Senate Hopeful John Fetterman's Radical Views On Crime

Broad + Liberty ran my piece on Democratic Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman and his radical views on crime. 

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

Paul Davis: John Fetterman holds radical views on crime (broadandliberty.com)  

John Fetterman Holds Radical Views On Crime

These days if you want to read the bad news about crime in Philadelphia and elsewhere, you are more than likely to read about it in the New York Post rather than our local newspapers. 

A case in point is the Post's October 10th story about Democratic Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman.

As the Post noted, Fetterman said he was against “tough on crime” policies and “very excited” to support Philly DA Larry Krasner’s criminal justice reforms in a bid for a far-left group’s endorsement for lieutenant governor in early 2018. In a questionnaire issued by the activist group Reclaim Philadelphia, Fetterman vowed to use the lieutenant governor’s office “as a bully pulpit” for criminal justice reform.

The Post further noted that Fetterman was the lone member of the Board of Prisons that voted to release a man serving a life sentence for murder. And the Post made mention that the Oz campaign has hammered Fetterman for his endorsement of Krasner, who has seen murders rise from 353 when he took office in 2018 to 562 last year.

I checked out the Reclaim Philadelphia 2018 questionnaire online. In response to a question about what opportunities the lieutenant governor offered, Fetterman replied that he would use the office to advocate for a progressive agenda. 

When asked if he agrees that “tough on crime” policies have overcrowded prisons and what he would do as Chairman of the Board of Pardons to reduce the prison population, he replied, “Absolutely agree.

“As Chairman of the Board of Pardons, I will work with the Board and the Governor’s office to streamline the application process for clemency. Further, I will advocate for clemency and shortening sentences. I will consult with stakeholders such as the NAACP to provide insight into how we can support communities most impacted by mass incarceration.”

When asked what opportunities the Board of Pardons offered for the future of criminal justice in Pennsylvania. He was also asked what the term “restorative justice” meant to him and how it differed from a punitive system.

Fetterman replied, “The Board of Pardons should be used as a bully pulpit for the larger issue of criminal justice reform, and push legislators to move forward on bills like the Clean Slate Act. There is a real opportunity to build a statewide platform that elevates and exposes the damage created by the school-to-prison pipeline, the prison industrial complex, and “tough on crime” policies like “Stop and Frisk” and cash bail. Restorative justice to me is just common sense. I based my approach to law enforcement policy on restorative justice practices as Mayor of Braddock. We trained our police to show discretion — just because you can charge someone with a nonviolent offence, doesn’t mean that you should. Restorative justice means that you create real avenues for people to reintegrate into society, and don’t penalize people who struggle with poverty, addiction and/or disability.”

Reclaim Philadelphia stated that Philadelphia’s immigrant and minority communities were threatened by increased ICE deportation efforts, police brutality and misconduct, and discriminatory treatment by our criminal justice system. 

Fetterman added that he supports Mayor Kenney’s stance on Philadelphia as a sanctuary city and he said he was “very excited by the progressive criminal justice reform platform that the then-newly elected District Attorney was setting into motion.”

And so on. 

“John Fetterman doesn’t know anything about crime other than how to make it worse,’ said Brittany Yanick, the communications director for Dr. Oz. “He proved that as Mayor of Braddock where he oversaw a dramatic surge in violent crime. Yet, fraudulent Fetterman has been allowed to repeatedly claim that releasing one-third of Pennsylvania inmates would ‘not make anybody less safe.’ Now, Pennsylvania state data actually proves him dangerously wrong. On top of that, he’s repeatedly voted to pardon convicted first- and second-degree murderers – many of whom are back on our streets. John Fetterman’s policies are deadly, dangerous, and wrong for Pennsylvania.” 

There are many good reasons to not vote for Fetterman; his poor health, his support of economic policies that have nearly tanked our economy, his total support of our Mister Magoo president, Joe Biden, and his fraudulent pose as a working man. Although he looks like the left’s idea of a blue-collar Trump supporter, he’s actually from a wealthy family who supported him financially until he was 49. 

But to me, it is his radical stance on crime issues that should cause voters to reject him.  

With crime and gun violence rising in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania and the rest of the country, do we really want a United States Senator who holds views on crime along the line of our failed mayor and DA?

Paul Davis is a South Philadelphia writer who covers crime. 

Happy Birthday To The United States Navy: On Watch 24/7 For 247 Years

I'm proud to have served in the Unites States Navy in the early 1970s. I served two years on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War.

I later served two years on the Navy harbor tugboat USS Saugus at the nuclear submarine base in Holy Loch, Scotland.  

My late father, Edward Miller Davis, served in the U.S. Navy before me. He was a chief and a UDT frogman in the Pacific during WWII. (He's in the center of the below photo). 

 

Netflix's 'Narco-Saints' Is A Terrific Crime Series

I've been watching the crime thriller series Narco-Saints on Netflix, and I'm enjoying the well-made South Korean drama (with English subtitles).

The series is about a South Korean businessman who gets entangled with a South Korean drug lord in Suriname in South America. He is recruited by South Korean intelligence/law enforcement to infiltrate the Korean's drug organization. 

The film is much like Netflix's fine Narcos series, only with Koreans and other Asians in the lead roles.

The crime series is based on a true story, although the producers and writers have added fictional aspects to the story, such as making the drug lord a pastor who uses his religious organization to smuggle drugs and commit other crimes.   

If you would like to watch another good dramatic and suspenseful series about drug trafficking, major criminals, and murder, I suggest you check out Narco-Saints.              

Newest Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford And Strike Group Departed For First Deployment

The U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, set sail on her first deployment. 

The Gerald Ford’s public affairs office put out a press release on the deployment.

NORFOLK, Va. - The first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), flagship of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG), departed from Naval Station Norfolk on its first deployment to conduct operations and training exercises alongside NATO allies and partners throughout the Atlantic Ocean.

“This deployment is an opportunity to further advance the operational capabilities of the Ford and demonstrate the advantages that Ford and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 bring to the future of naval aviation, to the region and to our allies and partners,” said Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, commander of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12. “Now more than ever, it is increasingly important for the United States Navy to reinforce our relationships with our allies and partners as we contribute to promote a peaceful, stable, and conflict-free Atlantic region.”

You can read the rest of the press release via the below link:

Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group Departs for First Deployment > United States Navy > News-Stories

Celebrating Columbus Day: 10 Things People Get Wrong About Columbus

While the campaign to discredit and villainize Christopher Columbus goes on, Ben Broussard at tfpstudentaction.org offers a piece and video clip that debunks 10 things about the great man who truly discovered America.

You can read the piece and watch the video clip via the below link:

 10 Things People Get Wrong About Christopher Columbus - TFP Student Action 

A Mafia Democracy: My Crime Beat Column On Former Cosa Nostra Capo Michael Franzese

Being half-Italian and raised in South Philadelphia, the hub of the Cosa Nostra organized crime family in Philadelphia and South Jersey, I was aware of the culture of Cosa Nostra early on. 

I lived around the corner from the then-boss, Angelo Bruno, and I went to school and hung on the corner with a good number of friends who went on to become criminals. 

Later, as a crime reporter and newspaper columnist, I covered organized crime and I met and spoke to many Cosa Nostra members and associates, although I agreed not to use their names for publication. I also interviewed two former Philadelphia Cosa Nostra bosses, former boss Ralph Natale, and former underboss, Philip Leonetti, both of whom became cooperating government witnesses. 

I was also able to interview Michael Franzese, once a caporegime in the New York Cosa Nostra Colombo crime family, and today a popular podcaster and author. 

Son of the former underboss of the Colombo crime family, John “Sonny” Franzese, a feared and respected mobster, Michael Franzese grew up in the criminal life. He later became a made member and a successful criminal, earning millions of dollars with criminal scams, such as cheating the government out of gasoline taxes. In addition to traditional Cosa Nostra criminal activity, Franzese was also active in legitimate businesses, such as auto dealerships, construction and the entertainment industry. 

In 1986, Vanity Fair named him one of the biggest mob money earners since Al Capone Fortune magazine listed him as number 18 on its list of the 50^th Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses. 

After fighting the federal government’s many indictments against him, he pled guilty to racketeering charges and was sentenced to ten years in federal prison. 

While in prison, Franzese became a devout Christian and announced that he was walking away from Cosa Nostra. He credits his wife Camille and his mother-in-law, as well as a prison guard who gave him a Bible when he was in solitary, with his religious conversion. 

Michael Franzese is the only high-ranking member of a major crime family to walk away from the mob without being in the witness protection program. Although the Colombo family initially put out a contract on his life, he lives openly for the most part. 

Back in August, I interviewed Michael Franzese about his most recent book, Mafia Democracy for my On Crime column that appears in the Washington Times. 

You can read the column via the below link: 

Paul Davis On Crime: Mafia Democracy: My Washington Times 'On Crime' Column On Former Cosa Nostra Crime Boss Michael Franzese  

I later did a follow-up interview with Michael Franzese, which can be read below: 

Davis: How did you get your former prosecutor Rudy Giuliani to write the forward to Mafia Democracy? 

Franzese: Joe Patararillo contacted me and said that Rudy Giuliani was going to be on his show and he would love to have me on with him. You gotta be kidding. I said. I haven’t seen him since he tried to put me away for the rest of my life. 

Davis: I watched the show on YouTube. Most interesting.  

Franzese: So my publisher reached out and asked Rudy if he would write the forward to my book and he said yes. He wrote an amazing forward.            

Davis: Why do you think elected government officials are acting like Cosa Nostra members? 

Franzese: You can call Machiavelli the "patron saint" of Cosa Nostra. In his political treatise, The Prince, he advised the prince how to maintain control of his kingdom. He basically said, a prince can lie, steal, cheat.... even kill to maintain control of his kingdom. However, to the outside world he must always appear to be upright, honest and have integrity. He also states, "the promise given is a necessity of the past, the promise broken is a necessity of the present."  It's all about amassing wealth, maintaining power by maintaining control of the masses... Very mob like and very much how our government is operating today. They use their power to bully and scare people - very mob like, as I detail in the book. 

Davis: You stated in your book that there is an “Invisible Empire of Special Interest.” How would you describe this empire?  

Franzese: President Woodrow Wilson warned us about this when he said, "The government, which was designed for the people, has gotten into the hands of the bosses and their employers, the special interests. An invisible empire has been set up above the forms of democracy." Our elected leaders not only accept favors and contributions from lobbyists but work hand in glove with industries to develop policies that enrich corporations while leaving the rest of us struggling to make our house payments. 

Davis: What would you change about campaign financing?  

Franzese: First, I would pass a law that any corporation that does business with the federal government has to disclose how much they spend to influence elections. Make it easy to connect the dots so we can identify those who are rigging the system. Each citizen should be able to designate the first $200 of our tax payments to support the political candidate of our choice. This would generate billions in small donations and eliminate the need for those candidates to accept money from huge donors and corporations who then want and get favors in return. 

Davis: What is the current status of Cosa Nostra in America?  

Franzese: Cosa Nostra still exists, but not nearly as powerful or influential as it was before the mid 80's when the government amped up its arsenal of weapons with the RICO statute, the bail reform act and the sentencing reform act. 

Davis: How would you describe the difference between a racketeer and a gangster?  

Franzese: A gangster is normally a thug, a killer, a hoodlum. Violence is second nature to him. A racketeer can also be a gangster, yet he is more sophisticated and engages in fraudulent business dealings to support himself and his enterprise or criminal organization.

Davis: Why have you called your late father the “John Gotti of his day?”  

Franzese: Because in his day, the 1960's, Dad had as much law enforcement attention and media coverage as did Gotti in his day.  

Davis: Who was the most impressive Cosa Nostra member that you met in the criminal world?  

Franzese: Aside from my father, who was both charismatic and legitimately tough, Joe Colombo impressed me for the way he carried himself. Also Carmine Persico, a legitimate tough guy. 

Davis: Who was the most dangerous and intimidating?  

Franzese: Although I had no reason to be intimidated by him, Chin Gigante. He was once the most powerful boss in New York. And you just knew it when you were around him.  

Davis: Did you have any dealings in the past with the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra crime family?  

Franzese: Yes, Nicky Scarfo. We were going to unionize the security guards in the hotels and resorts in Atlantic City. I controlled a security guards union. We both had our legal troubles and couldn't carry it through. I liked Nicky. 

Davis: Well, others in Philadelphia saw a more brutal side to Scarfo. I interviewed Philip Leonetti, and his own nephew described Scarfo as a murderous psychopath. 

Have you ever been to Philadelphia?  

Franzese: Many times. Enjoy the city. Back in the day and since. 

Note: You can watch Michael Franzese’s YouTube channel via the below link:  

Michael Franzese - YouTube  

In Response To Gun Violence Philadelphia Mayor Keeney Offers A Futile And Stupid Gesture

 Broad + Liberty published my piece on Philadelphia Mayor Keeney’s ban on firearms in the city’s rec centers. 

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

Paul Davis: Mayor Kenney’s latest order is a futile and stupid gesture (broadandliberty.com)

Towards the end of 1978’s great comedy film “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” the fraternity members are being kicked out of Faber College. The young men are downcast and Pluto, portrayed by John Belushi, tries to inspire the once-fun loving students who claim glumly that it is all over. 

“Was it all over when the Germans attacked Pearl Harbor?” Belushi asked.

“Germans?” Otter, the pre-med student portrayed by Tim Matheson asks.

Then Otter gets up and supports Pluto’s call to arms.

“What is needed is a futile and stupid gesture,” Otter says. “And we are just the ones to do it.”

I don’t know if Mayor Kenney is an “Animal House” fan, but he had the same idea as Otter when he offered his own futile and stupid gesture in a response to gun violence in Philadelphia by signing a firearms ban at city recreation spaces and facilities. 

On September 27, Kenney announced that he had signed an executive order banning guns and other deadly weapons from “City recreation facilities, including rec center buildings, courts, fields, playgrounds, and pools.” The announcement notes that there have been nearly 300 incidents of gun violence at city parks and recreation facilities since 2019. Most recently Tiffany Fletcher, a dedicated PPR employee, was tragically killed on Friday, September 9 while performing her duties at a city playground.

“It is unconscionable that anyone would bring deadly weapons where our city’s children gather to play,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “We will not tolerate the endangerment of children and families while they are in the care of our treasured community spaces, and we must do everything we can to protect the public, as well as the dedicated staff that make these facilities run. Banning guns from indoor and outdoor recreational facilities throughout our city is a critical step to protecting our public spaces and preventing the senseless violence that claimed Tiffany Fletcher’s life.”

The announcement stated that since 2019, nearly 200 reported incidents of gun violence have occurred at city recreation facilities, in addition to dozens of other incidents of violence with a deadly weapon. “Clear signage about the weapons ban will be posted across the city’s 159 recreation centers. The firearms and deadly weapons ban applies to active recreation spaces—including buildings, courts, fields, playgrounds, and pools. Exceptions exist for law enforcement and certain security professionals.”

The firearm ban is a futile and stupid gesture because it is unenforceable. Unless all of the city’s recreational spaces are fenced off and metal detectors are installed and manned 24-7 by Philadelphia police officers, there is no way to stop someone from entering the spaces with a gun.

The firearms ban is also a futile and stupid gesture as Kenney had to know that he did not have the authority to order the ban. State law clearly prohibits cities like Philadelphia from creating their own gun regulations. 

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, called “Let ‘Em Loose Larry” due to his favoring criminals over crime victims, called the gun ban “a very positive step forward.”

In response, City Councilman David Oh tweeted, “According to Mayor & DA, if you have a legal gun & carry permit, you’ll be arrested & prosecuted for walking in the park. But criminals w/ illegal guns & no carry permit are not being prosecuted. Mayor’s executive order is illegal & D.A. illegally criminalizes law abiding people.” 

The Gun Owners of America (GOA) filed a lawsuit the day after the announcement of the ban. The judge hearing the case ordered Philadelphia to be “permanently enjoined” from enforcing Kenney’s ban.

“Mayor Kenney knows this executive order is pointless: law abiding gun owners aren’t the people committing the violent crime and murder in Philadelphia,” said Dr. Val Finnell, Pennsylvania Director for GOA. “Instead, Mayor Kenney is trying to deflect attention from his failing policies and failing city by enacting more ‘feel good’ regulations that scapegoat guns for the crisis of crime in Philadelphia. Rather than take responsibility for city policies that created two years of record homicides, Kenney is attempting to capitalize on the tragic deaths of Philadelphia residents to disarm more people and create more victim-only, ‘gun-free’ zones. 

“All this executive order does is put a bullseye on the back of every person at Philadelphia recreational facilities, because they know that Mayor Kenney won’t let you defend yourself there.”

Mayor Kenney’s futile and stupid gesture allows him to state that he tried to stem gun violence. Keeney, like most gun control advocates cannot differentiate between legal gun owners and illegal gun-toting criminals. These criminals don’t adhere to laws prohibiting drug trafficking and murder, so why would they adhere to an executive order banning guns in a rec center?

Paul Davis is a South Philadelphia writer who covers crime.