December 2012 Dear Fellow National Law Associate,

I hope everyone has recovered from Hurricane Sandy and her after effects or at least on the return to normalcy. We have all heard the stories of the unbelievable destruction and the nightmares many are enduring to find temporary shelter while their homes are being repaired, rebuilt or the unfortunate few who have no choice but to move. There are many in our National Law family and law enforcement network who have suffered and I want them to know that their friends are here. Every year at our annual Christmas Luncheon the President has the honor to make a charitable contribution of his choice on behalf of National Law. I hear from all the presidents who have preceded me that the decision is difficult since there are so many good causes to choose from. This year the decision seems obvious to me. We need to help our law enforcement family; therefore this year I have decided to make the donation to the New York Police Disaster Fund. I read the other day that over 2000 members of the local law enforcement community were affected by the storm. Most of us have been through similar situations during our career. Thousands of law enforcement officers went to work during this storm, and the days following, leaving their families alone or with friends and relatives. Many of these officers suffered severe storm damage themselves. Despite their concern for their own families and homes, these men and women selflessly acted upon their call to duty. Last month we mentioned the details of this fund which was set up after Hurricane Sandy. The express purpose of the fund is to assist uniformed members of the New York City Police Department and Police Officers in the State of New York that have suffered economic loss as a result of a catastrophic disaster by providing monetary and grant relief. You can also contribute by sending your donation to New York Police Disaster Fund, 233 Broadway, Suite 1801 New York, NY 10279. On another note, I am happy to report that the Thanksgiving Eve, Eve dinner at Bobby Vans Steak House was a great success. We had close to 100 people at the event and as usual the staff at Bobby Vans took excellent care of us. Please visit this and the other establishments that continually take good care of us at our luncheons and dinners and let them know you are from the NLEA. Last week the NLEA Board met for dinner with our 2012 Christmas Luncheon guest speaker, Sean Avery to discuss the program for the upcoming event. He was our gracious host at his restaurant, Tiny’s on West Broadway. He had some very interesting stories, which I am sure you will enjoy. If you have not done so yet please order your tickets for the event. I hope to see you there. On behalf of the National Law Board, I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a happy and safe holiday season. -Al

Hurricane Sandy Today: A Perspective

As we enter this holiday season, with all of the merriment surrounding parties, hearty meals and gift giving, let us be mindful that there are still many who are hurting in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. As of this writing, many homes from the Jersey Shore to Montauk Point are considered uninhabitable and many more are still without power. According to state officials, it is estimated that more than 300,000 homes were seriously damaged from New York City to the eastern tip of Long Island alone.

An article dated December 3rd cites that roughly 6,700 buildings around the city require significant repairs to be habitable, and about 750 more are deemed structurally unsound, according to city Buildings Department statistics. And in one measure of the demand for help, about 2,100 households are in FEMA-paid hotel rooms. Some storm victims also have gotten money for apartment rentals, a number which is not immediately available. The article continues by implying that although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved more than $673 million in housing and home-repair aid so far in New York alone, home repairs cannot be made fast enough as winter quickly approaches.

An article put out by Fox News on December 4th, states that New York is asking for about $42 billion (a figure 6.24 times more than the $673 million FEMA has already approved) for destroyed homes, transit systems, hospitals and small businesses. That includes about $9 billion to better protect the power, transit and sewage treatment systems from the next big storm, including vulnerable seaside areas by building new jetties to protect harbors and shorelines against storm surges in the future. Fox reports that there is real concern that any monies can be held up in the talks aimed at averting the fiscal cliff before the December 31st deadline (a $6 trillion combination of automatic tax increases and spending cuts which would begin in January). Also a concern is that New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are not the only states receiving federal aid regarding Sandy. The other states include West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, as well as the District of Columbia. All these states are vying for money out of the same pot. Many families are relying on that assistance, and politics and bureaucratic red-tape may severely delay much needed money to these families.

Photo showing destruction of shoreline at Rockaway Beach, Queens.

Thanksgiving Eve, Eve Dinner Meeting

As was mentioned above, the November meeting was held on Thanksgiving Eve, Eve; Tuesday, November 20th. The dinner was held at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse in , and was well attended. To the delight of many, turkey was not on the menu. Rather, most selected the succulent filet mignon or the salmon; the deliciously moist healthy alternative. The dinner really is a great tradition and is a wonderful way to kick- off the holiday season! Thanks to all who attended and helped to make it such a special occasion.

Holiday Luncheon The Annual NLEA Christmas Luncheon will be held at Pier Sixty located at Chelsea Piers (23rd Street and the West Side Highway). This is the same venue where we held the event the past two years. After a month of remodeling following the storm, Chelsea Piers is back up and running, and looks better than ever. The event will begin at noon with the cocktail reception followed by the Luncheon at 1PM on Friday, December 14th. We are happy to inform you that former New York Ranger, Sean Avery, has agreed to speak to the membership during the luncheon. Sean’s career has been called controversial by many. He played with the Rangers during the 2007-2008 season, and after a season with the , returned to the Rangers between 2009-2012. Sean plays to win, despite the controversy his play has incurred. For instance, the 2008 playoff series against the resulted in a new rule commonly referred to as the “Sean Avery Rule.” During a two man advantage power play, he waved his hands and stick in front of Devil Goaltender, , in an attempt to distract him and block his view. The puck was later cleared out of the Devils' zone but on the second Rangers offensive attack, Avery scored the power play . Although screening is a commonly used tactic (especially on the power play), notable in this instance was that Avery had spent the initial part of the play facing Brodeur while ignoring the puck, with his back to the play (normally, the player screening the goaltender is facing the play). Although some in the NHL considered this action unsportsmanlike, there were no rules forbidding this play. Since then, the NHL has put in a rule that makes it a minor to screen a goaltender in that manner. Please click on this link to see Sean’s “antics,” I mean tactics that he used to great effect to help propel the Rangers past the Devils in the 2008 playoffs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec_2oKWe2Gw. Please join us for an afternoon of festive holiday fun, fine dining, beautiful views of the Hudson River and the entertaining Sean Avery. Maybe Sean will let us know whether he is officially retired or not!

*Sean Avery, courtesy of USA Today

Tickets for the Holiday Luncheon are $100 and can be purchased from our website by following this link: http://www.nationallaw.org/News.aspx?mode=nw&newsid=18. If you are going to pay by check, please contact Manny first since the luncheon is less than a week away. Please make inquiry to:

Manny Gomez, NLEA 2nd Vice President 212-242-6477 [email protected].

Speedy Recovery

The Board is pleased to announce that longtime member and past president Rocco Minardi (1991) is recovering after having a steel rod removed from his leg. He had a bad infection but is doing much better. Unfortunately, he will not make the Christmas Luncheon as he does every year, and he wants the membership to know he is on the mend. We wish Rocco a very speedy recovery and we look forward to seeing him soon!

The New York City Police Museum

The building that houses the New York City Police Museum experienced significant flooding as a result of Hurricane Sandy. The museum building is designated as an historical landmark. The Museum Chairman and Director are working with FEMA and all New York City Agencies to re-open the Museum as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the damage is so extensive that they are in great need of financial support. The Museum’s Board of Trustees would greatly appreciate a gift of any amount. A donation can be made through their website at www.nycpm.org, or by mail at:

The New York City Police Museum 100 Old Slip New York, NY 10005

From the Archives

Past President Joe Gannon (1992) forwarded a few pictures he recently came across that we would like to share with the membership. The common theme in both photographs is the presence of past president, Alphonsus V. Grant (1963). Joe explains that NYPD Department lore suggests that Al was the model for the statue in the lobby of One Police Plaza depicting an officer with a young boy, and that the boy was modeled by the Honorable Fiorello La Guardia’s son, Eric.

*Pictured to left, the iconic statue in the lobby of One Police Plaza. Al, a handsome guy by anyone’s account, is seated second from the left on the bottom row. We can see why people thought he modeled for the famous portrait.

* Al at one of the early annual NLEA picnics. Al is behind and to the right of the gentleman wearing the dashing sport coat.

Membership Dues Dear Members, as with every year we start with our dues collection for 2013. This year’s dues will remain as they were last year at $45.00. The dues collected are necessary to assist in the operations of the organization. This year dues can be submitted via PayPal, located on our website www.NationalLaw.org under the membership area. Please note that there is a $3.50 surcharge for using PayPal. Please click on the below link and you will redirected to the site. You can also submit your payment via U.S Mail. You can send it to NLEA, PO Box 5604, Hauppauge, NY 11788. Make the check payable to NLEA Inc. Please include your name and membership number. http://www.nationallaw.org/News.aspx?mode=nw&newsid=17

If you are in arrears, you will be sent a separate email informing you of the amount you owe. Please respond to this email, if you don't you will be removed from the NLEA Roster.

Again, we wish you the Happiest of Holidays and we look forward to seeing you on the 14th!!

Albert S. Becker John W. Kenna President Executive Secretary