoted as saying, "I will acknowledge again that we could have done better with respect to ... the decisions that were made," he said.

I’m amazed that the DA gets off the hook with this, where an innocent young lady was murdered, simply by saying, “we could have done better…’ but police officers are held to some other higher standard. The obvious difference here is that he has the luxury of sitting in his office conferring with a room full of attorneys for days and then reviewing again what actions he is going to take. In the meantime, he has an opportunity to go home, eat dinner, relax, and go back to work again before he makes his final decision. He has chance for a ‘do over’ to dot his ‘I’s’ and cross his ‘T’s.’ A police officer in a violent, fluid situation has one chance, and no opportunity to talk it over, and no opportunity to go home. There are no ‘do overs’ on the street.

What do you think of Krasner’s campaign of prosecuting cops?

O’Donnell: Officers make a split-second decision based on what their minds are able to process in nano seconds. They are reviewing their training, the law, policy and emotions fast than most people sneeze. They process the totality of the event is in real time. I taught more than 5,000 officers at the Police Academy and never did I ever hear one of them say that they wanted to shoot someone today. Police officers are the last line of defense and that line is broadened with the help of the District Attorney’s Office. When that DAO gives up its support and intentionally prosecutes officers who are doing their job in the middle of a riot, car stop, meet the complaint or any one of a thousand interactions with the public, to promote their own agenda, that in itself emboldens the criminal and eviscerate  the authority of the police.

Paul Davis’s On Crime column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com. 

My South Philly Review Crime Beat Column On The Man Behind 'Stand Up South Philly And Take Our Streets Back'

Note: You can click on the above to enlarge. 

Two Doctors, Physician’s Assistant Charged With Unlawfully Distributing Controlled Substances Via Voicemail “Refill Line”

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia released the information below:

PHILADELPHIA – The United States Attorney David Metcalf announced criminal charges against three defendants in connection with an alleged pill mill conspiracy. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.

Dr. Joseph P. DiRenzo Jr., 64, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, Dr. Marc A. Matozzo, 56, of Woodbury, New Jersey, and Joseph D. Norris, P.A., 62, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. DiRenzo and Matozzo were also each charged with two counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. Norris was also charged with two counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances and one count of false statements related to health care matters. 

“Medical professionals who prescribe powerful drugs indiscriminately are fueling the opioid crisis that continues to grip our area,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Just like street dealers, they are perpetuating people’s pain and addiction. My office and our partners will never stop working to put pill mills out of business. We would ask anyone with knowledge of such prescription abuse to share their information with law enforcement. Doing so could save lives.”

As alleged in the indictment, from January 2020 through March 2025, the defendants operated a voicemail refill line that allowed patients to request and receive refills of Schedule II controlled substance prescriptions, namely oxycodone and amphetamine, without ever interacting with a licensed and registered prescriber. The defendants prescribed to patients who used the refill line to receive prescriptions for controlled substances for up to and, in some instances, exceeding one year without interacting with a licensed prescriber. The defendants knew that certain pharmacies refused to fill certain of their controlled substances prescriptions, but defendants submitted the refused prescriptions to other pharmacies and submitted prescriptions in the name of another medical professional in order to deceive the pharmacies into filling the prescriptions. 

The indictment further alleges that the defendants received notice from pharmacy benefit managers and insurers that the defendants had prescribed dangerous amounts of Schedule II controlled substances and dangerous combinations of controlled substances and other medications, but they continued to prescribe these medicines. 

Some patients who used the refill line to obtain Schedule II controlled substances from defendants suffered drug overdoses and died. Although the defendants learned of the overdoses and deaths, they allegedly continued to operate the refill line to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances without interacting with patients. 

“Medical professionals occupy a position of trust and are sworn to care for and protect their patients,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The defendants in this case allegedly violated that trust and their professional oaths by continuing to prescribe dangerous quantities of Schedule II narcotics, even after being warned about the risks posed by their prescribing practices. At a time when our nation continues to confront an opioid crisis, conduct like this undermines public confidence in the medical profession and the tireless efforts of those working to save lives. The FBI, alongside our partners, will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who exploit positions of trust and benefit from illegal, dangerous, and, too often, fatal schemes.”

“Medical providers are responsible for ensuring that controlled substances are prescribed properly,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Protecting the public from dangerous provider behaviors and drug overdoses is a top priority for HHS-OIG. In conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, and other fellow law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively investigate alleged drug diversion.”

This case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Claiborne Bisio of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Northeast Strike Force, part of the Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Unit.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Metcalf are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.

Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: 

• Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• 48 civil monetary payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions and 25 HHS-OIG actions under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.                         

National Constitution Center Holds Independence Week Town Hall: The American Idea At 250

Philly Daily, where my On Crime column appears each week, reports that the National Constitution Center will hold an Independence Week Town Hall on Wednesday, July 1 at 6:30 p.m. ET. The event can be attended in person at the Center or online. 

You can read the piece via the link below:

National Constitution Center Holds Independence Week Town Hall: The American Idea at 250 – Philly Daily 

My South Philly Crime Beat Column: The Man Behind ‘Stand Up South Philly And Take Our Streets Back’

The South Philly Review ran my Crime Beat column online today ahead of the print edition, which will come out on Wednesday.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

 The man behind 'Stand Up South Philly and Take Our Streets Back' 

I attended the June 11 South Philly street vigil for Billy Schmidt, the 22-year-old who was recently murdered.

The streets near 20th Street and Durfor were packed with people who were both saddened about the murder of the young man and concerned about crime in South Philly. They listened intently to the speakers at the vigil and shouted out approval when the speakers called for justice for Billy Schmidt.

I spoke to several people in the crowd and all expressed outrage at the senseless murder of Billy Schmidt and demanded that the murderers be arrested and punished.   

Billy Schmidt, a Penn State student who was set to graduate in December, was shot to death when he tried to recover his cell phone from two young men who robbed him. 

Billy Schmidt was murdered near his home early on Saturday morning, June 6, as he walked home from a local bar where he watched a basketball game. He was discovered lying on the street with a chest wound from a gunshot. The robbery and murder, which was captured on a doorbell video, has infuriated the community.

The video showed two young men acting like predators, walking around and looking for a victim. After shooting Billy Schmidt, the video showed the two men stripping off their hoodies to avoid being detected.

Hopefully, the video will lead to their arrest by the police.     

The vigil was organized by Anthony Giordano (seen in the above photo), 56, who, along with his wife Lisa, started the “Stand Up South Philly and Take Our Streets Back” Facebook page nearly six years ago.

I reached out to Giordano to ask him about his Facebook group’s activism.

“We were instrumental in stopping the safe injection sites and we also were instrumental in protecting South Philadelphia during the George Floyd riots, so we’re all about the neighborhood,” Giordano said. “Now we have about 20,000 people on Facebook.

“So, what happened was with any kind of neighborhood issue, the neighbors reach out to me. Small things, like the alley lights are out or reaching out to a councilman. The quality-of-life issues in our neighborhood are the big things that we do, so when I saw this young man, Billy Schmidt, get murdered, I said we have to do something for their family.” 

Giordano said that they could not let Schmidt die in vain.

“South Philadelphia cannot let him die like he did, all by himself face down on the street. He needed to be shown love and respect. South Philadelphia united for this kid, and that’s why I wanted to do the vigil.”

Davis: How many people showed up at the vigil?

Giordano: “I’m going to say it had to be close to 1,000 people. It was a good crowd.”

Davis: Who spoke at the vigil?

Giordano: “First District Capt. Kelly Robbins and Councilman Kenyatta Johnson spoke at the vigil. Dr. Mary Palmer from the city’s Division of Safe Neighborhoods spoke as well as St. Monica’s Father Kelly. Councilman Mark Squilla was there, but he didn’t speak.”

Davis: Was the vigil a success?

Giordano: “It was absolutely a success. It got the message out for the family to show that South Philadelphia cares. The South Philadelphia community stands up for its neighbors. People came from 2nd Street, Southwest Philadelphia, Delaware County and New Jersey. We definitely got the message across that we are a united front.”

Davis: How did you become involved as an activist?

Giordano: “I’m South Philadelphia born and raised. Someone has to help and get involved and enough is enough. The quality of life itself in South Philadelphia is declining. Things are happening in our neighborhoods that didn’t happen when we were younger, and now more violent crimes are creeping into our neighborhoods. I decided somebody’s got to be the voice. I’m not doing this for glory or trying to get a better job or trying to become a politician. I can tell you that’s the furthest thing from my mind. I want to retire in six years and umpire baseball games. Everything I do is for the community.” ••

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com  

40 Corny Father's Day Jokes

My late father Edward M. Davis (seen in the above photo) taught his four children to be good Americans and good human beings.

He passed on many pearls to us, but one thing in particular my later brother Eddie and I appeared to have inherited from him is a love of oft-repeated corny jokes.

His jokes made us groan, and we in turn made our children groan - often with many of the same jokes.

Jamie Fisher at Parents magazine offers a good piece with 40 Father’s Day jokes:   

Some dads love to grill, some dads prefer to golf, and some dads enjoy tinkering with their cars. But most dads have one thing in common: a love of corny jokes. Whether it's a cheesy riddle or a creative pun, there's no better way to have your dad rolling with laughter. 

This Father's Day, break out these silly (and slightly cringe-y) one-liners, puns, riddles, and jokes. We also included some that will make a great addition to any handmade card for dad.

Funny Jokes About Father's Day

What are dads' favorite Father's Day treats? POPsicles.

What do hermit crabs do on Father's Day? Shellabrate their dads!

Why do dads bring an extra pair of socks to play golf on Father's Day? In case they get a hole in one.

How did the pig wake up his dad on Father's Day? Hogs and kisses.

Why wasn't one Father's Day gift better than the other? It was a tie!

Where do dads go to dance on Father's Day? Golf clubs.

How do dads like their steak on Father's Day? On a plate.

What's a groundbreaking Father's Day gift to give to your dad? A shovel.

What did the baby computer say to its dad on Father's Day? Happy Father's Day, Data!

What kind of test is just for dads? A pop quiz!

You can read the rest of the piece via the link below:

40 Corny Father's Day Jokes Dads Will Secretly Love

Happy Father's Day To My Late Father

On this Father's Day I'm thinking of my late father, Edward M. Davis.

He died of cancer in 1976.

In the above photo my father is on the right as he welcomed me home from U.S. Navy Boot Camp when I was 17 years old in 1970.

My father led a hard life (as did my late mother Claire Ann Wardino). At 16 during the depression, he was with the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) cutting down trees in the forest. At 17 he was in the U.S. Army. Stationed in Panama, he guarded the Canal and chased banditos into the hills.       

After the Army, he worked as a lineman, married my mother and raised my sister Jane and oldest brother Bill. 

When WWII broke out, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, becoming a chief and an elite Underwater Demolitions Team (UDT) frogman. (He apppears in the center of the below photo). 

Wounded and medically discharged after the war, he went back to being a lineman and later a union construction electrician. He and my mother raised my older brother Eddie and I.   

He was a good father. 

Happy Father's Day to my late father and all other good dads.

Note: I wrote briefly about my father in a piece on the WWII UDT and how they developed into the Navy SEALs  for Counterterrorism magazine. 

You can read the piece via the below link:

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2013/06/a-look-back-at-world-war-ii-us-navy.html                                                                                 

My Crime Fiction: 'Conti's Tit-For-Tat'

Below is my crime fiction story Conti’s Tit-For-Tat.

The short story originally appeared in American Crime Magazine.

Conti’ s Tit-For-Tat

By Paul Davis

I received a call from Jerry Rollins, a security executive for a major defense contractor in the Philadelphia area.

Rollins had come a long way from the young man who once worked for me at the Defense Department procurement center in South Philadelphia, known locally as the “Quartermaster.” 

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy when I was 17 in 1970, and I began working at the Quartermaster as a civilian clerk after serving two years on an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War.

By the 1990s I had become the civilian administrative officer of a tenant Defense Department command at the Quartermaster that oversaw defense contractors in the tri-state area. These contractors, from mom & pop shops to major corporations, provided the military with such diverse items as cruise missiles to pea coats to orange juice. 

Our command oversaw the many contractors, providing and ensuring contract administration, quality assurance, production scheduling, engineering and other programs for the military buying commands. 

As the admin officer, I wore several “hats” for the command, including security officer, safety officer, fire marshal, facility manager, and public affairs officer. I managed a good number of support programs for the command’s military and civilian employees. I also served as an investigating officer involving security breaches, crimes and Inspector General cases of fraud, waste and abuse. And I performed security and safety speeches, briefings and seminars.    

Rollins was one of my assistants, and he was a quick learner and a good worker. I was proud to see him move up the ladder before I retired from the Defense Department and went from being a part-time writer to becoming a full-time writer. 

Rollins told me over the phone that he wanted me to meet a security co-worker of his from the defense contractor plant. I agreed and met Rollins and a man Named Joseph Conti at a bar in South Philly.

Conti was a stocky man in his early 50s with short white hair. Rollins said that Conti had a story that the readers of my crime column in the local paper might be interested in. Conti was ready to tell his story as the Statute of Limitations had kicked in.  

Conti began by saying that he had been in the U.S. Army and served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was thinking of reenlisting when his sister Rose called him and told him tearfully that her husband, Bill Atkins, had been beaten severely and was in the hospital. 

“I was not surprised,” Conti said after taking a sip from his beer. “Bill was a degenerate gambler, and he was always in trouble. I wish my sister would take her daughter, my niece, and leave the creep, but you know how it is. I was close with my sister, so I took my discharge and headed home to South Philly.”

By the time Conti made it home, his sister was terrified as a brick had been tossed through the living room window of her rowhouse.

Conti picked up the brick and read the attached note. “Tell your husband that I want my money. Mike Grant.”

“Who signs a threatening note? Who is Mike Grant?”

“He’s the mob bookmaker that Bill bets with at the Oregon Lounge. Bill owes him a lot of money.”

Conti reassured his sister that he would clear things up and all would be well. He then went to a hardware store to buy materials to repair the broken window.

That night the brick went through the large window adorned with gold lettering that read the “Oregon Lounge.”

A note was attached to the brick that read “Tit-for-Tat.”

The owner of the bar, Michael Grant, AKA “Mikie Mutt,” a short, muscle-bound man with dark, curly hair, read the note slowly. 

Grant once tried to explain his multiethnicity of German, English and French to a friend, who replied, “So you’re a mutt.” Thereafter, Grant was known as Mikie Mutt.

Grant asked Louis “Louie Jap” Rosetti, “What’s this about a chick’s tit and a tattoo?”

“The note is not about tits and tattoos,” Rosetti replied. “It’s about a retaliation in kind. You do one thing to a guy, and the guy does something similar to you. Tit-for-tat. You broke Atkin’s window. He broke yours.”

Rosetti, known as Louie the Jap as he looked more Oriental than Italian, smiled at the note and at his boss’s stupidity.

Grant was not scared off. He and Rosetti drove to Atkin’s house. Grant banged on the door, but no one answered. He put his shoulder to the door to break it down, but he could not. Grant then kicked at the door’s handle and lock and again failed. In the movies, breaking down a door looked easy, but Grant was having trouble. He finally, after several kicks, busted the door open.

Grant saw Rose Atkins standing in the kitchen with a butcher knife in her hand and her young daughter behind her.

“Where’s your deadbeat husband?”

“Get the fuck out of my house, you asshole,”

“I’m gonna find your husband and get my money.”

Grant walked out the door. Rose called her brother who was working out at a local gym and she told him what happened.

Conti stopped at a hardware store and bought material to repair the door. He repaired the door and tried to calm down his sister.

 

That night a makeshift explosive device blew in the front door of the Oregon Lounge. The heavy wood door flew across the bar, smashing tables and chairs. The bomb's blast blew apart liquor bottles on the shelf.       

The next day Grant and Rosetti assessed the damage. Grant cursed and Rosetti said, “Tit for tat. You broke in his door; he broke in your door.”

“Atkins ain’t got the balls for this.” Grant said.

“I’ll ask around.”

Rosetti returned to the Oregon Lounge a few hours later. He told Grant that Atkin’s brother-in-law, a soldier, was home.

“He’s got the balls to do this,” Rosetti said. “I heard he hangs around Rocco’s gym.”

“Let’s go.”

Rosetti entered the gym and saw boxers sparing in the ring and others hitting heavy bags and speed bags. He recognized Conti from the description he was given. He walked up to Conti who was hitting a heavy bag.

“Hey, Joe Conti? Mikie Mutt wants to see you outside.”

Without a word, Conti dropped his gloves on a bench, wiped his face with a small towel, and followed Rosetti outside.

“So youse Billy Atkins’ brother-in-law? A tough guy, huh? But this ain’t the fuckin’ army. This is fuckin’ South Philly.”

Conti stood on the sidewalk and said nothing.

Grant took off his shirt, showing his heavily muscled torso.

“I sees you at a boxing gym. I’m a boxer. You want to go a few rounds wit me?”

"OK,” Conti replied. “But I should tell you that I was a boxer in the Army, and I was 20-2 and 2.”

Grant moved in and swung a wide hook at Conti. Conti slipped the blow easily. Grant then threw an uppercut that also missed its mark. Conti countered with a right cross that dropped Grant to the cement sidewalk.

Conti looked at Rosetti, thinking that he would step in, but the lean hoodlum just laughed at his friend on the sidewalk.

Conti leaned over as Grant struggled to get to his knees.

“Do you know what a 20-2 and 2 record is? Do you know what the 20 stands for? It’s wins, you idiot. Do you think I would brag about 20 losses? I heard about you. Sparing with guys who work for you don’t make you a boxer. You sure ain’t no fighter, pal.”

Conti walked back into the gym and Rosetti picked up Grant and placed him in the car.

Later that week Atkins’s car was spotted outside of a poolroom where the gambler was betting money he didn’t have on a pool game. Grant and Rosetti drove to the poolroom to confront Atkins.

Atkins saw Grant from the pool hall’s window, and he ran out the back door. Grant was mad when he didn’t see Atkins in the pool hall and he stormed out. Looking at Atkin’s car, he took a baseball bat out of his car’s trunk and smashed Atkin’s car windows.

That night, a makeshift explosive device was placed on Grant’s beloved Cadillac, which was parked in the driveway of his Packer Park home in South Philly.

The explosion destroyed the Cadillac and blew in windows from Grant’s house as well as the windows of several of his neighbors.

“Tit-for-tat,” Rosetti said, shaking his head in disbelief.

 

Enough was enough. The police were investigating the bombings and the illegal gambling and loan sharking business at the Oregon Lounge stopped due to the police attention.

Angelo Abatangelo, known as the “Ange the Abbot” due to his last name’s Italian origin and the bald spot on the back of his head, called for a “sitdown." He ordered the two mob associates, Grant and Rosetti, to report to a closed restaurant on Broad Street.

The portly South Philly Cosa Nostro capo also sent word to Conti for him to appear.

Conti was let into the restaurant, and he walked back to the table where Abatangelo, Grant and Rosetti sat. A bodyguard patted Conti down and found that Conti was unarmed. Conti sat down.

Without introductions, as they were not needed, Abatangelo said to Conti and Grant, “This stupid shit ends now.”

"And you, Joe Conti, where do you get the nerve to be setting off bombs in South Philly like we was in Iraq? I asked about you. You was a street kid hoodlum before you joined the army after 9/11. You should know better than to draw attention to us with exploding bombs like we was the fuckin’ Taliban.”

Conti said nothing.

“His brother-in-law owes us money!” Grant shouted.

Abatangelo gave Grant a disapproving look and Grant shut up.

“He owes you money. You owe me money.” Abatangelo said to Grant. Looking back at Conti, “I give you credit for coming today. Smart move, but tell me why I don’t just put a bullet in your fuckin’ army hard head?”

The phone rang and the capo’s man answered it. He spoke for a moment and hung up. He walked over to the capo and whispered in his ear.

“My guy tells me that someone is standing outside of my house with a grin on his face. Your guy?”

“Yes, my buddy.”

“And I guess your buddy has a bomb?”

“Yeah, but he won’t detonate it if I return home unharmed.”

“I see. But there is the matter of the money your brother-in-law owes. This nitwit here should have cut him off and made sure no other bookmaker took his bets. Instead, he lets him run up a tab no one can pay back and then uses violence. Dumb. Fuckin’ dumb”

Conti motioned that he wanted to reach into his jacket pocket. The capo nodded.

Conti pulled out two thick stacks of bills.

“Here’s $10,000. I’ll somehow get the rest for you later on.”

“Where did you get the money?”

“A bank loan.”

“You ain’t got a job. What bank would loan you money?”

“I got a job. I start next week.”

“Doing what?

“Police officer.”

The capo laughed. “We’ll take the ten large and write off the rest.”

“But Ange!” Grant yelled.

“Shut up, you nitwit.” 

“Conti, you tell your brother-in-law to move to Mexico if he wants to place a bet in the future.”

“I will. Thank you.”

   

I laughed at the story that ended well.

But Conti said the story didn’t end there. He worked as a Philadelphia Police officer for several years and then became a deputy U. S. Marshal, tracking down fugitives across the country.

Abatangelo flipped when he was about to receive a stiff prison sentence. He testified against his criminal associates, including Mike Grant, and then entered the Federal Witness Protection Program. A prize government witness, Abatangelo asked to be protected by a deputy U.S. Marshal he knew – Conti. And Conti was reassigned to Abatangelo’s protection detail.

Abatangelo later died of natural causes and Conti retired from the Marshals Service and got a job at a defense contractor’s plant.

“And Mikie Mutt is still in federal prison,” Conti said with a laugh.

© 2026 Paul Davis 

Note: You can read my other crime fiction short stories via the link below:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction Stories  

Alabama Defense Contractor Agrees To Pay $507,144 To Resolve False Claims Act Liability Relating To Cybersecurity Violations

 The U.S. Justice Department released the information below:

Defense contractor LOGZONE Inc. of Huntsville, Alabama has agreed to pay $507,144 to resolve its liability under the False Claims Act for knowingly failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements in contracts with the Department of the Navy.

“Government contractors that obtain sensitive defense information in administering their contracts must follow required cybersecurity standards,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate potential violations of these cybersecurity requirements in order to protect this critical information from external threats.”

“The protection of sensitive defense information by government contractors is critical to national security,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. for the Northern District of Alabama. “Adherence to the cybersecurity provisions of contracts with the federal government must be a priority for all contractors, and this enforcement action should serve as a reminder of that.”

“The cybersecurity provisions of federal contracts are critical to protecting sensitive information that may be transmitted in carrying out the mission of the contracts,” said Navy Vice Admiral Stephen Tedford, Director of the Defense Contract Management Agency. “DCMA will continue to ensure that contractors are fulfilling these obligations.”

The settlement resolves allegations under the False Claims Act that LOGZONE knowingly submitted false or fraudulent claims for payment on two Navy contracts for which LOGZONE had not complied with the contracts’ cybersecurity requirements. From May 2021 to March 2025, LOGZONE allegedly failed to implement certain cybersecurity controls in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171 that, if not implemented, could lead to significant exploitation of the system or exfiltration of sensitive defense information. These issues were identified when the Defense Contract Management Agency assessed LOGZONE’s implementation of NIST SP 800-171 security controls, which resulted in LOGZONE receiving a score of -170, at the low end of the possible score range of -203 to 110.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama with assistance from the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel, NCIS, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the Defense Contract Management Agency’s Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center.

This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

The matter was handled by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Graham D. Welch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Long for the Northern District of Alabama.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.