We are happy to report that our Editor, Frank Crisa, has been hard at work setting up all the pages for the next issue of our newsletter, Beyond the Line, and he promises that this issue will be a big one.

We have been receiving a lot of notes and letters with the 2012 dues that we have posted on the Keeping In Touch page and have sent to Frank for publishing in the newsletter.  There comes a day when we have to call a halt for any more letters to be published and today is that day. We have also sent to Frank the latest listing of all donations to be published since the last issue was printed. For this, we have used the dates from July 3, 2011 to January 19, 2012 when the last envelopes were picked up at the Post Office and deposited at the bank. Any letters and notes and/or donations received from this date on will be included in the next issue. We wish we could continue adding any new materiel, but to do so would complicate matters and the issue would never be ready to go to press.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter and we thank all members for sending in their dues and remaining members of this great organization of retired NYC Transit Police Officers.

Regarding the 2012 dues envelopes that were sent out early in December, 2011, due to a small glitch in the Association database software, the labels that were adhered to the mailing envelopes showed the item: "PAID" or "NOT PAID."  This notation was intended to show the 2012 year dues and not the current 2011.  We received a few notes to the effect that the 2011 dues had been paid and why are we saying they were not. I hope this clarifies that small matter.

On another note, we received a message from Ret. P.O. Joe Scelza who currently resides in Arizona. I called Joe who then explained that several years ago, the City of NY Health Benefits started a voluntary pilot program for seniors (Medicare) that would use CIGNA Medicare Plus as the carrier of choice.  At the time, the rates were favorable and it was accepted by health care providers in the state. 

Last year, and allegedly without any notifications, CIGNA changed from a group policy to an individual one resulting in a drastic increase in costs to the participating retirees and changes in coverage. One coverage that was dropped was the 365 day hospital coverage that can be covered under Medicare without additional costs. Joe recommends that NYC retirees living in Arizona contact both CIGNA and the NYC Health Benefits Program for a clarification on exactly what coverage is in place.  Joe has spoken to Gerry Hennessey at Health Benefits and she has looked into this matter and will get back to Joe with further information.  In the meantime, Board Members Vinny DiMaio and Tony Piazza are in the process of investigating these issues.  We will post information as it becomes available.

The 2011 Christmas and Holiday party celebrated this year again at Antun's in Queens Village was an overwhelming success with over 150 members and their family and friends attending. 

The festivities started around 6:00 PM when the food tables opened and the drinks started flowing. All the tables were filled to capacity and many stories from the past were resurrected and talked about.

Later on in the evening, President Russo asked the group to please be seated then led with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a moment of silence for the retirees who had passed away and for our armed forces serving in harm's way.

Included in the festivities were the honoring with a plaque of appreciation to the retiring board members, 1st VP Ron Forte and 2nd VP Pat Collins.  Unfortunately, Ron was not at the party but out of state because of an illness in the family, but his son was there to accept the plaque.  Pat Collins, along with his wife, Dottie, was given his plaque by President Ed Russo.

Ed was then surprisingly presented with a plaque of appreciation for his untiring efforts for the Association and its' members by the NYPD Asian Society members brought to the affair by Ret. Insp. Bob Abraham.

It was announced that a collection was being started with donations to the family of the late NYPD Police Officer Peter Figoski, who was recently killed in the line of duty. Anyone wishing to do so could send donations to the Retirees with the notation on the check.

Our counseler, Ret. Det. Louie Cruz, swore in the new members of the Executive Board after announcing the new 1st VP, Mike Lanning, 2nd VP Harry Hassler, Financial Secretary Ed Wilko, Treasurer Tony Lomanto, Executive Secretary Vinny DiMaio and our new Sgt-at-Arms, Dave Crean.  Our new Recording Secretary, Harry Nicolino, was unable to be at the party.

The party continued on, ending with the 50/50 prizes being awarded and a few of the cash prizes being donated to the Figoski Fund.

On a late note, with the donations received and the Association also making a contribution, a check in the amount of $750 was sent to the Peter Figoski Fund.

Finally, the Executive Board extends to all our members and their families, our friends and to all the retirees out there, a Merry Christmas and a healthy, prosperous and happy New Year.

The 2012 dues envelopes were mailed out yesterday, December 7th, to all current members.  When you receive it, please take a few moments to write out that check and send it back in the enclosed envelope.  By doing so, you will have us avoid sending out reminders in another 6 months from now asking to send in the dues.

In addition, all paid regular and all Lifetime members will be receiving their 2012 membershio cards and decals.

Check out the information we recently received regarding your DD-214 on our Health & Welfare page

A book review by Inspector Robert Abraham, NYPD (retired) and former Professor of Criminal Justice at John Jay College, City University of New York.

MAXIMUM SECURITY...Defusing the Threat... by Charles Read ISBN: 978-1-61434-274-8.
Available on-line at the Publisher BOOKLOCKER.COM or order from your favorite bookseller.

The verdict is in and the experts agree, MAXIMUM SECURITY...Defusing the Threat... by Charles Read, has done what no other work on the subject has ever accomplished – it has covered all the bases.

Charlie has penned an easy-to-read yet highly comprehensive book on security – where it came from, what it is, and of greatest importance, what it should be. Beginning with the historical perspectives, the author takes us through the full-range of security services, he shares tried and true surveys, which if followed, will guide the user through every conceivable step of a thorough security audit. This truly one-of-a-kind book is a must-read for anyone interested in public safety and security!

Charlie Read, whose law enforcement, military, and private sector security experience is both broad and diverse, now presents a “must have” addition to any law enforcement or security professional’s library. Never before has there been such a fusion of relevant material in one book. From the practical basics to the psychological foundation necessary to succeed in this field, MAXIMUM SECURITY provides unique insight and perspective. Novices and experts alike will find this book to be a useful primer; its readers will appreciate the detailed format and practitioners will benefit by availing themselves of its rich reference sources. Read provides a comprehensive overview of the field as a whole, demonstrating effective and proven techniques, along with the vitally important aspects of why and how.

At a time when professional security is a critical concern of virtually every sector of civilized society, in boardrooms as well as bedrooms, MAXIMUM SECURITY is both timely and of momentous practical value. No competent Public Safety professional should be without it!

Robert Abraham
Inspector (retired)

Contrary to our thoughts of another low attendance Brooklyn meeting, the board was surprised to see a significant number of members come to this meeting.  Perhaps it was the notice that was sent out in our mass e-mailing reminding our members that if attendance was poor as it was at the June meeting, there would be a strong possibility that future Brooklyn meetings would be suspended. To keep expenses down, we ordered pizzas for the night. There was plenty to go around and even take home and members were not asked for a food charge.

The meeting started with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a moment of silence for our departed fellow officers and for our Armed Forces serving overseas. A motion was made and passed from the floor to suspend the normal meeting business for our guest speakers and board nominations.

Our guest speakers for the night were Marilyn Martinucci and Diane Pietroforte of Heart Scan Services. Marilyn had been to the June meeting in Brooklyn and she was helpful enough to do a repeat performance.  Through the backing of Maimonides Hospital, Heart Scan is able to set up examinations for members to perform non-invasive tests for possible cardiac problems. Members residing in Brooklyn or Staten Island are offered the tests for free, while others would pay a $199 fee. These services were recently performed for members of the NYC DEA through the efforts of their Treasurer, Paul DiGiacomo, Jr. Echo cardiograms, carotid artery checks and peripheral blood flow tests are performed for both cardiac and possible stroke prevention. As a result of their talk to the members, an examination will be set up at the Ben Ma Chree Boat Club on Monday, December 5th, at 10:30 AM. For any questions you may have, please call Heart Scan services at 1-866-518-1112 or check out their services at www.heartscanservices.com

Following our guest speakers, Ret. P.O. and FOP Lodge 317 President, Joe McGarry acted as chairman of the election committee and held the second call for nominations for the 2012-2013 Association Executive Board. There being no other names nominated for office at this meeting, and with the one vote cast, the following are the newly elected Executive Board:
President - Ed Russo      1st VP - Mike Lanning     2nd VP - Harry Hassler     Executive Sec'ty. - Vinny DiMaio
Financial Sec'ty. - Ed Wilko           Recording Sec'ty. - Harry Nicolino            Treasurer - Tony Lomanto
and appointed as the new Sergeant-at-Arms was Dave Crean.

President Russo thanked the members for their support and reminded them of the upcoming Christmas and Holiday Party set for Wednesday, December 14th at 6:00 PM at Antuns of Queens Village.  The charges for this party will be $20 for paid members and $25 for all others.

Ret. Sgt. John Reeves spoke of the upcoming Transit Police Thanksgiving Reunion scheduled for Tuesday, November 22nd at 4:00 PM. He urged anyone deciding to attend to please send in their money now so an accurate number of persons attending will be known. For further details, check out our Meetings and Events page 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank NYC DEA Treasuer Paul DiGiacomo, Jr., for attending our meeting and for the very generous and thoughtful donation of $100 from the DEA to the Association. Paul also won $40 at the 50/50 drawing and donated that, too.

After the 50/50, a motion was made and passed to adjourn.

The October 2011 meeting at Antun's just may go down in the Association's history as one of the most attended meetings ever. After those attended enjoyed the refreshments offered, the meeting was called to order and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by President Ed Russo.

Ordinary Association business was tabled but the only other important business that had to take place was the nomination of officers for the 2012-2013 Executive Board. Two of our curent board officers, 1st VP Ron Forte and 2nd VP Pat Collins, will not be running again for personal reasons.  With Ret. P.O. Joe McGarry taking nominations, the rest of the board members will remain but with the following changes: Mike Lanning for 1st VP, Harry Hassler for 2nd VP, Ron DiMaio for Executive Secretary, Ed Wilko for Financial Secretary and Harry Nicolino for Recording Secretary. I will remain as Treasurer and Dave Crean will be appointed as Sgt-at-Arms, and, of course, Frank Crisa will continue as our Editor..

Wtih much advance meeting notice e-mails being sent out by President Ed Russo and myself to those living in the metropolitan area, and over two years of Ed's trying to get him to speak at one of our meetings, and with the help of one of our Honorary members, Jimmy Venezia, well over 100 persons (including a few non-members invited) were present to hear our guest speaker, retired FBI agent Joseph Pistone, speak of his experiences when he went undercover for 6 years as "Donnie Brasco" in the Bonnano crime family.  For over an hour, Joe related the way the people he dealt with, like Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano, people who were raised with gangsters, became gangsters, and died as gangsters, operated with each other within the "family" and with other crime "families."  The expression: "There is no honor amongst thieves" became so true to life.  Some of the stories Joe related were comical and at the same time tragic in how people acted towards each other to either gain higher status within the "family" or to make more money in illegal activities just to keep the money flowing up in the ranks. Joe's activities resulted in over 250 indictments and convictions and wound up as both a book detailing Joe's infiltration and an Academy Award nominated movie "Donnie Brasco" which starred Johnny Depp as Joe Pistone and Al Pacino as Benny "Lefty" Ruggiero. After telling his stories, Joe took many questions from the audience along with many photos of himself and those who attended the meeting.

I told Joe of our Association website and if he would rather not have any photos posted.  He asked that they not be and appreciated our asking him.

After the 50/50 drawings, the meeting was adjourned.

As to his being at the meeting as a guest speaker, Joe Pistone sent the following email to Ed Russo:
"ED
Thank you and the association again for the STAR treatment. You  guys are a class act.
Best,
Joe    Stay in touch."

Ed also received many emails in following days saying how happy they were to be there and for the efforts undertaken to get Joe to speak at the meeting.

Well done, Mr. President!

The Association has been getting calls and emails from the members informing us of not receiving the latest isssue of our newsletter, "Beyond the Line" Vol. 2011-2. The newsletter was sent out by the mailer on September 4th.  Some members received theirs the very next day and we saw this when the 2012 dues started coming in using the application on the back page.  Just today, we got a letter dated September 16th from Tony Morrissey in Georgia, telling us he has not received his copy. As we try to explain, the newsletter goes out 3rd class postage as 1st class would cost a fortune.  To give you an idea, when we send a copy out 1st class, it costs $1.28.  Multiply that by almost 1200 copies, and that amounts to a very high cost, along with the printing and related costs.

Unfortunately, the Post Office does not give priority to this type of mail, rather 1st class or Priority gets delivered first. I wonder about this since Tony's letter, dated Sept. 16th, just arrived today at the PO box. All we can ask is for your patience. If, by chance, you still have not received a copy by the end of September, please contact us and we will mail a copy out 1st class postage and again, thank you for your patience in this matter.

I received a reply to an inquiry of the letter NYCERS sent to retirees on a disability pension. We hope this answers any questions one may have.

Dear Mr. Lomanto,

I am writing in response to your online inquiry of 9/3/11 to NYCERS.

In addition to their pension benefits from NYCERS, some disability retirees are also eligible to receive workers compensation benefits.  NYCERS is required by law to offset the disability benefit we pay by the amount of any workers compensation payments the pensioner receives. NYCERS sends affidavits to retirees to confirm any workers compensation amounts received by pensioners.  The letters and forms that you inquired about were sent out for this purpose.

The affidavit (form 354) should be sent back to NYCERS, along with the most recent workers compensation notice of determination, if workers compensation has ever been received.  If the pensioner has never received workers compensation payments, he/she should note that on the form, sign it and have it notarized, and return it to NYCERS.

Regards,

Michael A. Goldson
Director, Finance
New York City Employees Retirement System
335 Adams Street  Suite 2300
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11201
(347) 643-3522
mgoldson@nycers.nyc.gov

Despite the impending rainstorm forecasted for the evening, the turnout at the NYS FOP building for the September meeting was beyond our expectations.  It was a good thing we ordered enough pizza as there were only 2 slices left!

After the refreshments were devoured, President Ed Russo called the meeting to order and led the membership with the Pledge of Allegiance.   This was followed by a moment of silence for our departed fellow retirees which, since the last meeting in June, totalled 22 officers, and for our Armed Forces serving overseas and, lest we not forget, for all those who perished in the 9-11 attack ten years ago.

President Russo informed the members that the tickets for the Mets - Phillies daytime game scheduled for Sunday, September 25th, will be passed out towards the end of the meeting to those PAID members requesting them and if any are left over, they will be available at face cost of $54 each.  We wish to thank our newest Honorary member, Mary Fitzgerald, for her time and assistance with the tickets. Mary has connections with the Mets that would enable her to get more tickets and possibly better games as she has bought many tickets for her Westchester County union members in the past. It should be brought out at this time that any tickets given to a paid member must be used by that member and not passed on to a friend or relative.  If the member cannot attend the game, the ticket must be handed back to the Association for another member's use.

Financial Secretary Vinny DiMaio spoke on the availability of qualification courses for HR 218 that would allow eligible retirees to carry their weapons into other states.  Nassau and Suffolk Counties are offering classes along with the original course given by the Rockland County PD. The fee is $50 for the 1st weapon and $40 for additional ones. Further details can be obtained by contacting Vinny at N2ZUC@optonline.net or 516-285-5703.  Vinny also brought out the fact that there is no indemnification against lawsuits that may arise over the use of the firearm.

Executive Secretary Harry Hassler spoke of the time and effort of Ret. Insp. John Ferrante and Ret. P.O. Lou Pisano is driving up to Connecticut and presenting the Congratulatory plaque to our 100 year old and the oldest living Lifetime member, Ret. P.O. Louis Pavlu. A photo of the plaque can be seen in the June 30th entry on the "Keeping in Touch" page. Harry further informed the members that if anyone has any photos from the past, or an interesting article or old "war story" that they would like in future issues of our newsletter, they should forward them to either our Editor, Frank Crisa, or to our Treasurer, Tony Lomanto. They are needed to fill the pages along with the letters we receive.

From your Treasurer, namely me, I gave a report showing the Association is financially stable but it is important that the members continue to send in their dues when required.  Without the income, there can be no death benefit, meetings or even the baseball game tickets available.  Along with this, I reminded the members that in the event of moving to another residence, it is important that we be notified so the database can be updated.  Past experience has shown members moving, never contacting us, and then we start getting contacts that they have not been getting the newsletter.  
We also ask that if you become aware of another member passing away, please contact us.  We only found out through the help of Ret. Sgt. Bill McMillen and his investigation agency, that Lifetime Member, Ret. P.O. Frank Tamburello passed away 2 years ago. I also wish to thank our Editor, Frank Crisa, for the excellent work he did in the preparation of the latest "Beyond the Line" newsletter, issue #2011-2, which should be in the member's hands by this time.  If any paid member did not receive a copy, please contact me either by email at alomanto@optonline.net or phone 516-678-0833, and I will mail a copy to you.  As I always mention, the newsletter goes out 3rd class mail and the Post Office does not deliver that type of mail as fast as 1st class which would be prohibitively expensive.

I also brought up what started out with an email from Ret. Sgt. John Kaim after receiving a letter from NYCERS asking about his Workman's Compensation earnings he received for the year. John went out on 3/4 disability and he, and any other NYCERS retireee on a disability, apparently has to show what, if any, payments they received from WC.  The issue, as clarified by our Executive Advisor, Ret. P.O. Richie Sinnott, is for an edit of a disabilty retiree's earnings to prove they are not "double-dipping" from NYCERS and Workman's Compensation in an amount that would exceed the normal annual pension payments. In John Kaim's case, his disability case was closed back in the early '90s so all his payments are from NYCERS.

Association member and NYS FOP Lodge #317 President, Joe McGarry, spoke of a prescription drug benefit available to FOP members.  The plan, offered by Linden Care in Syosset, NY, offers prescriptions at a reduced co-payment rate up to 25% less than that offered by the line organizations.  After the cap is reached, the discount drops to 16 to 20% depending on generic or name brand drugs. Further information is available for FOP members by contacting Joe at fopeagle@aol.com or 516-796-0017.  The benefit is well worth the FOP membership dues of $35 a year.

Our Legislative Director, Ret. P.O. Tony Piazza, spoke of the ongoing efforts of the Association to get a VSF bill passed for those eligible retirees unjustly denied the benefit.  We still have the support of NYS Sen. Andrew Lanza who will again introduce the bill in the NYC Senate, but his year was marked by opposition to the benfit by NYC Mayor Bloomberg.  Our only hope at this time is the report that Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be looking into pension bills in January, 2012.

Ret. Sgt. John Reeves spoke of the annual Transit Police Department Thanksgiving Reunion this year to take place on Tuesday, November 22nd at Antun's in Queens Village. The reunion will be from 4 to 8 PM and the cost will be $55 by check to be mailed to John or Ret. Insp. Tom Strong, or $60 cash only, at the door. All details can be found on the "Meetings and Events" page.

Ret. Capt. Arnie Fisher spoke about his upcoming annual golf trip to Port St. Lucie, FL, on November 6th to the 13th.  For full details, please contact Arnie at arnoldfisher@hotmail.com or 631-928-6182.

The meeting was concluded with the 50/50 raffle after which the meeting was adjourned.

The Board is happy to announce the publication and mailing of the latest issue of our newsletter "Beyond the Line."

Though a bit smaller than previous issues, this issue, #2011-2, is 16 pages long but packed with letters, articles and photos that our editor, Frank Crisa, has laboriously and lovingly put together.

As always, the newsletters go out to PAID members only. Those sending in their 2011 dues late will be mailed a copy.

In order to publish another newsletter this year, which is doubtful, we need an abundance of letters and photos to fill up the space. So please keep this in mind for the next issue - if you have anything to submit, please do so as soon as possible and send it to Frank or me.  If possible, articles and letters in a Word format would be greatly appreciated as handwritten articles have to be transcribed into a computer document.

We hope you will enjoy this issue.

By DAVID SIMS The Chief as sent by Lou Hollander:

Retired public employees in New York will see a 1.4-percent cost-of-living-adjustment for the first $18,000 of their pensions this year, an increase of $252 annually, starting with the September check..

The increase amounts to $21 extra a month for anyone with a pension worth $18,000 or more. Those earning less will see smaller increases—for example, a $12,000 pension will get a $168-a-year bump.

We received the following information from Lou Hollander:

The following is for your information so you can properly respond to your membership.

Please be advised that the Medicare Rebate checks are presently being distributed as of August 1st, 2011. As a result of the many thousands of recipients, the entire amount of distribution will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks.  There is no definite date when someone's rebate will be sent. The general rule is checks that have no complications are mailed out first; all other checks, such as new recipients, final adjustments and others are generally mailed out last.

Please do not call Rector Street.  You will only receive a recording.

Fraternally yours, 

Richard J. Carroll
Chief of Operations
NYPD

Please check out the Medicare Re-imbursement information on the Health & Welfare page

To all my friends,

It is amazing how time flies; half of the year is over. The following are my personal views on what has transpired with the different groups over the past six months. My association, the Retiree's, along with our associate organizations, FOP #317 and The Shields of Long Island, had a great first half of the year with events and meetings that were well attended. I also belong to a number of other fraternal groups: The New York Honor legion, The New Jersey Honor Legion, The International Police Association (IPA), The Columbia Association, the NYPD PBA and a number of other organizations, many of which do not have organized meetings but communicate with their members by mail or e-mail. 

Louie Hollander and his crew had a very successful Florida Reunion as everyone I spoke to stated they had a great time and Bobbie Valentino had a great Bowling League Dinner-Dance where everyone enjoyed themselves.
 
It is amazing to see how those members attend their meetings; they really enjoy themselves month after month. It shows the camaraderie they have in being a proud law enforcement officer. I urge them all to continue.
 
In regards to my recent major surgery, I am feeling better and hope to fully resume my duties in the Retiree's Association.

I thank you all again for the many inquiries on my health. You do not know how much that meant to me!

My thanks to our 1st VP Ron Forte for the time and organization he undertook for the membership to attend the Mets-Yankees Game on Sunday, July 3rd. Just about all, if not all, the 50 tickets we purchased went out to the members and friends requesting them and this time, the Mets beat the Yankees!
 
Thanks again.

Your friend always,
Ed Russo 

Despite the fact many of the members attending asked about him, our President Ed Russo, was unable to be chairing the meeting as he is still home recuperating from his recent surgery.  Having spoken to Ed before the meeting, he again wishes to thank all who have called and or visited him with their best wishes. He remains steadfast on being at the September meeting and we will make sure he does keep his word. We also missed 2nd VP Pat Collins and Recording Secretary Mike Lanning who were absent because of illnesses. Get well fast, guys!

That being the case, our 1st VP Ron Forte headed the meeting which started with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence for our recently departed fellow retirees and for our Armed Forces serving in harm's way. The meeting itself was put on hold while we receved an informative talk from our speical guest speaker, Betty Cheung, R.N.,  representing Heart Scan Services, an early detection heart scanning company that performs these cardio scans in conjunction with Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn.  Ms. Cheung informed the members that many cardiac related problems are never found through minimal scans using echo technology.  Rather, in Heart Scan Services, more advanced procedures are used to discover areas such as heart valve problems and circulation problems that start in the lower extremities and may wind up causing heart problems later on in the way of a heart attack or stroke. Since most medical plans do not cover these tests as coverage usually exists when symptoms are present, Maimonides Hospital has offered to fund a portin of the cost of the tests.  For Brooklyn and Staten Island residents, the cost is only $50 while for others, the cost is $150, still a bargain when the full cost is $300.

Ms. Cheung and the founder of the company, Marilyn Martinucci, MBA, have spoken to and had their scan services utilized by many police and fire department organizations, including the NYPD DEA, Port Authority PBA, and the Bethpage Fire District.

With our organization, we need both a location where the tables and equipment can be set up and a minimum of 15 members or even family and friends can meet. The only place that comes to mind is the Brooklyn location at the Ben McChree Boat Club but this issue has to be discussed with the board members at our next executive meeting.

I should point out that both Marilyn and Betty have been with St. Francis, The Heart Hospital for many years; Marilyn as a cardiac equipment vendor and Betty as a clinical nurse and supervisor in the O.R.

If you are interested in this type of service, please contact any board member and let us know.

Resuming the meeting, Ron Forte spoke of the Mets-Yankees tickets he had just received notice on from the Mets Organization that day. His report follows: After several years of trying to obtain tickets for a Mets-Yankees game, our time has arrived. Your organization, the Retired Transit Police Officers Association has purchased a batch of tickets. As in the past, our members will receive one free ticket to this game. These tickets must be used by said member only. Additional tickets for your guest will cost $56 per. The game will be played at Citi Field on Sunday, July 3rd at 1pm.

If you desire to attend this event, this is what you must do: call Ron Forte at 718-525-5508 or e-mail your request to him at Jomarofoinc@aol.com. State how many tickets you want.

Payment: $56 per extra ticket. Send a check to NYCRTPOA. PO Box 345, East Rockaway, NY 11518-0345.

Ticket Distribution: Tickets will be mailed to you or you can pick them up at the stadium at the "Will Call Window" at Citi Field on game day. The tickets for the Mets-Phillies game are still available and will be distributed at the September meeting.

Executive Secretary Harry Hassler showed the membership the plaque he had made up for presentation to our longest living retired Transit Police Officer, Louis Pavlu, on his achivement of his 100th birthday celebrated in January of this year (see Lou's birthday part photo on the Keeping In Touch page.  The plaque will be presented to Lou by Ret. Insp. John Ferrante and Ret. P.O. Lou Pisano who will drive up to Danbury CT where Lou lives in an assisted living facility. Our thanks to Harry, John and Lou for their services in this wonderful event.

In the Treasurer's Report,  financially we are in good shape and still receiving applications from new members. I spoke of the decline in dues received and of the 120 +/- past members still in arrears for dues not only for 2011 but for up to 2 years in the past. I still hold out deleting them from our database in the hopes they will still send in the dues and remain a member but history shows me that with all the mailings we send out at a substantial cost, we do not hear from them for whatever reason.  I am going to send out a postcard as a final notice and if we do not hear from them, unfortunately we will reluctantly remove them from the membership list. If you know of any past member who has not paid their dues, please remind them to send it in. I also mentioned the 1013 request sent out by "The Gatekeeper," Lou Hollander from an email he received from Ret. Det. Freddy Mack on the situation with Ret. Det. James Cospito (see below). From this, a motion was made from the floor and seconded and passed to send Jim a check for $200 to help him in his time of need.

Financial Secretary Ron DiMaio read off the letter of thanks from Nassau County PD PBA President James Carver on the $250 donations given by this organization to the families of the two Police Officers recently killed in the line of duty. 
Ron went on further on HR 218 repeating the courses available for those wishing to get the carry permit.

Ret. Sgt. John Rini next spoke of the ongoing struggle for the VSF.  John, along with Tony Piazza and Phil Reilly, have made several trips to Albany, speaking with Senators Andrew Lanza and Dean Skelos and other Assemblymen who are backing our cause.  At this time, unfortunately, legislation is lacking due to the severe financial crisis ongoing in the State and City.  Hope still prevails and we will continue with all we can to eventually achieve to correct this wrong.

Ret. Sgt. John Reeves spoke of the upcoming 2nd Annual Transit Police Picnic to be held at Eisenhower Park on Tuesday, July 12th. Further details can be found here on the Meetings and Events page

At the end of the 50/50 drawing, with a thank you to Ret. Sgt. John Reeves for his gift contributions, the meeting was adjourned.

Have a safe and happy summer and we look forward to seeing you at the Septembeer meeting at the FOP Headquarters in Hicksville on September 7th at 7:00 PM.

We wish to thank Lou Hollander for the following information:

I received the email below from Freddy Mack regarding Ret. Det. Jimmy Cospito.  Jimmy has been running into some hard times, mostly with his health.  He lost his wife not too long ago and was living in an Assisted Living Facility.  From what I am told Jimmy can’t afford to live in the facility.  He wants to get a place of his own that he can afford, but needs some financial help.  I know Jimmy a long time and know him to be a proud man, and this is not easy for him to do. He told me, when I spoke to him tonight, that he would appreciate any help his “Brothers in Blue” can do to help him out.  See the email Freddy sent me below.  Feel free to give Jimmy a call.  His home # is below.
 
Louie,

I just got off the phone with Jimmy Cospito. His health is failing. He needs both knees replaced and he is in a lot of pain. Even with our medical, Jimmy’s meds for his Parkinson’s Disease is costly. His lease on his ACLF is up in August. He is moving to a place that would be more affordable. Jimmy is a proud man and was told today he can no longer drive his car. He needs some help with some money to be able to move and buy some used furniture for the apartment he is moving to. If anyone can help Jimmy out with a little money it would make his life a little more bearable. Transit to the Rescue!!!

You can send it to:
James Cospito
4225 Shore Drive  Apt 240
Virginia Beach VA 23455-2872

Freddy Mack
P.S. Give him a call at1-757-705-7644

The Retirees Association sent a check for $200 to help Jimmy.

Please disregard today's posting of the NYPD's regulations of pistol licenses that has since been removed from this site, lest there be any misconceptions.

As Lou explains it,

"Yesterday I sent out an email that contained information regarding NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and New York City Pistol Licensees. I received many phone calls and emails regarding this to inform me that it is false.  Stanley Kriegman, President of FOP Lodge NY3100 after reading my email, contacted the NYPD Legal Division only to find out that they have not heard of anything in regards to what I posted.  I usually try to research the information I send out, but I didn’t do it this time.  I apologize and I will try not to let anything like this happen again."

Lou, the fault does not lie with you but with the person who originally sent it.  He or she should have gone through the trouble of verifying it first before sending it on to you. I hope a lot of people aren't having fits about what was originally sent out by you or posted here. - Tony

An unfortunate illness prevented President Ed Russo from attending the meeting.  He is scheduled for hospitalization next week and thanks all for their concerns but he asks all to please keep calls to a minimum.

In his absence, the meeting, which had a large turnout, was led by 1st VP Ron Forte.  Ron started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a moment of silence for our departed fellow officers and for our Armed Forces serving in harm's way.

After a motion to suspend the meeting, the members received a talk from representatives of the NY Heroes Program which offers "first responders" discounts in various ways including title insurance for home purchases which may be less than what is charged by banks or lending companies.  Membership is free and more on this program can be found on their website www.nyheroesprogram.com

Ron resumed the meeting by thanking our Editor, Frank Crisa and yours truly, Treasurer Tony Lomanto, for the work we did in putting together another excellent issue of our newsletter, "Beyond the Line." Thanks, Ron, and speaking for Frank, we appreciate your remarks.  After this, Ron mentioned the Association's purchase of 52 tickets to the Mets-Phillies game on Sunday, September 25th at 1:00PM.  The tickets will be issued at the September meeting as there may be a possibilty of losing any tickets issued beforehand. As in the past, paid up members will receive a ticket free and additional tickets, if available, will be at cost of $56 each.

Recording Secretary Mike Lanning read the minutes of the previous meeting and reminded the members that the door charge for the meetings have been increased to reflect the rising costs.  Meetings at Antuns will be $15 for members and $20 for guests and for the 2011 Christmas and Holiday Party, the charge will be $20 for members and $25 for guests. There is no charge for the meetings at the FOP Hall and for the Brooklyn meeting, the minimal cost will be posted at the door.

Your Treasurer (me) spoke of the diminishing returns of the annual dues after "cresting" in mid March.  At this time we still have approximately 127 members who still have not sent in their dues. I will proceed with a postcard mailing and if they still have not paid the dues in a reasonable amount of time, they will be removed from the membership rolls to save the cost of continually sending notices and not getting any responses.

Financial Secretary Ron DiMaio spoke of the continuing process of being certified under HR 218.  With the Presidential signing into law in late 2010, all states are required to recognize the certified permits issued to qualified retirees.  At this time, the Rockland County PD along with NYS certified instructors in Nassau and Suffolk Counties are giving the course.  To find the locations and costs and for further information, please contact Ron at N2ZUC@optonline.net

Executive Secretary Harry Hassler next spoke of his attendance at the services of the late P.O. Bill Martin who recently passed away after many years of suffering from the beating he received back in 1982. Harry further mentioned that the NYPD is looking into the possibility that Bill's family may become eligible for Line of Duty death benefits if it is determined that the injuries sustained ultimately resulted in his death. More on this as it progresses. Harry further reported on the MTA television program "Transit, Transit" that recorded the history of the Transit Police Department from its inception to the present time. In the interview along with Harry was Ret. Sgt. John Reeves, Ret. Lt. Bob Valentino, Ret. Insp. Carol Burke and our Historian, JJ Sullivan.  The first episode was televised this past Saturday on WNYC TV (check listings for correct channel on your cable provider) and the second part will be in June.  We will post the exact date when we get informed by the station. 

Ret. Sgt. John Rini spoke next on the ongoing struggle for the VSF.  Having attended recent meetings of the Retired Sergeants meetings, John mentioned that there are no reports of any attempts to stop the current payment of the VSF for those eligible retirees. For those not receiving the payments, John reports there is a new actuarial report that will be offered in the necessary legislation Sen. Andrew Lanza is leading in Albany.

This photo was taken at a recent fund raiser with Senators Lanza and Skelos:

From the floor, Ret. PO Joe McGarry informed the members of the upcoming NYS FOP Golf Outing where the first $10,000 goes to the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Hospital which has provided helpful services to our members through the efforts of FOP LOdge 317.

Ret. PO Vin Servedio informed our members of the upcoming Transit Police Bowling League Dinner Dance scheduled for Friday, June 3rd at Verdi's on Old Country Road, Westbury NY.  Cocktails start at 6:30PM and entertainment will be provided by "The Devotions" and by Teresa McClain, of the Emil Stucchio's group, "The Classics." Cost will be $130 per couple.  On another note, any retiree is welcome to bowl with former Transit Police members at the East Meadow Bowl Lanes located on Front St, and East Meadow Ave. in east Meadow. They play on Tuesdays starting around 11:00 AM.  Even if you don't bowl, stop by for coffee and talk of old war stories.

The meeting was adjourned after the 50/50 drawing.

On Saturday, May 7, 2011, the newest Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyer, DDG-112, named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Navy Seal Lt. Michael Murphy, was christened in Bath, Maine by Michael's mother, Maureen Murphy. Standing next to her were her husband, Daniel, and their family members.

Daniel had been a guest speaker at The Long Island Shields meeting in April and I had the honor of speaking to him about his son. After his telling the members present about a Navy tradition of family members of the person the ship is named after, placing special mementoes into a metal box that will be sealed and placed at the base of the ship's mast, I again appraoched Dan and respectfully asked him if he could, and it would be an honor to have it done, offer to place into that container, one of the Challenge Coins of this Association.  Dan said it would be an honor to do so and he would place the coin amongst other mementoes of his son, Michael.

Thus our Challenge Coin, representing retirees of a Police Department that served with honor and devotion, will be part of a US Navy ship that will also serve with honor and devotion to duty.

 January 30, 2011     LEGISLATIVE UPDATE ON THE VSF

From Tony Piazza, Legislative Director:

January, 2011, begins another legislative session.  With dedication to the cause that you have funded and rightfully expect, the VSF committee (Tony Piazza, John Rini and Phil Reilly) extends it's best efforts, too.  We have not rested.  On January 25th, myself, Phil Reilly and John Rini traveled to Albany to meet with Senator Lanza and Assemblyman Lentol.

L to R: Phil Reilly, Sen. Lanza, Tony Piazza in The Senate Chambers.  John Rini was at McDonald's looking for his cell phone which he found in his pocket.

We now await an actuarial report from the City of New York which will pre-empt a new VSF bill. This bill is to be introduced in the NYS Senate by Senator Andrew Lanza and in the Assembly by Assemblyman Joseph Lentol.  We remain confident that as the truth and facts of the VSF/defined benefit begin to surface, justice will shed light on the virtues of the VSF as an investment funded by the unions on behalf of all members of the VSF on a parity basis.

JANUARY 1, 2011    RET. P.O. LOU PAVLU TO TURN 100 YEARS OLD

December 18, 2010     THE CHRISTMAS & HOLIDAY PARTY AN
                                                                    OUTSTANDING SUCCESS

Though I missed my first Retirees Christmas Party in 25 years since retirement because of a bad cold, I was told by our President, Ed Russo, and quite a few others, that this year's party was an outstanding success with the largest number of members and guests attending in years.  Antun's was well decorated in the holiday spirit and along with the food and drinks, Ed received many comments as to how well the party was enjoyed. 

Despite the no-show of a few invited guests, we were still graced with the presence of former Chief of the Department Mike Ansbro, along with Chiefs John  Kavanagh and Jim Ferry, Insp. John Ferrante, and as a surprise guest, Insp. Hillel Valentine. 

Many thanks must go out to our Executive Board members who were there for the help they showed in greeting those arriving for the affair and for the eventual success of the party. A special thank you goes to our Sgt-at-Arms, Ed Wilko and his able assistant, David Crean, for their work at the door and for helping me in my absence. Ed Wilko stopped by my house to pick up all the paperwork and the Challenge coins that were handed out and that briefcase weighed as heavy as the case used when doing the Revenue Train assignment from the "way back days."

As to the Challenge coin itself, I was told they went over very well and a number of additional coins were sold at the party.  For those who wish to do so, the coins are now available for purchase for $10 each. 

Please send a check in the amount for the total number of coins requested and made out to NYCRTPOA and sent to our PO box address.  I will then mail them out as soon as I get the check.

I picked up a few of the Challenge coins we had made up and will be giving out at the Christmas Party next week.  All we ask is to please do not e-mail Lou Hollander for sales of the coins.  I have already thanked Lou for his time and troubles in responding to the requests and for anyone looking to purchase them, the coins will be available after the Christmas Party when we will have them complete from the printers.  An example of the finished coin is below: