Previous | Next
Session: 123456789101112131415161718 Page 237238239240241242243244245246247248249249a250251252253254255256257258259260261262263 of 617
at the same time (this is 1973, and Mario Biaggi was running as the conservative candidate of the Democratic party), I had told my story maybe on one other occasion or maybe he had read it. And he on an occasion when I was not present referred to me and my story (and you have to understand that Mario Biaggi is a former cop, and he wants to come over like a humanitarian and a liberal). So he tells this group that is assembled, and I don't happen to be there, about how one of the candidates had this poor man arrested and he describes it in a very brief way leaving out the gory part, from my point of view. And then he concludes his statement: “That's not what I would have done,” in sort of a saintly tone, as reported to me by a New York Times reporter, Tom Buckley. He said, “And Biaggi then concludes his statement by saying, ‘I would not have arrested that man, because I would have thought to myself, “There but for the grace of God go I.”’” (laughs) It's a nutty story, right? This was to make him liberal.
So I was furious, and on the next occasion where all the candidates were to debate and I'm one of the first to be called on and Biaggi is not there, I tell my story and then I say, “And Mario Biaggi in response to that said, ‘There but for the grace of God go I,’ putting me down. I want you to know; I am proud of the fact that I took the time to arrest this guy -- because if we all did something like that, maybe this would be a better
© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help