DIA REPORTDETECTIVE INVESTIGATORS’ ASSOCIATION of the District Attorneys’ Offi ces, City of New York Vol. 1 Issue 1 Fall 2009 Photos by Rosa Margarita McDowell, DANY Photo Unit DIA Honors Retiring Manhattan DA ROBERT M. MORGENTHAU See story page 3 PRESIDENTS MESSAGE JOHN FLEMING DETECTIVE INVESTIGATORS’ Welcome ASSOCIATION to the Detective larger Investigators’ organizations, DISTRICT ATTORNEYS’ Association we will have a stronger voice OFFICES – CITY OF NEW YORK, INC. newly revised to get things done. newsletter. Every union is a continuous work in PO Box 130405 Keeping New York, NY 10013 with our progress. Members come and go, but 646.533.1341 commitment those unions that prosper are the 800.88.DEA.88 to providing ones that constantly stand up for the our members with a level of membership. Our progress can be www.nycdia.com professionalism and honesty, we have traced in no small part to an increased restarted our newsletter that ceased confi dence in the union by the member. JOHN M. FLEMING many years back. Our goal is to insure It is your trust that allows us to grow. President Your Trustees play a large part in this that you are well informed and kept ANTHONY P. FRANZOLIN abreast of what is going on in all the endeavor and I urge you to keep them Vice President boroughs. If you have any suggestions abreast of all that is going on in your about what you’d like to see included, command. JACK FRECK Secretary-Treasurer or have information you would like The newsletter, like our web site, will to send in for inclusion, please let us be another tool the union can use to Board of Trustees know. keep everyone well informed. The Doris Amador During the past decade, this union has membership has grown to almost Citywide Supervising Trustee achieved many of the goals we worked 600 active and retired Detective Ron Hickman so hard to accomplish. We made great Investigators. This publication will be Queens County gains and in the process have created a a way for active and retired members Juan Crosas-Medina true progressive labor organization that to stay in touch. We will start out Bronx County works full time to meet the needs of with two issues a year. I encourage our members. The DIA has developed members to send in letters or notify us Frank Connelly itself as a force that can and will get about important happenings in your life New York County PAGE 2 PAGE or the borough. Send us photos, too. the job done. Our triumphs are traced Anabell Talavera back to the hard work and dedication of For this fi rst issue, we knew we must Kings County many. address the accomplishments of one Juan Parra For the future, the DIA will look to man who transcends the fi eld of law Special Narcotics Prosecutor work with other labor organizations enforcement. Robert Morgenthau Gary Mercer has become a legend in this country to protect the gains achieved by prior Richmond County union leaders. Through our association for his integrity and devotion to law with the New York State Association enforcement. During the course of the Delegate of PBAs (NYSPBA), and the New York past 20 years, he has also been our Mike Nied State Public Employee Conference biggest advocate, always standing up Retired Members (PEC), we will fi ght in Albany to keep for his Detectives. We thank him and our pension benefi ts. As a member of wish him well in his well-deserved THE DIA REPORT is published by the Detective Investigators’ Association of the the Municipal Labor Committee (MLC), retirement. District Attorneys’ Offi ces, City of New we will work with other City unions to York. Please send press releases, news, or On behalf of the Executive Board protect health benefi ts. Our alliance photographs to the DIA, PO Box 130405 and Board of Trustees, I wish all our New York, NY 10013. ©2009 Detective with these groups gives us a greater Investigators’ Association. All rights DETECTIVE INVESTIGATORS’ ASSOCIATION DETECTIVE INVESTIGATORS’ members and their families a safe and platform to express our concerns. The reserved. happy holiday season. DIA coming year will be a tough one for NEWSLETTER DESIGN/PRODUCTION every union. By working together with RWD Group (845) 364-0222 O [email protected] A FIGURE OUT OF HISTORY At the end of this year, when Robert M. Morgenthau leaves his job as Manhattan District Attorney — the position he has held since 1975 — it will be the end of an era for the prosecutor’s offi ce and the close of another chapter in the Morgenthau family’s century-long legacy of public service. In addition to Robert, Investigator. That number has increased to more now 90, serving as the than 60 today. He believed it was crucial for Manhattan DA, his father, the District Attorney to have a squad of highly Henry Morgenthau Jr. qualifi ed investigators who could work with was secretary of the other law enforcement groups, or if necessary Treasury under President work independently. Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1891-1967, and Under Mr. Morgenthau, the role of the his grandfather, Henry Morgenthau Sr. was Detective Investigator fl ourished. He ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during DIA brought on the best of the best from the World War I from 1856-1946. NYPD and mixed them with bright young Congratulates Robert Morgenthau was born on July 31, 1919 investigators. His “rackets investigators” in New York City. In 1940, he enlisted in the became cutting edge under the direc- New U.S. Navy and reached the rank of Lieutenant tion of his Chief, Andrew Rosenzweig. By Manhattan DA Commander. During WW II, he earned a the late 1980s, they were a force in the Bronze Star and a Gold Star. After the war, he investigation of organized crime, drug Cyrus Vance, Jr. went on to graduate from Yale Law School. related homicides, offi cial corruption, and complex frauds. DIA President John In 1961, Morgenthau was appointed by Fleming sent a President John F. Kennedy as United States Throughout his nine terms in Offi ce, congratulatory letter Attorney for the Southern District of New he personifi ed the role of the District from the union to newly York. As U.S. Attorney, he was on the cutting Attorney. Many times he came to the elected Manhattan DA edge of the investigation and prosecution of aid of the DIA by forcefully supporting Cyrus Vance, Jr. upon tax-fraud cases, organized crime, corruption, pending legislation wthat was vital to his winning the election and white collar crime. increasing the professionalism of the earlier this year. job. In 1974 he was elected District Attorney Fleming said he wanted of New York County, taking over for Frank On behalf of the Executive Board to immediately reach DIA Hogan. As a prosecutor he was never afraid and all our members we wish him out to the DA-elect to ASSOCIATION DETECTIVE INVESTIGATORS’ to tackle the biggest cases. He quickly and his family a long and healthy offer the union’s best, developed into a District Attorney whose retirement. but to also set up a vision for the Offi ce was far ahead of his meeting to talk about Pictured on front cover peers. He developed the fi rst sex-crimes pertinent issues, such as and below, Secretary- unit, the fi rst consumer frauds bureau and the way the Manhattan DA’s early on understood the importance of Treasurer Jack Freck (left) and President John Offi ce utilizes the services pursuing white collar criminals even if it Fleming (right) meet of Detective Investigators. meant going beyond the boundaries of the with Morgenthau in his “We are looking forward to United States to places like Iran, Paraguay, Manhattan offi ce. or the Cayman Islands. meeting with Mr. Vance so that we can pursue a good Mr. Morgenthau working relationship with his was also the fi rst offi ce,” Fleming said. “While District Attorney we will certainly be giving him to understand time to settle into his new job, the importance of we are anxious to schedule a having your own meeting so that our member PAGE 3 PAGE highly qualifi ed can best do their jobs. They’ve investigators. When been working with the same he became D.A. boss for decades, so there in 1974, he had will defi nitely be a transition one Detective- involved with the new DA.” ABOUT OUR MEMBERS 1ST SGT. FRANK BRUMFIELD, Detective Investigator in the Bronx County Detective Investigator Squad, just completed his Detective Georgianna DeRosa received third tour of duty serving overseas. In November the Lifetime Commitment and Dedication 2001, he was deployed with his unit to Fort Drum, Award from the NYPD Police Women’s in Watertown, NY, in support of Operation Noble Endowment Association at the Central Eagle. His unit was sent to replace the members Park Boat House earlier this month. of the 10th Mountain Division, who had been This award recognized her 20 years sent to Afghanistan. Approximately fi ve months of dedication to helping the cause of later, in January 2003, he was preparing to women in policing. Georgianna began deploy to Diwaniyah, Iraq. While in Fort Dix, in her career in 1973 with the NYPD and preparation for deployment, a serious medical was part of the fi rst group of women to condition arose that resulted in his loss of a go on patrol. She retired as a Second kidney. This was an opportunity for Frankie to Grade Detective from the 102 Squad in remain on American soil.