Blue Bloods Blog

Silver Star - 02/25/11

Both Danny Reagan and Michael Oates earned Silver Star medals during there time served in the US Military. The Silver Star is one of the US Marine Corps' highest honors. First established in 1918, The Silver Star is awarded to service men and women who have been cited for gallantry with marked distinction in combat action against an enemy.









When Frank visits Ray Curston at the bar, he mentions the famous headline "Headless Body In Topless Bar". Printed in 1983, this headline remains the NY Post's single greatest claim to fame. The reported crime was a gruesome rape/murder/kidnapping at a Queens strip club. To this day Charles Dingle, the perpetrator, remains behind bars and has been denied parole three times.






When Danny and Jackie first meet Mark Phelan at the Cassidy construction site, Danny refers to him as a "white hat." This title is commonly used to describe a project manager or foreman on a construction site. They wear a white hard hat to easily identify themselves from the other laborers usually in yellow hats. They can often be seen on a job site carrying plans, giving orders, and generally not "getting their hands dirty"

Age of Innnocents - 02/25/11

In "Age Of innocence" We are given a peek into the world of Debutante Balls, more specificially the International Debutante Ball held every year at the prestigious Waldorf Astoria Hotel (where these scenes were actually shot!). Every year society's upper crust from all over the globe gather at the Waldorf for the "presentation ceremony" of numerous 16 year old society girls. White ball gowns and tuxedos are a must and tables cost $14,000 a piece.









The proper way to take off a pair of gloves and avoid contact from any potentially hazardous germs and/or bacteria: step 1, remove one glove using the other hand without touching the skin at all, peeling the glove off will turn it inside out. step two, remove the other glove using the inside out glove with your bare hand as a barrier between your skin and the other germ ridden glove. step three, discard both gloves making sure to only touch the inside out surface as to avoid coming in contact with any germs. step four, wash/disinfect hands to make sure you walk away clean.






NY hotels are infamous for copious amounts of prostitution traffic, but things took a grave turn for the worst when Philip Markoff, dubbed "The Craigslist Killer" brutally murdered a prostitute he met on craigslist in a Boston hotel on April 14, 2009. Markoff later committed suicide while awaiting trial in Massachusetts. Ever since, Craigslist has removed the "erotic services" section from their website, however, prostitution still finds its way onto the site.

Dedication - 02/18/11

In this episode we see an attempt made on Police Commissioner Frank Reagan's life. Did you know that recently an assassination plot made against New York's real life commissioner, Ray Kelly was discovered by police? A Riker's Island inmate reportedly offered $165,000 to a hit man willing to behead the PC and bomb police headquarters. David Browne Jr. was charged with criminal solicitation-a crime for which he could serve seven more years behind bars.











For the first time we meet First Deputy Commissioner Vincenzo. The First Deputy Commissioner essentially acts as the Vice President, meaning if the Commissioner goes down and is unable to perform his duties, it is the First Deputy Commissioner who will sit in as acting Commissioner until a more permanent appointment is made.












Part of the Commissioner's "welcome home spread" is cheesecake from Junior's, a favorite dessert not only in the Reagan household but all over New York. Junior's famous cheesecake. Founded by Henry Rosen in 1950, the original Junior's restaurant still stands at the corner of Flatbush and DeKalb in Brooklyn. The cheesecake is so good that in 1982 NY Governor Mario Cuomo declared May 27 as "Junior's Restaurant Day"

Family Ties - 01/28/11

in this episode we are taken through the crime riddled side of Little Odessa, in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. in the mid 1970's the actual Odessa Mafia ran a small operation called "The Potato Bag Gang" in which con artists would pose as merchant sailors, they would offer to sell their prey bags of antique gold rubles for thousands of dollars. In actuality only the demo coin was real while the bag was full of potatoes.


Later in the episode, Renzulli says to Jamie: "Did you hear about Lydia Gonsalves?...she ate her gun." This is 'cop talk' for committing suicide. A widely held belief is that NYC cops are more likely to commit suicide than average NYC citizens. However, in 2002 this theory was refuted by a Cornell Medical Center study that showed the rate of police suicides was 14.9 per 100,000 persons compared to 18.3 per 100,000 persons for NYC as a whole.



Did you know that our Police Consultant, Jim Nuciforo, pulls double duty as one of Frank Reagan's personal security detail? Nuciforo served for 23 years as a first grade detective with the NYPD and spent several years with the DEA as well. Today, his hands are full as a crucial fixture for the writers producers and actors on Blue Bloods...not to mention keeping our beloved commissioner safe!

Little Fish - 01/21/11

A tell tale sign of blunt force trauma to the head is the round, crescent shaped indentation it creates in the skull. An indentation like the one found on the skull of Leo Gates helps investigators and the medical examiner identify not only the cause of death but also the type of weapon that was used. For instance, a crescent shape like this indicates the weapon used was a heavy round object, like a hammer. Then, judging by the size of that indentation, detectives can narrow down what type of hammer was used, i.e. ball peen, sledge, claw, etc.


Despite the friction between Danny Reagan & The FBI in this episode, the two agencies have shown incredible success in their cooperative track record. In this scene, Agent LeMarque mentions that Johnny Vega is a confidential informant (CI) in an ongoing RICO case. Coincidentally, the day after this episode aired, the FBI, in cooperation with the NYPD, made their largest organized crime bust in history, arresting close to 100 reputed gangsters for crimes committed during a twenty year investigation. for more on the historic bust check out: http://newyork.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel11/nyfo012011.htm



In this week's episode Frank Reagan manages to get the confession he's been waiting a long time for, but how did he do it? A common interrogation practice calls for the interviewer to lay out a mixture of fact and hypothesis to paint a picture of what happened on the night/day of the crime. The suspect's denial or confirmation of these facts and hypotheses often serve as a beacon for the truth when the subject becomes too confused to keep up with his/her lie. All it takes is the slightest slip up for an interrogator to find their way in and systematically walk their suspect into a confession of guilt.

After Hours - 12/03/10

COMPSTAT, short for computer statistics, or comparative statistics is the NYPD's accountability program which aims to reduce crime and improve quality of life. Using statistical analysis, Compstat breaks up crime stats into geographical zones which are looked over at weekly meetings by NYPD executives and precinct commanders. High crime areas are known as "impact zones."

Did you know that the nightclub scenes were filmed inside of New York's "Marquee" nightclub? The upscale disco is a favorite of celebrities like Nick Cannon, Mariah Carey, Akon, Uma Thurman, & the cast of MTV's "Jersey Shore." Outside of the lime light, the club made headlines in 2008 as the last known whereabouts of the murder victim Laura Garza, who's body was discovered 16 months later.

In this episode Frank is forced to demote his former partner for "cooking the books." Loyalty and honesty are two of the most important pillars of the department. In fact, the official NYPD motto is "Fidelis Ad Mortem" which means "faithful unto death." However, the more commonly used slogan is C.P.R. which stands for "Courtesy Professionalism Respect" and can be found on the doors of all marked NYPD vehicles.

Chinatown - 11/12/10

one of the longest running and most popular tenements in Chinatown at 81 Bowery evacuated it residents two years ago when the building was deemed a fire hazard by the city. For the 32 residents, the living conditions as 81 Bowery were invasive to say the least. Each "apartment" was roughly the size of a utility closet while 8 foot cubicle style walls that don't reach the ceiling. Everyone shares one bathroom with two showers and four toilets. There is no kitchen, so each unit runs small hotplates and rice cookers. By the early 2000's occupants would be making modifications on their cubicles, adding bunks and charging rent to other low-income Chinese immigrants, sometimes even moving whole families into one cubicle. Due to the massive electrical usage and violation charges, tenants were moved from 81 Bowery to the Bronx one week before Thanksgiving.


The NYPD recently announced completion of the installation of 500 new surveillance cameras in the city's busiest subway stations in an effort to its increase the reach of its watchful eye. With 3,700 cameras now operating in the subway, their use ranges from high speed data analytics (the new cameras can detect when a bag has been left behind or all the people wearing a certain color in a crowd) to helping curb common street crime as well.







Even NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly isnt safe from a bit of bad press. It was reported late this October that his food, drink and membership expenses at The Harvard Club were being paid for by the New York City Police Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises money for activities not covered in the NYPD's budget. While all meetings held at The Harvard Club were for business purposes and the expenditures were reportedly very modest, it is the failure to officially disclose this information that ruffled the ethics board's feathers. Commissioner Kelly quickly announced that he will amend his filings, correcting the error that had been made.

Brothers - 11/05/10

Danny gives Jamie his collar brass from the 12th precinct in this episode. Many cops keep their collar brass and affix one piece from every command they have ever worked in to their gun belt; it sort of shows other cops where they have been.












The Slapper, or "blackjack" is an 8" rounded strip of leather cops would often and sometimes still do carry around as an extra line of defense. used like a baton or nightstick, the slapper has proven to be very effective in close quarter combat situations, however they are not authorized or endorsed by the NYPD.










Many years ago, before semi-automatic weapons were authorized, some cops would carry semi-automatics as back-up guns while on duty even though they were not authorized. The common theory (and saying) amongst these cops was “I’d rather be tried by twelve than carried by six”. This meant that if things got really bad and they needed the semi-auto to save their life at least they would be alive to stand trial.









A common New York street term for being able to do time with no problem is "I could do a nickel standin' on my head."

Smack Attack - 10/29/10

In New York designer drugs and Heroin are often sold in small glassine envelopes. The NYPD would refer to one of these envelopes as a "deck," ten decks equals a "bundle" and twenty five decks is called a "bindle."

Unless treated, a drug overdose from a designer drug like "Mcat" would cause the user to become progressively lethargic and then unconscious. They would then enter respiratory depression, which contributes to the loss of consciousness, followed by systemic vascular collapse and ultimately death. When the user is taking other tranquilizers like alcohol in addition it puts them at risk of sudden death as opposed to the slower death described above.

When an NYPD officer finds contraband their protocol requires them to place each package of said contraband into separate manilla envelopes and then subsequently vouchered in serialized narcotics envelopes once at the precinct.

Aside from producing a violet flame when heated, KCI (potassium chloride) can be used for a variety of things in a chemistry classroom, for instance: equilibrium experiments, as a catalyst for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (makes bubbles of oxygen gas), and even to lower the freezing point of water (also used to salt winter roads). It is also, as Jamie states, one of the 3 components that makes the lethal injection used in prisons.

What You See - 10/22/10

A Different Terrorist
Colleen LaRose, a Michigan born, Texas raised terrorist sympathizer more commonly known as "Jihad Jane" caused quite a stir when arrested in 2009 on terrorism-related crimes. Proving that profiling is not always the most effective defense, LaRose had posted numerous threats and radical statements on her Myspace page, YouTube account and extremist web sites. She is accused of plotting to murder Swedish artist Lars Vilks who had outraged many Muslims with his drawing depicting the Prophet Muhammad's head on the body of a dog. She currently resides in a Pennsylvania State Prison






Emergency Operations Center
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is located in one Police Plaza and is opened when an emergence is at hand. It is staffed by representatives of approximately 66 different agencies (NYPD, New York State Police, Port Authority Police, Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Police, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, FDNY, NYC EMT’s, Homeland Security, MTA, FBI, ATF, Con Edison, National Grid, Sanitation, FAA, National Guard, ETC…). Each individual has a telephone line linking them directly to their respective agency so if anything is needed it is immediately available. The room also has numerous giant screens capable of receiving feeds from 86 cameras throughout the city including feeds from four helicopters and 200 Department of Transportation cameras. There are also many other monitors mounted throughout the room. The Commissioner may also consider a Mobilization (possibly Level II which would mobilize the Citywide Patrol Borough Task Force and numerous pieces of NYPD apparatus). There are four levels of Mobilization in the NYPD with Level I being the lowest and Level IV being the highest.



Observation
2010's Times Square Bomb Scare could have been devastating if it wasn't for an observant street vendor that alerted cops when he saw the SUV smoking. Inside, the police found a homemade explosive device constructed out of two travel alarm clocks connected to two five gallon drums of gasoline which were sandwiched between over forty consumer grade M-88 firecrackers, gunpowder, and three twenty gallon propane tanks. Finally, in the back, the police found a metal gun locker containing a pressure cooker pot containing a thicket of wires (connected to another alarm clock), more M-88 firecrackers, & 250 pounds of fertilizer. However, the police later discovered that the fertilizer intended as an explosive agent was the wrong type and would dramatically reduced the proposed 1-block blast radius.


Handball
This June the NYPD honored Lt. Detective Daniel Kelly, who died last year, at the Steinway Park Playground in Astoria, Queens, by naming a cluster of handball courts after him. Lt. Kelly was a legendary detective and adamant handball player, having slapped his way through 30 years of matches on those very same Astoria courts. Kelly was a member of the NYPD from 1952 until 1991, best known as the commanding officer of the Queens Homicide Task force. He received notoriety for his investigation of the murder of over twelve police officers. Friends remember Kelly as "a son of the city" who protected it for forty years.

Officer Down - 10/15/10

NYPD Funeral Services
The “Pipes & Drums” band of the NYPD’s Emerald Society, most famous as the headlining act of New York’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, is also a staple of NYPD funerals. More can be learned about the band at http:// www.nypdpipesanddrums.com

The flag covering the coffin is the official NYPD flag. It’s five green and white stripes represent New York City’s five boroughs. The blue field in the corner represents the NYPD while 23 of the 24 stars on top symbolize the separate towns and villages that eventually became New York City in the consolidation of 1898. The 24th star represents the city itself.

There is never enough room inside a church for all the mourners so there are usually loud speakers rigged outside the church so those who don’t make it in (usually hundreds) can hear the service.






Diamond Heist
one of the largest diamond heists ever pulled off took place in February of 2003 in Antwerp, Belgium. The thieves made away with $100 million in diamonds and gems, which have never been recovered. To this day police marvel at how expertly the heist was pulled off, from practicing on an exact replica vault to engineering ingenious workarounds to sneak by motion detectors and heat sensors. The head thief and most of his crew were apprehended after detectives pieced together clues found from an abandoned trash bag of evidence accidentally left on the side of a highway. The full, fascinating story is recounted here: http://www.wired.com/ politics/law/magazine/17-04/ff_diamonds





Arthur Avenue
In this episode Henry meets Happy Jack in a market on Arthur Avenue. This area is commonly known as New York’s “real little Italy” due to its abundance of authentic Italian cuisine and atmosphere. The Arthur Avenue Retail Market is a sprawling bazaar with nine restaurants, five pastry shops, four butchers, two pasta-makers, six bread stores, three pork stores, five gourmet deli’s, two fish markets, three gourmet coffee shops and one gourmet Italian wine shop.