edited 2023-12-11 to add: Apparently I was not clear with the photo. It was intended to show the likely VIEW from the 7th floor at (then) 35 Pine St. AND that in order to have used the shooting position mentioned in a video, It would have required shooting thru several concrete block walls of the garage(s) It was/is our opinion that the shooter was less than 25 feet from Harvey, at the South East corner of the property.
Original post below: April 27 1977 Part III and hopefully the last needed My “notes” on the events that day were made after several attempts to provide correct details to the investigators who guessed wrong.
Unfortunately those efforts reminded me of two particularly unpleasant peripheral events from 1977-79. One was a conversation with a YPD Detective before the arrest and the other was with the President of Gannet in 1979,
In the “Walk and Talk” sadly, no effort was made to contact me for any input. But the good news is I got some amuzement out of the process. I posted an image and poof a week or so later there is drone footage of the neighborhood today. A definite LOL moment.
When I was told Jr wanted to set things right – I wanted to believe good intentions. Instead less than 3 minutes in was the first of many snide comments in this and other videos. As a certain Captain told me more than once – in the department sometimes the worst thing you can do is to be right if it embarrasses them.
Background to correct certain speculation I have read in a number of places: Our family pet before Harvey had lived to the age of about 15 and was suffering – The wonderful people at the Med center told us there was nothing more they could really do for him. So we made the hard choice to end the pain from his inoperable cancer.
We all felt that loss deeply and perhaps Sam most of all. When I mentioned to a work friend I was going to have to take a trip or two to the pound to find Sam a new companion – he said wait a few days, I might have something to help. Next day at work he told me about Harvey. An affectionate just over 2 years old and in need of active people who also loved their animals.
Harvey was gifted to me when he was a little over 2 years One thing we can all agree on – Harvey was much loved by everyone (even people who were not dog people) and we adored him. The problem for his first family was his enthusiasm for everyone and his need to be “worked” as well as loved. Sometimes the stars align.
This seemed almost too good to be true. Sam got a companion and I got a training partner to run/jog with me early mornings or late evening most days both on the aqueduct. And more often than I might wanted – rocks dropped on my toes, and a 70 pound animal who thought he was a lap dog. And our night operators had a new pal to keep them company most nights.
Frankly his only flaw was he was not as good a judge of character as his predecessor – Harvey gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. We were lucky to have him in our lives until the late 80’s.
Continuing context: In the video the repeated point was made of not knowing where Harvey was likely to have been when he was shot. Sadly he did not ask – would have saved us both some agita. In my first post about the events of April 26, 1977 – I used a recent aerial view to show the likely distance from DB’s point of view – down to where it was most likely Harvey would have been. While anything is possible – I find it unlikely that most “hobby hunters” could have have made a 100 yard (300 ft) shot from above and certainly the trajectory did NOT match the entry/exit, reentry wounds. Just my opinion.
These details would have been easily available from at least a dozen people – just not the responding officers since they did not arrive on the “set” until after my Dad & I were enroute to the Animal Medical Center. Quite logically, the Officers choose to take a fast drive around the neighborhood to see if they could find someone fitting the description they received. It is my recollection the slug/bullet they found was near where Harvey had done some bleeding before we were able to get pressure on the wounds and get him into the car. Does it mean it was a thru and thru or a miss or even unrelated, we will never know. What we do know is that the responding officers were quite sure it was fairly large, so not a .22 as has been suggested.
Side Note: When my attorney asked for access to the bullet found by the Responding Officers, he was advised it did not exist. Thus we had to rely on the experienced eye of the Radiologist at the Animal Med Center as to it size and likely weight until the one in Harvey was removed after his death. Frankly I very much believe the officers did find something and did voucher it appropriately.
How or why it disappeared is a matter for speculation. My mother did not want the one from Harvey to be taken and used for gain (we were offered substantial sums more than once) so I honored her request and after cleaning it up and weighing it, melted it down tossed it into the bucket for later use in reloading.
Back to the video. All of the following relates to observations/assumptions made in the first 15 or so minutes of the video. Some also applies to other videos in the series. I have tried to make quite clear where it is verifiable fact and where it my opinion or assumptions made by other.
Earlier today I sent a less detailed account with a promise to expand later to “another investigator” because it is my personal policy to respond to all polite requests, in writing as having more than once been subjected to selective editing.
I did the first April 27 post image to show two things – first the distance from his fire escape/window and second where Harvey actually was.
If you saw the first version of the Walk & Talk about when Harvey was shot, you may remember (it has been edited out but now seems to be back) they stopped at the South East corner – Named it Possibility One and then dismissed it as unlikely. Manny commented about one of the trees looked old enough to have been there (and he is probably right about that) In fact, you can see that tree in the above 2009 photo – although in 1977 there were no doors. They were installed and the area paved after it was sold to Jim Faulkner.
Harvey was attached to a lead about 20-25 feet long and it was secured inside the small building so he could, if he choose, get out of the sun he could. This area was where Harvey liked to deposit his favorite outdoor toys = a few 2-3 ft sections 6×6 and 8×8 wood and a few cement blocks. In fact, Harvey’s lead line and his preferred napping spot was only about 20-25 feet from the South East corner where Manny commented on the age of the tree. The farthest his lead would have allowed from #1 to X would have been less than 30 feet, but he was unlikely to have stretched it that far.
I agree that the likelihood of #2 to Y was about 40 to 50 yards. Add that Y was not a place Harvey could have stretched his lead – in fact he would not have been visible. Add that it would have required shooting through several concrete block walls, most will agree #2 was not the place used by the shooter.
Photo by NY Post Photographer in Front Office
Although most of those officers did a good job BTW – except for late tour August 10th into the morning of August 11th when the officer assigned must have left early since NY Post’s Dunleavy flashed a fake badge at 6:15am to our night operator and then to my Dad – The Officers used the desk in the front office/room both on the south side of the house – which was in front of the “switchboard room”. Our residential/living area, including the living room that was behind the other section of enclosed porch where I had a work office area.
The above photo of Sam & Harvey was taken on the morning of August 11th between 6:15am and 6:30am. Our night operator called upstairs on the intercom to let me know about the supposed Cop with a photographer. She did not think a real cop would have a photographer – the photographer took off when I came downstairs and Dunleavy tried to bluff his way into staying. I escorted him out the door
I like using this next photo since it is easy to see/confirm that unlike some reports – there were TWO doors – one led to the “front office” which was used by employees and those Police Officers assigned to keep wackos both civilian and press from creating havoc.
And because it reminds me how well Harvey looked after recovery. The exterior of the house was not updated until the Mid-80’s but in this photo taken (somewhere around May 1978 (updated after further research.)
To “reset the stage”, in more recent photos (about 10:17 in the video ) there is a great deal of construction type debris between the small southern section of the garages located at the South East corner of our property. It was not there at the time. That corner, closest to the property lines
Harvey;s lead line was “attached” to the inside of the small garage so if he wanted to get out of sun/rain/etc. Harvey also liked to dig himself a soft spot in the dirt by the wall of the back yard of 312 to lay in the sun. There was no grass, just hard dirt and gravel at the time.
There has also been some discussion about my motorcycles and their condition. The only one that was there at the time of the shooting was the remains of my first motorcycle – a short lived experiment by Harley Davidson into the world of 350cc “Sprint” – mostly suited to street use. And yes, its remains were there when Diegel began working on some projects after Jim’s accident on Memorial Day weekend – about a 4-5 weeks after Harvey was shot. My parents later admitted it was there to remind me no matter how careful I might be – there are things like drunk drivers who can come out of nowhere and hit you broadside.
Given the date, (Late April 1977) I suspect the 1200cc Super Glide was at Yonkers Harley for a spring tuneup. BTW when it was stolen it had about 50,000 miles, so yeah, I did ride it rather frequently. weather permitting.
Mention was made of the house at 312 – its placement in their property pretty much mirrored ours, so would have not been an impediment in any way – but yes it was still there “at the time”
The debris (looks like brush or perhaps old boards from gutting interior of the house by the current owner or both) was not there. Harvey was rarely out there for more than an hour or two during the day – we had to make sure he could not run in front of one of our autos when we came up the driveway.
Even that small area at the top of the driveway would not have been accessible to him. (the distance from the SE Corner “No. 1” close to the top of the driveway evetually I will further edit the photo to include a Z. But “Y” remains inaccessible to Harvey so a shot from Possibility No 2 is ruled out.
Other facts, as you watch the video in many places during the first 15 minutes, as early as the 3:47 point, you can clearly see the two 2nd floor windows on the North side of the house. It is a fact that without summer foliage – you can clearly see pretty much from which to just past the North corner of the property back to Wicker – especially the foot path. So my Dad would have had a clear view of anyone on the aqueduct.
Also note at somewhere around 14 minutes as the investigators jog north – you can see a gate between the 2nd and 3rd house. And was not likely visible from the second floor windows.
So I am sticking with the shooter, seen headed north, likely cutting between the 2nd and 3rd house up to Grove and then on up Glenwood to Pine.
I hope this will clear up some misconceptions that have been repeated too many times already and are now being quoted as fact.
I may as time allows, do some cleaning up of this information if I find errors or just some editing for understanding based on questions received, mis spelling, poor grammar, etc. Why? because especially professional editors need their own work double checked.
Feel free to ask if you need more detail – just remember – I have never hidden who I am so unless you also provide an email with your real name – don’t expect an answer.
Thank you to NEO for providing correction on some a date.
Thank you to Manny for his mention of the wild roses on the property line. It brought back some wonderful family memories
Edited Oct 10 – I was pleased to see the the original (with less than perfect audio) has been restored.
Original post Oct 5 2022 To blog or not to blog, that is the question. While looking for a particularly point in that video – intended as a positive comment – I was somewhat surprised to so it has been moved to the legacy vault, heavily revised and perhaps most interesting the part that contained the most accurate information – deleted.
P.S. If anyone has a copy of the original, I’d love a copy.
If ordered to evacuate, unplug everything (except refrigerator or freezer) This will help protect everything from your coffee maker to your electronic devices from damage related to power surges.
Keep a week or so of your medications “ready” and the back up supplies at the top of your go bag. Do this all the time and the go bag will be as useful for a trip to an Emergency Room, or other quick trip away from home. Just remember to regularly rotate the supply so it is always fresh. Not packed and forgotten.
My personal go bag also has what I call “pocket projects” and my tablet is loaded with enough books for a few weeks of reading. Both are almost as necessary as food, water, and meds for your well being. If you have children, they just might be more important than you might think.
Make sure your First Aid kit has more than just wound care. A good supply of “over the counter” items that have been rotated on a regular basis so they are “unexpired” Aspirin, antibiotic ointments, antibacterial pads and rubs, etc.
It may be useful to have a separate “Safety/Protection” go bag that continues “survival stuff” from firearms and ammo to “space blankets”
One of things often overlooked are “sanitary” supplies – whether it is toilet paper, or personal hygiene, try to keep at least a month on hand –
For the freezer, 3/4 fill and freeze as many bottles of water as will fit to pack your freezer. Freeze upright and leave the cap just a bit loose to allow for expansion. When fully frozen, tighten the lids.
Fill & pack as many bottles of water as will fit into empty spaces in your refrigerator = in advance of the storm, if possible – fill bottles for Frig and then rotate with fully frozen. Fugal Tip: If you get the water cold in your refrigerator, it will freeze faster With a bit of luck from the planning – both freezer and refrig’ will have ice to help extend the life of its contents. AND you will have “measured” amounts of safe water for preparing food, drinks etc.
Don’t forget to fill your bathtub with water to be used for flushing toilets – hopefully you have already checked the tub to be sure the drain can be closed to hold water. Be sure to have a pan or some sort of jug so you can transfer water to toilet. This is also time to remember that jingle from drought times If it’s yellow, let it mellow If it’s brown, flush it down
If you cannot get a good seal on tub – fill gallon or larger jugs, or pick up some water cans and rotate frequently. At the very least, year round, keep a few of those blue water cans in the bathroom in case of brief electric outages. Baby wipes or anti bacterial wipes are very useful when fresh water is at a premium.
Do your laundry NOW. It is amazing how clean you can feel with a “wipe down” with baby wipes and then clean clothes.
Regularly check your property for anything that can be picked up and become a missile…. Flower pots, garden decorations, yard furniture, barbecues, etc. Have a plan for how to quickly gather and safely store.
If you have an in-ground pool, you can throw your plastic deck furniture in the pool and retrieve it after the storm. If you have a cover, make sure it is in place and properly secured. It was always much easier to sweep away storm tossed debris like leaves and twigs than clean it out of the water.
Board your windows. The one thing Duck Tape can not do is protect your windows. Spend the $$ – buy the plywood. I am told that a single broken window allows high velocity winds to get into your home and “lift the roof”
Speaking of the roof, have some tarps on hand “just in case” you need to cover damaged sections of your roof as soon as is safe to keep out ongoing rain, sleet or snow.
If you have a mobile device of any kind, have a car charger to be able to keep it charged until regular electric service is restored. Another reason for keeping the gas tank topped off.
If you have a place to safely store it, keep some gas cans filled (and rotate regularly) If you are stuck/trapped at home, it can be used for the car to keep devices charged and if you have to evacuate may make a difference in how far you can get when electrical outages make gas at the pumps unobtainable.
HAVE CASH. If power is out and if internet is out, card readers will not work. You will need cash.
The ONLY time we ever use paper plates is when the electric is out and so inadequate hot water to clean regular plates. Don’t forget disposable knife, fork, spoons. And of course a bag or two of the amazing useful wooden skewers for grilling and then disposing since washing can be an issue.
For the caffeine reliant = a French Press might just be an emotional life saver. Because there is no such thing as “good tasting” instant coffee.
If you use electric tools in the kitchen – be sure to have alternatives on hand. Keep your knives sharpened all the time and a good hand operated can opener in the junk drawer.
At least a few days of bottled water all the time and more during “storm seasons”
Make sure the Non-Perishable foods you have on hand for emergency is something you eat. Preferable as little as possible that needs to have water added – soups, stews, chili, and such. Don’t forget some of the fun stuff to life your spirit like pudding cups, snack bags. Keep a good supply of “powdered” ingredients. Taste test them in advance. Milk & Cream Butter and Cheese powders can be the flavor difference between hardship and decent tasting food in times of high stress.
If you are planning to use your grill, keep an extra propane tank or bags of wood/charcoal – we liked keep a full trash can of grill fuel. Nothing worse than a freezer full of defrosting protein and no way to grill.
Try to avoid opening your fridge once the power is out. Keep some bagged ice and a cooler handy. If the power goes out, open then and only then to get the ice out.
Food safety I keep a largish Rx bottle with frozen water topped with a quarter. Takes less space and serves the same purpose as a get a glass of water. When frozen put a quarter on top and put it back in the freezer. If power goes out and you are lucky enough to have it come on fairly quickly, check the cup of water. If the quarter sank that means the freezer defrosted and your food will go bad. If the quarter is on top, your freezer stayed cold enough to keep the water frozen, your food is good. This is a great tip if you evacuate and come back home and don’t know how long power was out. Edited to add: You may also want to add, if space allows, a few of the bottles in different parts of the freezer It is also handy to check if you have been away from home for vacation, etc.
Flashlight, Batteries are a given and either a hand crank or battery operated radio will be your best way to get news and may be your only way to keep track of the storm. It is also handy to at least know if there is a local “Ham Radio” devotee in your circle of friends and neighbors.
Unless there is a need to power life support equipment, do not start your generator until after the storm has passed. Hopefully you have had the forethought to create a same place OUTSIDE the house or in a DETACHED garage. Gas/Diesel fumes usually kill more people in the aftermath of a storm than the storm itself.
Even “outdoor” animals need to be brought in so they are not trapped by floods or other storm hazards If you don’t want them in the house – well have what you need to keep them safe in your garage. Be sure to have any necessary food, water and medications on hand.
If they are too large, then photograph and create some sort of ID. If livestock “escapes” you may need to be able to id and prove ownership to get them back. Remember fences and such can be blown down or destroyed by flying debris. So no they are not safe in the fenced areas.
Standing water and wet conditions are an invitation to critters to invade your home and outbuildings. Keep an eye out for everything from ants to wild creatures.
For the farm. Fill clean garbage cans with water. If they are not clean enough you can line them with heavy duty can liners. Fill extra water buckets and much buckets with water. If you have extra troughs fill them with water. If your power is out your well pump will not work and you cannot always count on the local fire department to come by and fill empty troughs.
Stolen Tip: Have gas in your tank, know where your firearms and ammunition are. Some areas may have looting. Florida is a stand your ground state, familiarize yourself with those laws. If you have acreage, stay armed while walking it.
If you have lots of trees, you may want to invest in a chainsaw and have the proper gas and chain lube. You may have to remove trees from driveways or structures in order to leave the house or property.
Some rural areas may be without power for two or more weeks. Power is usually restored in high density areas first. Be prepared to drive around looking for gas and ice.
Have mosquito spray. You will be sleeping with open windows once the boards come down. Your house will be hot and humid. Personal tip. Get those blue ice bricks and keep them in your ice chest with ice. Sleep with them to stay cool.
Wind destroys property but water kills more people. If you are in a flood zone, evacuate.
After the storm when driving around, be careful when driving in flooded streets. You cannot see the shoulders of the road and could drive into a water-filled ditch.
It can be bad, but just remember that most people and properties will be fine. The news crews always focus on the most devastated locations, but once the storm hits land it will quickly lose power and the biggest concern would be tornadoes. These are usually on the southwestern side of the eye wall which tends to be the stronger part of the storm.
Stay safe and have your medications, valuables, and irreplaceables ready to go if you are forced into evacuation.
No matter your Middle Class Income bracket, Inflation is real. The Following is based on pricing “near me” from our actual expenditures (yes, one of my “hobbies” is Kitchen Table Economic Spreadsheets)
1
2020
2021
2022
%Inc
Aldi – House Brands
ct
ct
2
01.09
01.39
02.09
52.15%
Milk Whole Half Gallon
64
fl oz
3
02.02
03.59
04.29
47.09%
Butter Sweet
16
oz
4
02.10
01.79
02.79
75.27%
Creamer Coffee
32
fl oz
5
02.75
03.85
04.29
64.10%
Cheese American
15
oz
6
01.99
03.59
04.99
39.88%
Beef Carna Asada
16
oz
7
02.09
02.65
04.79
43.63%
Sourdough Loaf
24
oz
8
9
12.04
16.86
23.24
51.81%
Subtotal
10
11
45.41
50.22
10.59%
BGE
343
kWh
12
02.20
03.49
03.95
55.70%
Auto Gas Regular
128
fl oz
13
14
*ALDI prices often vary from area to area – Although ALDI has the lowest “mark up” among stores that do not offer “In-Store Pricing” – the above is based on delivery by Instacart I compared these with the same items in other states. Prices were similar
P.S. The Beef for Carne Asada or Carne Picada is excellent for use in Taco, Fajitas, Italian Beef, Chili, and pretty much anyplace you would use either ground or sliced beef – just change up the seasoning blends. AND… For someone with hand grip/arthritis issues, it is worth the extra few cents per pound
People who cook from scratch, but do take advantage of a good “blend” Everything including the UPC Code seems to be the same.
Exactly one year ago, I ordered a “year supply” (2 bags) and the price was $10.10 each ($1.48 per ounce) Today that same product (everything including the UPC Code is the same) is “offered” at $16.98 ($2.50 per ounce)
On a more positive note (and one those who know me may find interesting) This blend is a favorite because (a) it does not contain salt and (b) this is sort of shocking – unlike most “Italian” seasoning mixes – does not contain garlic.
The ingredients: Organic Herbs (Marjoram, Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Savory, Oregano, Sage) are an excellent base for more nuanced mixes like a Greek/Mediterranean, Italian and a long list of other with the addition of one or two more flavors. TIPLET: Based on average “useage” I only keep enough for two weeks “on the counter” and the remainder is “on the freezer door”
