|
THE NEW FIGHTING 9TH PRECINCT STATIONHOUSE
At last, the men and women of the 9th Precinct have returned to
their original stationhouse location at 321 East 5th Street in lower Manhattan. The old building needed to be modernized and the site was totally excavated. In recognition of the history of the 9th
Precinct, the City of New York with the encouragement of the Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, preserved a part of what the men and women of the Command
affectionately called: “The Fighting 9th”.
During the excavation, the facade of the precinct stationhouse had been carefully removed and stored away until it could be cleaned and replaced on the modern building. This famous NYPD precinct has been used as background scenes for television programs such as “The Naked City” and “Kojak”.
The old entrance door of the “Fighting Ninth Precinct”
I wrote a story back in 2004 about the start of construction of the new building. A lot of the
veterans of the 9th Precinct came to the site and lent their support and enthusiasm to the project.
THE FIGHTING 9TH PRECINCT RISES AGAIN!
On June 8, 2007, the Stationhouse was officially reopened by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. I had the opportunity to speak with Charlie Kaczorowski, the Project Manager of the NYC Department of Design and Construction. He and I met at the construction site back in 2004. Charlie Kaczorowski was not only the Project Manager, he was also personally excited to be
assigned to the job. Charlie was a Vietnam Veteran who had served in the US Navy Seabees during the same period that PC Ray Kelly had been “in Country”. We spoke about the fact that both
Officer Rocco Laurie and Officer Gregory Foster had served in the US Marine Corps.
Charlie Kaczorowski, Project Manager in front of the new 9th Precinct
The citizens of East 5th Street seemed equally as excited by the ceremony. They looked on at the assembled cops and retirees as the PC and some of the NYPD Chiefs conducted the ceremonies.
PC Ray Kelly at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new 9th Precinct
The 9th Precinct cops on E 5th Street once again
After the ribbon-cutting ceremonies, both the active and retired cops had the chance to meet and renew old friendships. The new muster room again has the plaques displayed for each member of
the 9th Precinct who has been killed in the line of duty. One of those plaques is dedicated to Patrolman Henry Walburger. Both of his sons, Henry and Scott Walburger served as police officers in the 9th Precinct also. It was an honor to photograph both of these men with Police
Commissioner Ray Kelly in front of the 9th Precinct.
LtoR: Scott Walburger, PC Ray Kelly, Henry Walburger
Photos of some of the active and retired members of the NYPD:
LtoR DI Tom Delehanty, RetAsstChief Mike Fox, Chief of Detectives George Brown
LtoR RetDet Jim Liedy, Ret ACI Mike Fox, RetDet Bob Ronne, RetLt Tom Cimler
LtoR RetACI Mike Fox, PC Ray Kelly, RetCapt Ed Reuss
LtoR Tony Longo, RetACBruce Smolka, Tony Scalogna
LtoR 9th Precinct veterans Bob Glass, Sal Riccobono, Jim Wagner, Dennis Harrington, John Russo
LtoR 9th Pct veterans Don Muldoon, Bill Cutter, Richie Abananti, Don Boyle
LtoR 9th Pct vets Don Boyle, Joe DiLiberti, Sal DelRosario, Ed Reuss
LtoR 9th Pct vets Dominic Vetrano, Richie O’Neill, Frank Rapacciuolo, Joe Veloce, Dan Yagos
LtoR Dennis Harrington, Mike Fox, Don Muldoon, Tom Cimler, Sam Miller
There were many retired members of the 9th Precinct at the ceremony and
Donald Muldoon sent me a list of those who he recalled being present. If I omit anyone from the list, please let me know and I will add the names to the list:
Active and retired members who were at the ceremony:
 Richie Abananti, Richie Antonacci, Charles Biada, Michael Boylan, Donald Boyle, Robert Cantwell, Guy Capolupo, Henry Cartmell, Thomas Cimler, Robert Cruz, Timothy Cummings, William Cutter, Vincent D’Adamo, Sam DeFelice, Sal DelRosario, Joseph DiLiberti, Robert Edwards, Peter English, Michael Esposito, William Fenty, Teddy Fisher, Deidre Flemming, Mike Foy, John Friscia, Tony Gaggliardo, Ray Gilliar’s son and daughter, Bob Glass, Lester
Grissom, Dennis Harrington, Jack Hawthorne, Chester Hicks, Dianne Hower, Manny Menendez, Richie Johnson, Kenny King, Jerry Knapp, Mark Laurie, James Liedy, Tony Longo, William
Lugwig, Rebecca Maher, Thomas Mahoney, Edward Mamet, MaryAnn Maiorano, Mike McGrath, Gerald McNamara, Sam Miller, Robert Moore, Jim
Mott, Don Muldoon, Richie Murphy, Chip Nigro, Kevin O’Donnell, Richard O’Neill, Mike Oveis, Robert Peduzzi, William Petraglia, William Plackenmeyer, Scott Prendergast, Keith
Prunty, Frank Rapacciuolo, Rocco Regina, Bob Ronne Sr., Bob Ronne Jr., Chris Reisman, Edward Reuss, Sal Riccobono, John Russo, John Ryszetnyk, Phil Safina, Dominick Salerno,
Joseph Scalogna, Steve Schultz Joe Sinclair, Bruce Smolka, James Theis, John Timmes, Steve Toth, Joe Veloce, Dominic Vetrano, Edward Virbukas, James Wagner, Henry
Walburger, Scott Walburger, Richard Whalen, Daniel Yagos
The old 9th Precinct Stationhouse “The Fighting 9th”
LINKS TO OTHER STORIES ABOUT THE FIGHTING 9TH PRECINCT:
THE FIGHTING 9th
THE FIGHTING 9TH PRECINCT RISES AGAIN!
THE LEPERS
STRIPTEASE IN THE MUSTER ROOM
DEADLY DUEL IN THE HALLWAY
MEMORIAL TO FALLEN WARRIORS
PHOTOS OF THE NINTH PRECINCT REUNION IN 2007
Copyright © 2007 Edward D. Reuss
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO NY COP HOMEPAGE
|
