Celebrating Flag Day 2024

 When the American Revolution broke out in 1775, the colonists weren’t fighting united under a single flag, notes History.com. 

Instead, most regiments participating in the war for independence against the British fought under their own flags. In June of 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to create the Continental Army—a unified colonial fighting force—with the hopes of a more organized battle against its colonial oppressors. This led to the creation of what was, essentially, the first “American” flag, the Continental Colors.

For some, this flag, which was comprised of 13 red and white alternating stripes and a Union Jack in the corner, was too similar to that of the British. George Washington soon realized that flying a flag that was even remotely close to the British flag was not a great confidence-builder for the revolutionary effort, so he turned his efforts towards creating a new symbol of freedom for the soon-to-be fledgling nation. 

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress took a break from writing the Articles of Confederation and passed a resolution stating that "the flag of the Unted States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white," and that "the union be 13 stars, white in blue field, representing a new constellation." 

Over 100 years later, in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson marked the anniversary of that degree by officially establishing June 14 as Flag Day. 

Note: My beautiful and wonderful daughter pleased her patriotic father by being born on June 14^th, Flag Day, in 1987.  

Above is the Jasper John painting Three Flags.  

My Crime Fiction: 'Black Horse Pike'

 The below short story originally appeared in American Crime Magazine.

Black Horse Pike  

By Paul Davis

The bartender in a small dark roadside bar on the Black Horse Pike in South Jersey introduced himself to us as Bob as he served my friend Tony Rocco a beer and a vodka on the rocks for me. 

Tony told the bartender that I was a writer and he was a photographer as we were offered menus. We ordered meatball sandwiches along with our drinks, and Bob said he was glad we were drinking, as he had been a bartender for forty years and he didn't trust a man who didn't drink.

“No problem here,” Tony told him. 

Coming from South Philadelphia, we were taking the Black Horse Pike to Atlantic City, which was the old way before they built the New Jersey Expressway. The Black Horse Pike was the road to "downashore," as we called it when we were teenagers in the 1960s. We took the Black Horse Pike as Tony wanted to make a stop at the home of one of his relatives.

We were on our way to Atlantic City to cover the trial of a South Philly mob guy later that week. The notorious mobster had been arrested by the Atlantic City Police at a diner as he was pounding away on a gambler who was behind on his payments. 

As the local newspaper's crime columnist, I was going to Atlantic City to cover the trial and Tony, one the local paper’s photographers, accompanied me.  

We ordered a second round of drinks and Bob again told us of his mistrust of non-drinkers.

“You’re a writer," Bob said. "You want to hear a story while you're waiting for your food to come out?”

“Sure,” I replied.

“Well, about fifty years ago a thin man with glasses, a meek-looking guy, kinda shy, came in and sat at one of those tables. Ole Joe, the old bartender then, left the bar and went over to the table to take the man's order. The shy man hardly looked up as he ordered a cheeseburger in a low, hesitant voice.

“The bar was nearly empty except for the shy man and a group of six local boys. Young tough guys and bad boys, you might call ‘em.”

“Want a beer or something to drink with your cheeseburger?” Ole Joe asked the shy man.  
“No,” the shy man said softly. “Just a glass of water.”

“Mister,” Ole Joe said, “This is a bar, you know.” 

“Your sign outside reads Bar and Grill. I’ll just use the grill part if you don't mind.”

“OK,” Ole Joe said. 

The group of young men heard the exchange between the shy man and Ole Joe and they laughed loudly.  

One of them yelled out. “Get him a soda pop,” Another yelled out, “Get him a glass of milk.”

The shy man ignored the insults and taunts.

After the shy man had finished his cheeseburger in silence, he got up from the table and went to the bar. He asked the bartender how much he owed him for the cheeseburger.

“Well, Ole Joe told him $30 dollars.” 

“Why so much?” the shy man asked Ole Joe.

“The boys over there said you was picking up their tab too,” Ole Joe said. 

The shy man turned slowly towards the group of small-town toughs and then turned back to the bartender. “I never agreed to that,” he said softly. 

“Listen,” Ole Joe said quietly, leaning in, “Mister, it might be better to just pay.” 

The shy man told Ole Joe to call the police.

“They won’t get here in time, and I don't want to see you get hurt or my place smashed up, so just pay up, OK.” 

“Do what I said,” the shy man in a soft, calm voice.

“The local boys were all drunk and having fun and they sure was brave in a group of six,” Bob said. “Dummy Number One and Dummy Number Two got up from the table and approached the shy man at the bar. 

"Hey,” Dummy Number One said to the shy man. “Why ain’t you paying for our beers and food?” 

“Pay your own bill,” the shy man said softly without turning to face the two young men.

“Now Ole Joe was in the army in World War II, and he thought he saw everything,” Bob explained. “But when Dummy Number One grabbed the shy man's jacket, Ole Joe saw a blur of arms and as swift as you can imagine, Dummy Number One was on the floor screaming about his broken arm.” 

Bob said the shy man also dropped Dummy Number Two to the floor as the rest of the pack charged him. 

“It was all so quick that most of the bad boys didn't know what hit them,” Bob said. “But they was all on the floor with broken bones or just plain knocked out." 

The shy man then said to Ole Joe, “Didn't I tell you to call the police? 

“Yes, sir,” Ole Joe said as he picked up the phone. 

“Well, it turns out that the man was shy, but not meek. He was some kind of soldier who was in Vietnam, and he sure knew how to fight close up and all.” 

“It goes to show you,” Tony said. “Don't judge a book by its cover.” 

“Yeah,” Bob the bartender replied. “And don't trust a man who don't drink."

Tony and I laughed. 

"I ought to know,” Bob said. 

“How so?” I asked.

“I was Dummy Number Four.”

© 2020 Paul Davis

Mexican Cartels Targeting Americans In Timeshare Fraud Scams, FBI Warns

The FBI warns that Mexican drug trafficking cartels are targeting Americans in timeshare fraud scams.

The FBI has seen a rise in scams targeting timeshare owners. In this kind of scam, criminals con these part-time property owners into shelling out hefty sums of cash, all under false pretenses related to their timeshare properties.  

Its primary choice of victim—older Americans—technically makes timeshare fraud a form of elder fraud, or crime that aims to make older Americans part with their money or cryptocurrency. The FBI aggressively investigates such crimes to safeguard a particularly vulnerable population from scams, said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul Roberts, who leads FBI New York’s Complex Financial Crimes Branch. 

“Timeshare fraudsters aim to suck their victims dry, with devastating consequences to victims’ financial futures, relationships, and physical and emotional health,” he said. 

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

Mexican Cartels Targeting Americans in Timeshare Fraud Scams, FBI Warns — FBI 

Revealed: Ian Fleming’s Orders To D-Day Spies

Jack Blackburn at The Times in London offer a piece that reveals the orders issued to the WWII British intelligence group 30 Assault Unit for the D- Day invasion by Royal Navy Commander Ian Fleming, the future creator of James Bond (seen in the above photo at Royal Naval Intelligence HQ). 

You can read the piece via the below link or the below text:

Revealed: Ian Fleming’s orders to D-Day spies (thetimes.com) 

When troops landed on D-Day, some had an ulterior mission. Most were aimed at liberating nearby settlements but GCHQ has uncovered orders issued by the creator of 007 to a covert commando.

The listening service’s historians have found and released the orders that Ian Fleming — who would go on to write the James Bond thrillers — signed and issued to 30 Assault Unit, the covert unit he established to conduct intelligence operations during the Second World War.

In a highly detailed briefing, Fleming directed the men to go to various locations in France and elsewhere to find “items of immediate operational importance in the prosecution of the war against Germany”. These items included material relating to the Enigma code.

There was also a note about “new weapons or devices” that the Germans might have been developing. The desired intelligence items are listed as sufficiently important that they justified special operations and casualties.

The documents are testament to the thoroughness of British intelligence-gathering. At some points, the men are directed to individual rooms or even objects where the sensitive material was expected to be found.

For instance, one document tells the men: “It is reported that the secret books are kept in a light metal chest in an office in the [U-boat] pens: the door is marked only with the name ‘Oberschreibersmaat Fritz Frank’ without reference to his employment.”

In the Second World War, the role of 30AU (or Number 30 Commando) was to go ahead of the Allied forces and then behind enemy lines. Throughout the conflict, they performed vital work in different theatres of war in securing Nazi codebooks, ciphers and battle orders.

On D-Day, they landed on Juno and Utah beaches and proceeded inland; five were killed and 20 were wounded near Sainte-Mère-Église. It had been known that one of their targets was a radar station at Douvres-la-Délivrande, which held out for 11 days. The commandos were also charged with examining suspected V1 rocket sites. However, it now appears that they may have had many more targets.

The documents, marked “Top Secret” and “Bigot” (British invasion of German occupied territories), say that the men are to gather “All code books, cyphers and documents relating to signals, radar and communications: the ‘spools’ [wheels], junction boxes and indications of settings used in connection with the German ‘ENIGMA’ cyphering machines.”

The targets are listed in numerous French sea and river ports, such as Nantes, Bordeaux, Boulogne and Dunkirk, as well as targets in other countries along the north European coast.  How far they got with this list is not clear. It is known that they took part in the liberation of Cherbourg in June before racing toward the ports at Rennes and Brest in August. They then executed a series of operations in Le Havre and Dieppe. All those places appear on the list, and perhaps yielded vital intelligence for later in the war.

Whether the intelligence was as pinpoint accurate as it appeared remains to be seen, and it seems that Fleming and his colleagues had their doubts. They said the intelligence should be graded no higher than C, making it fairly reliable. The report is dated April 15, 1944, but there was a hope that corroboration would occur during the invasion

“Interrogation of prisoners in the field and up-to-date aerial photographs will probably be the only reliable cross-checks,” it said. 

Note: You can also read my Counterterrorism magazine piece on Ian Fleming and the 30 Assault Unit via the below link: 

Paul Davis On Crime: My Piece On The 30 Assault Unit, The British WWII Commando Group Created By Ian Fleming, The Creator Of James Bond

And you can read my Washington Times On Crime column on the new Ian Fleming biography via the below link:

Paul Davis On Crime: Ian Fleming: The Complete Man: My Washington Times 'On Crime' Column On Nicholas Shakespeare, The Author Of The New Biography Of The Creator Of James Bond 

In Philly, Even The Cops Get Robbed

Broad & Liberty ran my piece on the armed robbery of two Philadelphia police officers.

 You can read the piece via the below link or the below text:

Paul Davis: In Philly, even the cops get robbed (broadandliberty.com)

In Philly, Even the Cops Get Robbed

By Paul Davis

 Although I believe Philadelphia’s new mayor and police commissioner have made a good start to turn back the tide of lawlessness in the city — with or without the cooperation of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry “Let ‘Em Loose Larry”’ Krasner — a couple of recent crimes illustrate that they still have their work ahead of them.

The cases I refer to are the assault and robberies of two off-duty police officers. If an armed off-duty cop can be assaulted and robbed on the street, what chance does an average citizen have? 

Last month, an off-duty Philadelphia police officer was robbed and shot at in Kensington. The police reported that the off-duty cop was standing by his car when a man armed with a gun came upon him. The cop handed over his valuables and then ran off. The armed robber chased the cop and fired shots at him. The cop turned and fired back. The armed robber then got into a car and drove off. 

The police don’t know if the armed robber was hit by the cop’s bullets, but thankfully, the cop, a seven-year police veteran, received only minor injuries. 

Also last month, another off-duty cop was assaulted and robbed of his personal gun on the 2100 block of West Oxford Street as the officer was trying to go home after work.

A car and a rowdy crowd from an after-hours club that poured out into the street were blocking traffic. The officer, an eight-year veteran, got out of his car and asked the crowd to clear the street so he could get by. The off-duty cop was then assaulted by one of the men in the crowd. The cop identified himself as a police officer, flashing his badge.  

The man who attacked the officer brandished a gun and a second man, who was reportedly 6’8’’, joined in with others on the assault on the officer. A shot was fired but no one was injured. 

The police then arrived on the scene and the crowd dispersed.  

I reached out to a veteran detective I know and asked him what he thought of the robberies of off-duty cops.

“Hey, cops are human too,” the detective said. “If a bad guy gets a drop on a cop, or they are attacked by a gang, they are just like any other victim, even if they are armed and carry a police shield.”

The detective told me he deals with victims of armed robbery and other violent crimes all the time.

“It’s a sad duty, but I have to question these victims, shook up and traumatized as they are. These violent events, which only last a minute or two, will affect them adversely for the rest of their lives. Even a hardened cop will be affected if victimized, maybe even more than the average Joe.”   

The detective said people should be aware of one’s surroundings at all times. He suggested that people should not be distracted by looking at their cell phone while walking the street. Bad guys are attracted to distracted people in the way a shark is attracted to blood in the water. 

“Always trust your instincts,” the detective said. “If something doesn’t feel right, get the hell out of there.” 

Over my many years of covering the cops, I’ve heard a good number of police officers offer advice on how to avoid being the victim of armed robbery. 

One should also show confidence when walking down a street. This sends a message that you are not likely to become a victim, and the crook might even think you are carrying a legally concealed handgun. (A cop once told me that crooks fear armed citizens more than armed cops, as the citizen is more likely to open fire quickly). 

Be alert. Take the time to see who is walking around you. Look out for suspicious people. Try to walk on well-lit streets and populated areas. Avoid shortcuts up alleys and through parking lots and garages.

When walking towards your car, or from your car to your residence, have your keys in-hand. 

Certainly, never openly show large amounts of money, excessive jewelry and electronic equipment, which will tempt an armed robber.

Don’t use an ATM machine at night if you can help it. Predatory armed robbers lay in wait for potential victims to withdraw money at night in lonely places.

Remember that there is safety in numbers, so always try to walk with a friend or a group of friends.

Anyone with information about the robbery and assault of the two off-duty police officers, or any crime, should call the police. To submit a tip, call or text 215-686-8477. You can also email a tip at tips@phillypolice.com

According to the Philadelphia Police Department, if you are reporting a crime in progress or require emergency service, dial 911. If you’d like to submit an anonymous tip to the police, you can do it via phone, email, or using an online form.

Include as much information as possible, such as the physical address and the names of the people involved. If you would like someone to follow up with you directly, include your contact information. 

Paul Davis, a Philadelphia writer and frequent contributor to Broad + Liberty, also contributes to Counterterrorism magazine and writes the “On Crime” column for the Washington Times. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.

Tom Selleck As General Eisenhower in 'Ike: The Countdown To D-Day'

As yesterday was the 80^th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, I rewatched Ike: The Countdown to D-Day, a 2004 TV movie with Tom Selleck as General Dwight Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the D-Day invasion. 

The film, which originally aired on A&E, covers General Eisenhower at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force planning the most complicated military landings in history. 

We see General Eisenhower deal with Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the British King and Queen, and prickly and proud generals such as Patton, Montgomery and de Gaulle. We also see General Eisenhower deal with his staff and make some of the toughest decisions a general has ever made.  

Tom Selleck, best known for portraying Thomas Magnum, a former Navy SEAL and private investigator in Hawaii on Magnum P.I., is excellent as General Eisenhower. 

With his head shaved and sans his famous mustache to better resemble the late general and future president, Tom Selleck offers what is perhaps his finest role.  

I enjoyed watching the film again and I salute General Eisenhower and all of the brave military members who participated in D-Day.   

I’m curious to read what Tom Selleck has written about the movie in his new memoir.

You can watch the film via the below link: 

Ike: Countdown to D-Day | Full Length Movie (Tom Selleck, James Remar, Timothy Bottoms) (youtube.com)  

My Crime Fiction: 'Moretti The Money Man'

 The below short story originally in American Crime Magazine. 

Moretti the Money Man

 By Paul Davis

I recall when some years ago I was having dinner at a South Philadelphia restaurant with my wife and a man about my age yelled out my name and thrust out his hand to shake mine.

“It’s me, Billy Moretti,” the man said. “Do you remember me?”

I replied that I did in fact remember him, and I asked how he was doing.

Moretti told the buxom blonde he was with to go to the Ladies room, and he would join her at the restaurant’s door in a few minutes. She smiled at us and walked off. Moretti grabbed a chair from another table and placed it at our table and sat down.

I remembered Billy Moretti as a shy, skinny kid with thick coke bottle glasses who was from our South Philly neighborhood. He was what we called in the late 1960s a “square” kid - what would probably be called a nerd today. He didn’t drink beer or whiskey or smoke pot on the corner with us, but we all knew him, and we liked him. 

Moretti was from a poor family, so he worked two and often three jobs at the same time. He was a hustling kid back then, but despite his tough life, he was a happy-go-lucky kid.   

The man who now sat at our table was still skinny and still wore thick glasses, but I suspected the frames were expensive, as he wore an expensive suit and tie, and sported a diamond pinky ring and a Breitling watch.

He told me that he read my weekly crime column in the local newspaper, and he often told his friends that he grew up with me.

I mentioned that he looked good, and he appeared to be doing well. He grinned and complimented me on my beautiful wife and my Rolex Submariner diver’s watch.

“Looks like you’re doing good too. I’m into finance now and I work with Sal Sabatella,” Moretti said. “Do you remember him?”

I did indeed remember Salvatore Sabatella. Sabatella was a capo, a captain, in the Philadelphia-South Jersey Cosa Nostra crime family.

“Slippin’ Sal,” I said. "How is he?”

 “Well, he don't like being called that no more, but he’s good. I work with Sal at Reeder’s Real Estate in Center City. You heard of them? I’m the money man.”

We then spoke of some of the other guys from the neighborhood, many of whom had passed on. Moretti rose from his chair, shook my hand again and said it was good to see me again.

“You too.” I replied.

After Moretti left, I explained to my wife why Salvatore Sabatella, a beefy six-foot bruiser, was called “Slippin’ Sal.” He earned that nickname back in South Philly in the 1970s when he slipped on the wet sidewalk in the rain and fell and shot an innocent bystander rather than the actual target of a mob hit. The bystander survived, but Sabatella was sentenced to prison for some years. After he was released, he moved up in the mob.

“But he’ll always be “Slippin’ Sal” to me and a lot of other guys.”

I thought of this encounter with Moretti when I was called by an FBI special agent who told me of a forthcoming indictment of Sal Sabatella and a half-dozen others in a RICO racketeering case. He emailed the indictment to me the next day. I looked at the charges and the names, and I was saddened when I saw William Moretti was one of the indicted suspects.

I met with the FBI special agent at a local bar, and we talked about the indictment. He told me that Sal Sabatella was charged with extortion and other racketeering crimes, as he threatened Michael Reeder, the real estate tycoon, and demanded to be made a silent partner in Reeder’s firm. Sabatella also used the real estate firm to launder his ill-gotten money from his loan sharking, illegal gambling and other criminal activities.

Reeder, who was suitably frightened of Sabatella, gave in and made the mobster a partner. At first, he welcomed the infusion of Sabatella’s cash into the firm, which he invested in acquiring more property. And he welcomed Moretti into the firm. Although Moretti did not have an accounting degree, he was good with money, and he advised Reeder on how to launder Sabatella’s money and how to invest in profitable ventures.

But as time went on, Reeder regretted doing business with the mobster. Sabatella was more and more demanding of money and perks, including a luxurious private office at the firm’s headquarters. Sabatella did not exactly fit in. Sabatella was loud and obnoxious, and he made crude advances towards the female staffers, and he insulted Reeder and other senior members of the firm.

Reeder asked Moretti to speak with Sabatella about his bad behavior. Moretti warned Reeder that speaking to Sabatella would not be a wise or safe thing to do as the mobster had a vicious temper.

Things came to a head when Sabatella crashed a meeting Reeder was having with a property owner named Wallace Newly. Reeder was making the man an offer on his valuable property, but Newly was not interested in selling the property.

Sabatella stood over Newly and told Reeder the man needed a good incentive. With that, Sabatella punched Newly in his face. Newly fell out of his chair and Sabatella then delivered a couple of well-placed kicks to Newly as he lay on the carpeted floor.

Reeder tried to stop Sabatella and he received a severe smack across the face from Sabatella.

Sabatella walked out of the conference room, stating, “Now that’s how you do business.”

Moretti rushed in after Sabatella left and helped Reeder pick Newly up. Reeder apologized profusely for the attack. Newly pushed him away and walked out of the conference room.

Newly called for an Uber and asked the driver to take him to the federal building. He rode an elevator up to the FBI’s office and reported his attack by the notorious gangster.

The FBI special agents fanned out and arrested Sabatella, several members of his Cosa Nostra crew and Moretti.

I wrote about the indictment and the arrests in my column in the local paper.

The day after my column ran, I received a call from the FBI special agent who had informed me about the indictment. He told me that Billy Moretti had been found dead. His body was discovered in his parked car outside of a South Philly diner.

Apparently, Sabatella didn’t think his soft money manager would be able to do a prison stretch, and fearing that he would cooperate against him, Sabatella ordered a hit on Moretti. He was found with three shots to his head.

I felt bad for Billy Moretti. He made money with Slippin' Sal and lived a good life, but he took a chance with his life when he decided to work with the viscous and heartless mobster.  

The FBI special agent said to me, “I hope Moretti the Money Man has enough money to pay for his own funeral.”

© 2024 By Paul Davis 

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

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction Stories