February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Frank Cull
The city’s embattled police union the Patrolmen’s Benevolent
Association is bracing for a bare-knuckled election campaign to select a successor to current president Lou Matarazzo, who announced he would not seek another four-year term as head of the country’s biggest police union.
The four candidates looking to take over as "Top Cop" are all active members of the NYC Police Dept. Emerald Society. Three current union officials lead the small field of candidates and they include: First Vice President James "Doc" Savage, the Union’s Recording Secretary James Higgins and the popular Trustee from Manhattan North, Edward Mahoney. The fourth candidate is John Loud, a delegate from the 19th Precinct, who will campaign on a reform movement.
The front runner in the Irish American community has to be Eddie Mahoney, who has been a popular and constant supporter of things Irish. Mahoney grew up in a "union shop" with his father being the former teamster boss Cy Mahoney. His brother John, formerly with Local 808 of the Teamsters and currently with the Retail Wholesale Dept. Store Union, Local 29, is a former radio car partner of the former PBA legendary vice president Paddy Burns.
Labor leader John Mahoney is also a past winner of the Irishman of the Year Award presented by the NYC Police Dept. Emerald Society. Paddy Burns is the uncle of movie star-director Edward Burns, currently starring in the blockbuster movie "Saving Private Ryan." Never ones to back off from a good fight, these four Emeralds will certainly be engaged in a "knock-down-drag out" affair and they wouldn’t want it any other way.
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Welcome home, Timmy
Men of the pipes and drums from the NYC Fire Dept. Emerald Society Bagpipe Band were on hand to welcome home Fire Lt. Timmy Stackpole. Stackpole was the last firefighter released from New York Hospital’s Firefighters Burn Center. He was burned severely at the East New York, Brooklyn blaze that claimed the lives of brother fire officers James Blackmore and Scott La Piedra.
The Band initiated an impromptu parade with the stars and stripes and tri-color flying and performed in front of his Marine Park, Brooklyn home, much to the delight of Stackpole’s wife Tara and their children Brendan, Kevin, Kaitlyn, Brian, and Terrence. Lending their support to the Stackpole family through their ordeal are Msgr. Thomas Brady and Father James Cunningham. Msgr. Brady is a former FDNY chaplain and current pastor at Good Shepherd Church.
Timmy and Tara are very active members of Good Shepherd parish. He coaches basketball and baseball; she is a eucharistic minister. Together, they host in-home pre cana conferences for engaged couples.
Wedding bells
The Fire Emerald Laddies Pipers and Drummers are also going on a wedding tour, thanks to family members of band members. Tom Fitzpatrick, Ed Geraghty and Jim McEnaney’s daughters are getting married as is Ken Sullivan’s sister. Band member Tim Grant is also headed down the aisle. Emerald best wishes to one and all.
Golf outings, picnic
Vice President John Vize of the Police Emerald Society of Westchester has announced their annual golf will be held on Sept. 14 at the Beekman Country Club.
Their annual picnic is slated for Sept. 26 at Brodie’s North Pub, Patio and Field in Mahopac, N.Y. For information on either event, contact John Hogan at (914) 284-8347, John Hynes (914) 738-2000 or John Vize (914) 528-0804.
The Emerald Society of the Queens Private Bus Lines, Inc. will hold its first benefit golf outing on Sept. 26 with tee-off at noon, at the Douglaston Golf Course in Douglaston, Queens. Proceeds will be donated to Calvary Hospital.
For information, call Mike Scally at (718) 886-9713 or Eugene Wynne (516) 698-8169.
Scholarship winners
The Westchester police also announced the winners of their 1998 scholarship program. The youngsters moving to the head of the class were Kathleen Whalen, daughter of Thomas Whalen (Yonkers P.D. ret.), and Thomas Reilly, son of Steve Reilly (Ossining, P.D.)
Bahamas bound
The Grand Council of United Emerald Societies have plans to go winging their way to Nassau in the Bahamas. The five-day four-night excursion is slated for October 17-21 on Delta Airlines. For more information or reservations contact Brian Sharkey at (718) 546-8216, or co-pilot Lou Walker at (516) 432-5296.