LETS TAKE A MINUTE TO REMEMBER

Another year has come, and gone. It's time to give a moment or two to remember friends who have passed on. One way or another they are still with us.

One of my friends answered his last call a couple of years ago. His grand-daughter drew the picture below. It  makes a very nice memory. 

In addition to this Officer, there are others who have passed away in 2014. They leave us and their families behind.  Miss you guys!

NJ MUNICIPALS - SCORE ONE MORE FOR THAT COLLECTION

MUNICIPALS: "N" Is For North Bergen.

I thought I was done with my NJ Municipal collection a while ago. This badge became available so I scooped it up.

It is the design that I like, and is also obsolete so that makes it more interesting for me. My guess this was issued in early 1900's and then called out of service in late 70's or 80's.

This particular shield is a standard Jersey design. Everything is stamped into it from the rear, including the State Seal. When  a municipality purchased it, all that had to be done was stamp into the panels: North Bergen,  Police.  Then in number box place the numbers 71 and it is done

My guess is that this town was located in Bergen County. I thought it was one of those little spots where their is some money. That is not the case. This community is in the heavily populated Hudson County. 

It is densely populated, and the citizens have many different ways to go for employment. Many probably swim to work in New York City. It is on the Hudson River directly across from the upper East Side of Manhattan.

Glad to have this one. It fits nice, and is well located where I can see it every day.

ANOTHER JERSEY MARSHALL

The year is almost over and I have had some good progress with my New Jersey Marshals.

First I finished, in four parts, taking pictures of every item in my collection, and then researching them so I could write a post and present a picture. I thought I was done earlier in the year, but the darn computer crashed.

I had to retreat and update my items as I scored another "Marshal." That one was just before summer. Now here we are, almost ready to carve up some turkey, and I have snatched another.

This "Marshal" is from North Caldwell. That community is in Essex County. There are about 6500 people living there now in what is an affluent Township fairly close to the Big Apple (NYC).

It was created in the late 1800's when many New Jersey "Boroughs" were created. Because of an opportunity to cash in on Federal revenue sharing a change of government was necessary. So North Caldwell became a Township formally in 2004.

Now when I worked in Essex County there was an institution located in North Caldwell that added over 1000 citizens to the population. You guessed it. They were inmates at the Essex County Penitentiary. The institution was built in the mid 1800's and sat on a hill surrounded by fields. 

When I was in college I had a summer job that included fetching some nice corn or tomatoes from the Guards. In the evening we played softball on the grounds of the county mental hospital. Some thirty years later I walked  the stairs to the reception area on too many occasions.

Now looking back, after my escape to Florida, I see the place is closed, the 1000 citizens have moved, and the rolling hills have become a very nice development. I once joked with the Warden about buying some  jail property from a trustee working on the grounds. I could have had a ground floor opportunity in a Condo Development back in the 1990's. I thought "that will never happen." Well it did, the county jail in Caldwell closed, Condo's are present,  and it is all part of the memory I have associated with the badge now in the collection.

It is a full sized silver tone item with black recessed letters. They read: Marshall, No. Caldwell,  # 17. There is in the center a NJ State Seal. This item is in excellent condition.

I keep it under glass, and high on the wall. That way I can see it daily, and smile as those memories greet me. 

COURTESY CALL: ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA

Don't ask me why, but the wife and I took a trip to Guatemala in late September (2014). By now everyone who knows me, should know, the important question is: "Did you get a Badge?"

Well of course the answer is, "Yes."

We had the good fortune of being the only people on this tour so it didn't take too much effort to have our guide take us to a police station. He found one in the City of Antigua.

Before getting to the police  station I pumped the guide for all the information I could get about this City. Let me share some facts and work  my way up to headquarters.

I learned that Antigua is the oldest City in Central America, and it served as a capital during Spanish rule. It is quite a colorful City. Unfortunately it was built on a fault line, making it a land that shakes. It also has survived these tremors in the ground.

Many of the homes and buildings were facades from older days. In many cases all that was left from earthquakes was an outside wall or two. From these ruins present day homes and businesses were built.

Some of these buildings have walls that are over a foot thick, and you should see the wood doors that they have. Guaranteed they did not come from Home-Depot. A good number of these doors are over a hundred years of age.  

The streets of Antigua were wide, and made of cobble stones. For the most part they were clean, and solid. Most vehicular traffic was small cars, motor scooters, and an  occasional horse and buggy. 

I learned that electric here is produced from hydro-electric plants. The Country is self sufficient in electrical production. Distribution, on the other hand, is a problem. 

Electric is transmitted to the town by overhead wires. If it weren't for the telephone poles, carrying these electric wires, I would have thought myself lost in time. With them, I still got the feeling of being somewhere in the twilight zone.

As I approached the police station I was wondering if we were at the right place. I quickly learned not to judge a book by its cover.

The police station was small. It was colorful. The color of choice was appropriately blue. I loved it.

It was easy to find out who was in charge. I had the guide introduce me as a retired officer. I then offered my own "Buenas Tardes." It was nicely received with a smile and handshake.

The police had their own translator. He made conversing nice and easy. His command of English was very impressive. I injected my Jersey Spanish every now and then, and we hit it off quite well.

My explanation for being there was simple. I write for Police Collectors News. I told them all I wanted was a handshake and a smile for a picture or two. I let it slip that I also collect Badges. 

From our introductory remarks, I was rewarded with great conversation, some nice pictures, and a fine badge from "El Jefe's" shirt. I have it home now where it is displayed under glass. It serves as a fine memory of a great afternoon in Antigua.

The State Police Officers who made my day were Freddy Chavez Gomez (Officer in Charge), and Inspector Carlos Villatoro,  (translator).  They were terrific Gentlemen. I made sure to get their pictures for my friends at PC News.

Outside in the small court yard area of HQ, I was introduced to a Detective, who also was very friendly, and eager  to show off the badge that he carries in his work.  

Just down the street from HQ, I ran into a man who spoke English fairly well. He told me he was a retired  Philadelphia PD Officer.  Bill Shetz now works with  the American Legion. He advised me there is a community of retired US Police Officers working with the American Legion. They help the police and the local community. I was feeling at home here.

At that point my wife reminded me of the volcano, that was puffing, and our need to go shopping, so I gave Freddy and Carlos a nice Jersey Hug and a handshake. They showed me a great time, and their hospitality was truly enjoyed. Gracias, mi Amigos. Hasta Luego, and Thanks for a great memory.

ORLANDO 2014

Aug. 30, (2014) was the date for this years "Vacation Capital Police Show" in Orlando, Fl. It was held at the Rozen Plaza Hotel and Conference Center. Yours Truly got to attend with the usual side trip, for the benefit of the wife, to Disney World.

I took two tables from the Show's host Doug Sarubbi, to display  items from The Garden State. I dug deep into my cave and found memories of the Newark Riot in 1967. I had several photos of the aftermath showing building burned and looted, as well as police wearing steel civil defense helmets.

A young lady gave my exhibit a good look, and then became stuck on the Riot Display, and a Key to the City which was from the same era. Tameka Murray and I entered into a wonderful conversation about "our" City. We were separated by a generation but that did not take away anything from our very meaningful conversation. She too is now a Florida Resident, and is Deputy Director of Hotel Security of Rozen Plaza. I am sure she helped my exhibit gather a Trophy for Best Badge Display, and I am very appreciative. It makes all the years picking up one item at a time, worth it.

The pictures, from my collection, include the City Key,  My Dad's Badges,  Precinct Pins,  his picture, and some Old Timers from the City. The last pictures is me (with trophy) and Doug Sarubbi (L) and JOHN HOLMES (R).

Pictured below is Capt. Andy Castro showing me a Hawaii 5-0 shirt that reads "Book'em Danno!"  Several months ago Andy and I traded emails over badges from Camden, NJ. We never met until this years' show. By chance, I walked over to the man from Hawaii and asked, "Do you know Capt Castro?"  He responded "I am Capt Castro." We closed 6000 miles in a few minutes and exchanged a couple of gifts. Guess who got the shirt.

The tables next to mine were manned by Hu  Freels. He is a regular at the Florida Shows' and is pictured below in the blue shirt. 

Hu won the Trophy for Best Patch Display. The patches are only a part of his huge display which included a leather badge from Chicago, and several wall plaques. He was particularly proud of the "Special Agent" item picture below.

Manny Ynestroza also had several tables to display his patches. Check out the picture of the large boards he filled with hundreds of beautiful patches.

Jay Leman, who is always at the show with something unusual showed me a badge from Opa-Locka in the Sunshine State. This community of 15,000 was originally developed by Glenn Curtis (Curtiss-Wright Aviation) about 100 years ago. It is an Arabian themed community. Police HQ is located on Ali Baba Blvd. Note the seal at center point on this badge. It has an Arabian image. Jay had the history with him and allowed me a photo. He is also pictured here with his Orange County Sheriffs Centennial Badge.

Another interesting display was presented by Ron Bartholome. He focused on Security Badges and memorabilia from places like Sea World, and Disney. Hope the picture does justice to Shamu and Cinderalla's Castle.

The Trophy For Best Overall Display went to Sam Goldstein. Sam is retired from Palm Beach Sheriff's Office, and is a regular at these shows. 

It took several tables to hold Sam's exhibit from New York City. Below are pictures  of his fabulous collection.

 

The Patch Drop was won by Rick Taylor. That means he too had a good day at the Plaza.

This concludes my rundown of this years' show in the Vacation Capital of Florida. Already, I am looking forward to 2015.

*****

BAYONNE ADDITION

This old badge is from Bayonne, N.J. It is a "City" in Hudson County, N.J.

Just after WW II the US Navy established a couple of schools here. One was a Salvage School, and the other was a school to train Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT).

Cuba Gooding stared in a movie titled: "Men of Honor." It was about Master Chief Petty Officer, Carl Brashear. He was the first black man to become part of the UDT's. In 1966 he lost a leg while recovering an atomic bomb at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.

The bomb was on a B-52 assigned to our Strategic Air Command. The plane collided with a tanker plane at 31,000 feet. Seven servicemen were killed, three survived.

Today the City of Bayonne is a nice metropolis floating in the middle of the Port of New York. Instead of warships there are Cruise Ships at the old Navy piers. Cruise travel has become an important part of the Bayonne economy today.

There are roughly 65,000 people sleeping in Bayonne at night. During the day many are in New York working.

Day and Night the City is protected by its' fine Bayonne Police Department. It was established, in some form, around 1861.

Looking at the badge I have pictured here an old sailing ship is dead center. That is the City Seal for Bayonne. This badge is believed to be from the late 1800's or early 1900's.

Is is a full three inches tall by two inches wide. The letters are stamped from the rear so they appear raise on the front. They spell out: City of Bayonne Police. At the bottom of the shield is the number "147".  On the back is a pin with a "C" catch.

On the rear side of the badge one can see in the upper left quadrant the makers mark. A magnifying glass will hep seeing: C. D. Reese, 57 Warren St, New York.

I am mighty glad this nice item sailed into my collection. I will soon have it, under glass, in my "City" collection where I will have the opportunity to view it every day. That's good !

THE REST OF PHILADELPHIA

I'm glad to see that these guys didn't go anywhere since my last post in July. At that time I wrote about the three Hat Badges that I believe are from the Philadelphia Police.

These are breast or wallet badges. They are heavy and clearly well made.

The first three from the top are from the Bureau of Health. While the word "Philadelphia" is not part of the badge wording it is clear that the Philly seal is at center point. The badge is believed to be sterling silver. 

Around the outside there is a blue enamel ring. The lettering reads: Inspector, Bureau of Health.  Each badge is numbered:  211, 78, and 147. The  previously mentioned City Seal appears to be gold plated. 

Of the last three badges pictured, two are from the "Bureau of Water." Those letters are blue enamel and appear on the outer ring. The badges are marked "Inspector" and also numbered:  56 and 32.

At the center is the City Seal which appears to be finished in gold plating. 

My last item is another Inspector Badge without a number. It sure does have a lot of letters on it.   

It is from the Bureau of Highways in the Department of Public Works. This is the largest item in the collection.  It is 2.00 inches in diameter.

The seal is like the others - from Philadelphia, and apparently gold plated.

The full collection, while not cop badges, are attractive antiques, and thus are welcome in my collection.

*****

A NOTE FROM HOST OF ORLANDO SHOW

We are less than three weeks away from one of the best Police Collectors show in the Southeast.  There still time to reserves your tables.  Just a reminder, I haven't heard from some of our well known regular Florida collectors.   We have over 65 tables sold and expect another sell out.   Great Location, Great Hotel and Great Prices.   Stay the weekend and enjoy the pool, local shopping and world renowned attractions. 

 Hope to See You There

Your Show Host

Doug Sarubbi

BELOW ARE PICTURES FROM PRIOR ORLANDO SHOWS.

OLD PHILLY COLLECTION

My focus in badge collecting has always been New Jersey. These badge are from across the mighty Delaware River in Philadelphia. They were given to me about 30 years ago. The gift factor makes them special so they are included in my Jersey collection.

There are nine items in total in this collection. Pictured here is the entire display, and three badges that I have placed in the center. I believe these are police hat badges, however they could have been used elsewhere.

I believe these items are all from the late 1800's or early 1900's. They belonged to the grandfather of the person who gifted them to me. The best estimate, at the time I acquired them, was that they were circa 1900.

The first and third badge picture are of two hat badges. While the number "3314" is by itself it could be a separate attachment to go with the hat badges with no number attached. The bottom hat badge appears to be newer and incorporates the number on bottom panel. 

The all seem to be in quite good condition for their age. The lettering, on the bottom item, is very good and clear. It reads: "Philadelphia Maneto". This means Brotherly Love, for which Philadelphia is known.

I'll talk about the other items in this collection in my next post. For now these guys will return to their case and get locked up nice and tight for the night. 

AUG 30TH IS DATE FOR ORLANDO SHOW: MARK YOUR CALENDER

Start making your plans now to attend the 2014 Orlando Police Collectors Show.  Collectors have been given an early date this year, Saturday, August 30, 2014. Plan to spend the holiday weekend in Orlando. 

Make your reservations early.

Contact the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando at 800- 627-8258  There is a special rate of $75.00 + tax.

Tables will be $25. Contact Doug Sarubbi. Email: sarubb@aol.com

NICE ADDITIONS TO THE COLLECTION

I recently acquired two nice pieces to add to my collection.

They are not badges, but certainly have a lot of heart, and nicely dress up my museum.

At the top is a leather jacket used in Newark. It weighs a ton (10-15 lbs). It is trimmed with gold-tone buttons that are marked "Newark Police Dept."

The patch is an older version of the current issue. I guess that it makes the jacket no older then 1970 +/-  

Its a shame this jacket wound up being not wanted and cast off. I'm very happy I was able to save it for display in my little museum.

The second item is a picture of me, and it is far from ugly.  A friend, who is well known in several art circles (New York, London, Naples, and Paris) saw my "bobbie hat" and decided to "place me in it." He drew from memory.  I must say, he did an incredible job.

The wife is crazy about it too!  She understands that it required lots of work.
  
Further she thought it to have immediate value, and suggested I put it on E-Bay.  Of course I won't do that. 

Money cannot equal the emotional tugs when it is viewed. In fact I see tears in my wife's eyes every time she looks at it. That alone makes it PRICELESS.