Former National Basketball Association Players, Current Player Agent, And Three Other Individuals Charged in Sports Bribery, Illegal Betting And Money Laundering Conspiracies

 On June 29^th the U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of New York released the information below:

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging six defendants — former National Basketball Association (NBA) players Malik Beasley and Edward Davis, and co-conspirators William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia, and current NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano—with wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy for their alleged roles in a scheme to bribe Beasley to manipulate his performance in NBA games and use inside information about Beasley’s intended performance to profit via illegal betting activity.  Several of the defendants were arrested today at locations across the country and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.

Joseph Nocella Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrests and indictment.

“As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, bribing then-NBA player Malik Beasley to fix his performance in multiple games in order to place fraudulent wagers, enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Bribery and insider betting schemes like this one involving former NBA players and a current NBA player agent who exploited inside NBA information for profit erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public.  Our Office will continue in its strong tradition of holding accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt sports through illegal means.”  

Mr. Nocella thanked the FBI Field Offices in Charlotte, North Carolina; Los Angeles, California; Omaha, Nebraska; Chicago, Illinois; and Las Vegas, Nevada, for their valuable assistance.

“These defendants allegedly operated an illegal betting ring in an attempt to unlawfully earn hundreds of thousands of dollars. As alleged, Malik Beasley allowed himself to be bought and altered his gametime performance to line pockets of Ed Davis and his other co-conspirators. The FBI continues to dismantle fraudulent schemes that erode the integrity of any institution, including our nation's professional sports leagues,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.

As alleged, Beasley, then a player for the Milwaukee Bucks, agreed with his former NBA teammate Davis (known to the other co-defendants as Beasley’s “gatekeeper”) in advance of NBA games that Beasley would underperform, and at times overperform, relative to one or more of his betting statistics in those games.  Davis, Brown, Gorodetsky, Plascencia, Zamorano and other co-conspirators subsequently used this non-public information relating to Beasley’s intended performance to place fraudulent wagers conditioned on Beasley’s performance in the games at issue, all with the intention of profiting off the scheme.  As further alleged, in return for performance fixing, Beasley received bribes from the co-conspirators, typically by having Beasley’s gambling debts to Davis reduced or paid off. 

Examples of some of the influenced games are described below.

January 26, 2024 Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

As alleged, prior to the Bucks game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 26, 2024, Beasley informed Davis that he intended to underperform with respect to rebounding in the game.  Beasley provided this information to Davis to obtain a promised bribe payment and for the purpose of enabling Davis and other co-conspirators to place wagers based on this non-public information.  Davis subsequently disseminated the non-public information regarding Beasley to multiple co-conspirators, including Gorodetskty, Plascencia and Zamorano, to enable them to place fraudulent wagers. Plascencia then provided this same non-public information to Brown to enable him to place fraudulent wagers. Many of the fraudulent wagers were successful.

February 27, 2024 Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Hornets Game

As alleged, prior to the Bucks game against the Charlotte Hornets on February 27, 2024, Beasley informed Davis that Beasley intended to underperform with respect to points and overperform with respect to rebounding in the game.  Beasley provided this information to Davis to obtain a promised bribe payment and for the purpose of enabling Davis and other co-conspirators to place wagers based on this non-public information.  Davis subsequently disseminated the non-public information regarding Beasley to multiple co-conspirators, including Gorodetskty, Plascencia and Zamorano, to enable them to place fraudulent wagers.  Plascencia then provided this same non-public information to Brown to enable him to place fraudulent wagers.  Many of the fraudulent wagers were successful.

March 10, 2024 Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Clippers

As alleged, prior to the Bucks game against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 10, 2024, Beasley informed Davis that Beasley intended to overperform with respect to rebounding in the game.  Beasley provided this information to Davis to obtain a promised bribe payment and for the purpose of enabling Davis and other co-conspirators to place wagers based on this non-public information.  Davis subsequently disseminated the non-public information regarding Beasley to multiple co-conspirators, including Gorodetskty, Plascencia and Zamorano, to enable them to place fraudulent wagers. Plascencia then provided this same non-public information to Brown to enable him to place fraudulent wagers. Many of the fraudulent wagers were successful.

In total, the defendants and their co-conspirators placed fraudulent wagers totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars conditioned on Beasley’s fixed performance in the influenced games at issue via multiple betting operators.

The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the wire fraud conspiracy counts, 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering conspiracy count and five years’ imprisonment on the bribery in sporting contests count.  

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Kaitlin T. Farrell, Benjamin Weintraub and David I. Berman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Erika Ellis; former Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett previously worked on the case.

The Defendants:

MALIK BEASLEY (also known as “Beas,” “Bease,” “MB” and “5”)
Age: 29
Georgia

WILLIAM BROWN (also known as “Willo”)
Age: 39
Nebraska

EDWARD DAVIS (also known as “as “Ed,” “ED” and “E Davis”)
Age: 37
North Carolina

ROBERT GORODETSKY (also known as “Rob”)
Age: 34
Illinois

ERNESTO PLASCENCIA (also known as “Ernie,” “Erny,” “Ernie P” and “Erny P”)
Age: 39
California 

PAOLO ZAMORANO (also known as “PZ”)
Age: 39
California 

My Crime Fiction: 'Tony Ball-Peen'

 The story below is another chapter in my crime novel in progress. 

You can read the first chapter and link to subsequent posted chapters via the link below: 

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'The Rigano Murders'

The below story originally appeared in American Crime Magazine.

 Tony Ball-Peen

By Paul Davis

I was meeting Salvatore Stillitano, once known as “Salvie Shotgun,” each week as I was interviewing him for a book about his life in organized crime.

He agreed with my idea of serializing the book in my crime column in the local paper prior to compiling the columns into a book. 

The former Philadelphia Cosa Nostra organized crime family caporegime, or captain, and the son of the legendary mobster Nunzio “Nick the Broker,” became a government witness after the FBI played him a wiretap recording of Cosa Nostra bosses ordering his murder. 

He testified against his fellow mob bosses and then went into the Witness Protection Program in the 1980s. Now, having returned to South Philadelphia, he was unafraid of mob retaliation, and he wanted to tell his life story. 

He previously spoke of Anthony “Tony Ball-Peen” Gina, his late father’s criminal underling. For this interview session, Stillitano wanted to talk more about Gina. 

Although young Anthony Gina was short and thin as a teenager in South Philadelphia in the 1950s, no one dared pick on him.

Even as a teenager, Gina was dangerous. He was violent and unafraid to brandish a weapon, any weapon, and use it on anyone he thought was disrespectful or threatening.

Gina’s father, Ralph, was a knockaround guy, thief and a bruiser for a South Philly Cosa Nostra criminal crew.

Ralph Gina saw his bad tempered and violent son heading to prison unless the father could harness that anger and violence. He approached a boxing trainer he knew, and the trainer agreed to take the little miscreant and train him to become a prize fighter.

Gina trained hard, stayed out of trouble, and became a fine amateur boxer before turning pro. As a professional welterweight, Gina racked up an impressive number of wins, often by knock out, but he was also amendable to losing a bout if his father said the mob gamblers wanted him to do so.

One of the mob gamblers was Nunzio “Nick the Broker” Stillitano. Stillitano was a Cosa Nostra soldier and a rising fight promoter. He began to promote all of Gina’s bouts. Stillitano became fast friends with Gina as he got a kick out of the loud and outrageous fighter, although their personalities were diametrically opposed.

Stillitano took Gina under his wing and used him for rough stuff when it was occasionally called for. Gina retired from boxing and became an associate member and part of Stillitano’s crew. In the mid-1960s, Stillitano proposed Gina to become a made member of Cosa Nostra and assigned him to murder a boxing manager who cheated Stillitano out of some serious money.

Gina, known in the ring as “Tony Ball-Peen” as he hit with both hands like a ball-peen hammer. A ball-peen hammer, also called a machinist's hammer, is used as a peening hammer in metalworking. The hammer has two heads, one is flat and the other, called the peen, is rounded.

Gina used a real ball-peen hammer to beat the manager to death.

The brutal murder sent a message to people around Nick Stillitano that the mob fight promoter was not a man who would be cheated.

Gina was made a Cosa Nostra member and became Stillitano’s number two.

In the late 1960s, Gina and Dominic “Dom D” DeMarco, a big and fat former heavyweight boxer, entered a small bar in South Philly.

The bar was a front for a lucrative bookmaking and loansharking operation. The bookmaker, Joseph “Joe Bar” Barbieri, a tall and gangly 50-year-old mob associate, stood up from a table. Without a word or warning, Gina punched him in the face and the illegal gambler dropped to the floor.

DeMarco then delivered a devastating right cross to John “Butch” Monti, a big and muscular collector for Barbieri, and he too fell to the floor.

Gina announced to the group of gamblers in the bar that he was taking over the “book.”

“Any objections?”

No one objected.

 

Barbieri was a long-time mob associate and a big earner. He requested a “sitdown” with Angelo Bruno, the then-boss of the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra organized crime family.   

When Barbieri entered the closed restaurant later that week, he saw that Gina was seated across from Bruno and next to Nick Stillitano. He instantly knew his case was hopeless as he was an associate while Stillitano and Gina were “made men.”

Still, he sat down and made his case. After he spoke, Gina responded by saying that Barbieri was a poor bookmaker and loan shark. Gina told Bruno that the book was not living up to its potential. This was due, Gina explained, to the fact that Barbieri neglected the illegal operation by spending too much time in Florida. Gina said that he would do a much better job.

Nick Stillitano nodded in agreement.

Bruno sipped his coffee and was silent for a moment. He then spoke softly to Barbieri.

“You have been a good earner and I’m thankful,” Bruno said. “But Tony is right, you do spend too much time in Florida.”

“My daughter and my grandchildren live in Florida, so I go down and stay with them, but I call the bar every day…”

“OK,” Bruno said flatly. “I understand. Here’s what we will do. Gina will give you a good payout and you can move to Florida permanently. Tony will take over the book for you.”

Barbieri was not happy that he was losing his criminal operation, but he thought that Gina, a notorious killer, would murder him otherwise. He was glad that he would receive a payout and that he would not be murdered.

The sitdown ended with everyone shaking hands.

The following day Gina went to the bar and sat at the back table that Barbieri had occupied. He spoke to Benny Martini, Barbieri’s assistant.

“Benny, I want you to run the day-to-day operation, and I got some ideas I want you to work on.

Martini nodded in agreement.

Gina quickly increased the book’s earnings by drawing in big gamblers that he knew to the book. He kicked up a piece of the profits to Nick Stillitano. And Stillitano in turn kicked up a piece to Bruno.

 

Butch Monti, who was still suffering from the heavy blows from Dom D, was grumbling over the management change while drinking in a mob-run club. He cursed Gina and DeMarco. He said that he was going to clip the two men.

“I don’t care if them is made guys,” Monti told a friend. “I’m gonna whack them.”

Monti’s threats were overheard by another mob associated and he reported the threats to Gina. Stillitano and Gina went to Bruno and made the case that Monti had to go. Bruno, who did like violence as it was bad for business, reluctantly agreed.

The following Saturday evening Monti left a club and was walking towards his car when Gina stepped in front of him. Gina placed his .38 revolver against Monti’s face and fired twice.

Monti fell against a parked car and slid down to the street. Gina walked briskly to a running car. Gina stepped into the front passenger seat next to Dom D at the wheel. The big former heavyweight drove away slowly.

© 2026 Paul Davis  

My Crime Fiction: 'Office Mack'

 The below short story originally appeared in American Crime Magazine. 

Officer Mack

By Paul Davis

Back when I was a teenager in South Philly in the late 1960s, long before I became a newspaper crime reporter and columnist, some of the boys on our corner at 13^th and Oregon Avenue hated cops. 

South Philadelphia was and is the hub of the Philadelphia-South Jersey Cosa Nostra organized crime family, and these teenagers were the sons and nephews of the mob guys. 

I recall that “Crazy Joe” Villotti, the nephew of a Cosa Nostra capo, or captain, refused to go with us and see the film Goldfinger. 

Villotti asked me, “Isn’t James Bond a cop?”   

“No,” I replied. “He’s a British secret agent, a cool spy of sorts.” 

“Yeah, he’s a fucking government guy, so I don’t want to watch the fuck.” 

But for most of the boys on the corner, like me, we saw that there were two types of cops. There were “cool” cops and “prick” cops. 

The cool cops were generally tough guys who could afford to be lenient and understanding at times, while the prick cops were weaker men who we believed made up for their feelings of inferiority by acting stern and officious at all times. 

Police Officer Thomas T. Mack was a prick cop. 

Mack, a short and muscular 30-year-old, began dating Marie Saccone, the attractive elder sister of Chick and Stevie Saccone, two of my friends on the corner. 

Their father was a mob associate and a big-time bookmaker and loan shark. But despite their father being an illegal gambler, Chick and Stevie didn’t hate cops the way Villotti and some others did. 

Mack asked to be transferred to the 3^rd Police District to be closer to Marie. He patrolled Oregon Avenue, a four-lane wide street and major thoroughfare in the predominantly Italian American neighborhood in South Philadelphia. 

He often stopped at JP’s Luncheonette at 13^th and Oregon Avenue for cigarettes and coffee. He would then come out and gab with Stevie, whom he treated like a younger brother. 

Chick would walk away, as he hated Mack. He hated Mack, not because he was a cop, but rather because he thought Mack was a phony and an asshole. 

Mack’s friendliness with Stevie and the other teenagers on the corner ended the day Marie dumped him. 

That very night he arrested Stevie and two other teenagers for drinking beer on the corner. And from that night on, Mack declared war on us. He harassed us nearly every night. We all hated Mack.

On a Mischief Night before Halloween, Mack pulled up on the corner and shouted through his open passenger window for us to get off the corner. 

“Yes, Sir,” we replied in unison. And in unison, a half dozen of us tossed a half dozen eggs at him through his passenger window. We then took off running but not before I saw the furious look on his face and his cap knocked sideways with egg yolk dripping down his face from the cap’s brim. 

I was laughing madly as I ran away from the corner. 

Mack went crazy and zoomed around the streets hunting us. I ran home after throwing my egg at him. My mother asked why I was home so early, and I told her I was tried and wanted to go to bed. 

 

Officer Frank Grant was a cool cop. We never would have thrown eggs at him. 

Grant stopped into JP’s nearly every night for a sandwich and a cup of coffee. Grant, a tall, gangly man in his late 20s, told funny stories to the owners of JPs and us. 

I recall him telling a story about a drug raid on an abandoned house in the 3^rd District. 

The district captain saw white powder that lay on a sheet of brown paper on the floor in the corner. He wet his index finger and dipped his finger in the powder and tasted it on the tip of his tongue. 

“Is this heroin,” he asked.

He again dipped his finger in the powder and tasted it.

“Is this heroin,” he again asked.     

One of the officers told the commanding officer, “Captain, I think it’s rat poison.”

The captain froze for a moment and then told the officer to drive him to the hospital.

Like many cops I’ve known over the years, Grant was a fine storyteller. When years later I read and enjoyed Joseph Wambaugh, the LAPD detective sergeant who became the best-selling author of The New Centurions, The Choir Boys, and other classic cop novels and nonfiction books about cops, I often thought of Grant. 

Another thing that endeared us to Grant was that he hated Officer Mack and often mocked him. 

One night as I sat alone with Grant at JP’s counter, I told the officer that although my Uncle Bill was a police captain, and my father, a WWII Navy chief and Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) frogman, was a strict law & order man, I hated Officer Mack. 

Grant laughed and said most of the 3^rd District cops also hated Mack.       

Although we had some tough guys on 13th and Oregon, like my older brother Eddie, Joe Villotti and the Saccone brothers, we were more of a party corner, as we hosted various crews of pretty girls that hung out with us 

But the street gang blocks away at the corner of Dalton Street and Oregon Avenue, called the “D&O,” was a crazy crew of violent, drug dealing teenage hoodlums. 

The D&O street gang hated Officer Mack even more than we did. Like us, Mack rousted the D&O teenagers for no reason other than hating them. True, they were hoodlums, but Mack often went overboard, roughing them up after handcuffing them. He then threw them out of his patrol car without even bothering to arrest them.

I suspect that because he was rejected by a beautiful Italian woman, Mack hated Italians. He called the D&O boys and the 13^th & Oregon Avenue teenagers “dagos” and “wops.”

But the D&O teenagers fought back.

I heard Mack went batshit crazy when he drove down Oregon Avenue and saw that the D&O boys had spray painted on the side of a building in very large letters, “OFFICER MACK BLOWS.”

The painted message was the talk of the 3^rd District cops. Mack was widely mocked by his fellow officers.  

 

One night Officer Mack pulled up to 13^th & Oregon, jumped out of his car, leaving the driver’s car door open and the patrol car running. He dashed into JP’s and shouted to the dozen or so guys and girls on the corner, “Be off this fucking corner by the time I come out, or I’ll lock up all you up.”

I saw his patrol car door open and the car running, so I seized the day and jumped into the driver’s seat and took off. I drove across Oregon Avenue and jumped the curb of Marconi’s Park. 

I looked for, but could not find, the siren. As I drove through the park wildly, I glanced in the rear-view mirror and saw Mack running and shouting like a crazy man across Oregon Avenue, his service revolver held up into the air.  

I put on the brakes halfway into the park and jumped out running. I ran right into the beefy arms of a Fairmount Park Police Officer, who twisted me around and handcuffed me. He held me for Mack. 

Mack came up huffing and placed his service revolver back in the holster. He took out his “sap,” a short steel rod covered in black leather, and he slapped the sap across my knees. 

The pain was awful, but the worst thing was that I could not clutch my aching knees, as my hands were handcuffed behind my back. I leaned down as the Park cop held me.  

The Park cop asked Mack if he wanted to arrest me, and Mack said no. 

“Do me a favor and drive the kid down to the river and let the punk walk back home.”  

I had to walk from the river on Delaware Avenue and Front Street back up to 13^th and Oregon with swollen and throbbing knees. 

But it was worth it, as I was the talk of the corner that night and Thomas Junior High School the next day. Everyone thought I was a cool guy. The wild hoodlums from the D&O slapped me on the back and called me a “crazy motherfucker,” which was a high compliment from them.

Grant came to JP's the following night and told me that I was lucky that Mack didn’t arrest me or shoot me. He said that Mack didn't probably hoping no other cops would hear that a teenager stole his car.

But the Park cop hated Mack and he called a friend at the 3^rd District and told him the story. The cop in turn told all of his fellow 3^rd District officers. Mack was ridiculed once again.         

 

Some months later, Officer Grant came into JP's and told me that Mack was fired for beating the son of a South Philly councilman. According to Grant, Mack cuffed the Italian American politician’s teenage son and beat him as he held him against the side of the patrol car. 

The son was what we called a “square” kid, and what the adults called a “nice Italian boy.” He was a good student who didn’t drink beer or smoke pot on the corner with us. 

We didn’t know why Mack singled him out. Mack handcuffed him and threw him against the side of the patrol car. He slapped the teenager in the face repeatedly and delivered a severe punch to the teenager’s stomach. 

The noise and flashing lights on the patrol car drew the attention of several neighbors who called 911 and reported the brutal treatment of the teenager. 

The councilman called the captain, who then ordered an investigation. Mack was subsequently fired. He also faced assault charges from the District Attorney’s office.

“Good riddance,” Grant said.

I laughed and said, “So even in South Philly, there’s some justice. 

© 2024 By Paul Davis  

Note: You can also read another crime fiction short story, The Big Move, via the below link:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'The Big Move'                              

Burning Mad About Flag Burning

 Philly Daily ran my On Crime column about flag burning.

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

 Paul Davis: Burning mad about flag burning – Philly Daily

 I’m a proud American and a proud Navy veteran and I believe the America Flag is a sacred symbol of our great nation. The American Flag waves proudly in front of my house.

So, it burned me up when pro-Palestinian protestors burned the American Flag as we were celebrating the nation’s 250^th birthday here in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American freedom.

According to the Philadelphia Police, a group of 20 or more congregated near Washington Square in Center City. They were holding signs that called the United States an empire and they were waving the Palestinian Flag.

“During the protest, one of the individuals in the group placed an American flag on the sidewalk and doused it with a large amount of accelerant,” a Philadelphia Police spokesperson stated.

Police officers on the scene attempted to use a fire extinguisher as the protestors stood in the way of the officers. Six protestors were arrested for failing to obey the police officers’ order to disperse.

Philadelphia Police First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford stated, "A handful of arrests were made. We're still working out and sorting through that, but that type of behavior absolutely cannot be tolerated."

Burning the American flag is a legal form of free speech according to the U.S. Supreme Court, but burning a flag on a public street in Philadelphia is prohibited, citing safety concerns.

Sharing the concerns of many Americans about the burning of the flag, President Trump issued last year Executive Order 14341 - Prosecuting Burning of the American Flag.

The Executive Order stated, “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose.  Our great American Flag is the most sacred and cherished symbol of the United States of America, and of American freedom, identity, and strength.  Over nearly two-and-a-half centuries, many thousands of American patriots have fought, bled, and died to keep the Stars and Stripes waving proudly.  The American Flag is a special symbol in our national life that should unite and represent all Americans of every background and walk of life.  Desecrating it is uniquely offensive and provocative.  It is a statement of contempt, hostility, and violence against our Nation — the clearest possible expression of opposition to the political union that preserves our rights, liberty, and security.  Burning this representation of America may incite violence and riot.  American Flag burning is also used by groups of foreign nationals as a calculated act to intimidate and threaten violence against Americans because of their nationality and place of birth.

Notwithstanding the Supreme Court’s rulings on First Amendment protections, the Court has never held that American Flag desecration conducted in a manner that is likely to incite imminent lawless action or that is an action amounting to “fighting words” is constitutionally protected.  See Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, 408-10 (1989).

My Administration will act to restore respect and sanctity to the American Flag and prosecute those who incite violence or otherwise violate our laws while desecrating this symbol of our country, to the fullest extent permissible under any available authority.”

You can read the rest of the Executive Order via the link below:

DCPD-202500868.pdf

I don’t believe that burning the American flag should be protected free speech. But as the Supreme Court as so ruled, President Trump’s Executive Order is most welcome.

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. 

Note: The above image is of Jasper John's Three Flags.    

My South Philly Review Crime Beat Column: My Interview With Gary Capuano, The Founder Of The Retired Philly Cops Facebook Page

The South Philly Review posted my Crime Beat column online tonight ahead of tomorrow’s delivered print edition.  

You can read the column via the above page, online at Home - South Philly Review or the below text:

Gary Capuano is a retired Philadelphia Police sergeant and, like me, he is South Philly born and raised and still resides here. He is the author of “The Unofficial History of the PPD” as well as the founder of the “Retired Philly Cops” Facebook page. I reached out and asked him why he began the Facebook page.

Capuano: In March 2023, I founded the Facebook group “Retired Philly Cops” following a disagreement with a former administrator of another law enforcement page. Today, the group has grown to more than 2,000 members and includes retired police officers, their families, friends, neighbors, and supporters. Unlike some groups that limit membership exclusively to retired officers, I welcome anyone who is genuinely pro-police. While I may not agree with every modern trend in policing, such as dance-offs or "Coffee with Cops" events, I believe there is value in allowing the public to see that police officers are human beings. The group provides a small window into the realities of police work and the challenges officers face on a daily basis.

What topics of discussion are featured on the Facebook page?

Capuano: Some law enforcement groups appear to steer a particular narrative by restricting comments or shutting down discussions on controversial topics. In my opinion, limiting discussion discourages open dialogue, suppresses differing viewpoints, and creates a one-sided environment. Healthy online communities should encourage respectful debate and allow members to express their opinions, even when those opinions differ. Discussions should be based on facts rather than assumptions, speculation, or personal agendas. Topics such as police defunding, criminal justice reform, and what many perceive as a revolving-door justice system are frequently discussed within our group. More recently, active and retired officers have expressed concerns regarding pension payments and what many view as a broken disability system.

Like many organizations, the Police Department has always had its share of rumors and unofficial information. That was certainly true during my career, and I believe it remains true today. Members of our group occasionally post stories, information, or rumors without knowing whether every detail is accurate. I see nothing wrong with asking fellow members for clarification or discussing the legitimacy of a rumor. Civil debate and the exchange of information are important and should be encouraged.

Why are retired Philadelphia police officers still interested in the Philadelphia Police Department and crime in Philadelphia.

Capuano: I believe retired police officers remain interested in the department for several reasons. First, our oath never truly expires. Similar to the saying in the Marine Corps, "Once a Marine, always a Marine," many officers continue to feel a lifelong commitment to the profession. Second, retired officers remain concerned about the state of policing both locally and nationally. Unfortunately, during the final years of my career, I witnessed a decline in the camaraderie that once defined the profession. The sense of unity that many officers relied upon seemed to be fading. The loss of veteran officers through retirement, injuries, attrition, lack of manpower and departures to other agencies has contributed significantly to declining morale. Many officers feel unsupported by department leadership, despite the fact that street officers remain the backbone of any police department. The public often experiences the consequences through reduced police presence, slower responses, and a diminished sense of safety and community partnership.

Would you briefly describe your police career?

Capuano: I became a Philadelphia Police Officer in 1997 and was assigned to the 4th District. In 2003 I was assigned to plainclothes duty and worked a burglary detail until September 2005 when I was promoted to detective and assigned to the Southwest Detective Division, where I served until December 2007. I led the Southwest Detectives Fugitive Task Force as its Officer-in-Charge. From December 2007 until January 2014, I supervised operations involving search and arrest warrants, ranging from petty theft cases to homicide investigations. I was injured in the line of duty in April 2016 and was separated from service in June 2022.

Thank you for your service and thank you for the “Retired Philly Cops” Facebook page.

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

An Old Navy Veteran's Basement Office And Library

I’m an old and proud Navy veteran, having served as a young enlisted sailor on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War and later on the USS Saugus, a Navy harbor tugboat at the U.S. nuclear submarine base at Holy Loch, Scotland. 

I like working in my basement office and library, surrounded by my photos, souvenirs, awards and mementos of my time in the U.S. Navy in Southeast Asia, Europe and other places, as well as those of my family, my career as a U.S. Defense Department civilian, and my later career as a writer and journalist. 

My books are my mementos.  

Each book in my library is a memento of a time and place in my past that I recall fondly, even the books I read while in the hospital crippled with spine and nerve damage when I was 50. 

Some of the books in my library are from my childhood, and I recall fondly my dreams of adventure and romance as a child. I have reread them over the years. 

I recall the books I received as gifts from my wife, children and mother-in-law on my birthday, Father’s Day and Christmas. I also recall the books that I read while traveling the world while in the Navy as well as the books I took with me and read on government trips and on the many vacations I took with my wife and my family over the years. 

Books have always accompanied me on my journey in life, and they have been good companions.

              

The 4th Of July: Celebrating 250 Years Of American Independence In Philadelphia, The Birthplace Of American Freedom