He seemed like a likable guy...I found this quote from him pretty interesting !!!


After his retirement from the NYPD, in 1967, Ralph Salerno continued to be involved in Law Enforcement work as a consultant. Once, it is said, he was training a grand jury that was looking into organized crime in the Ft. Lauderdale, FL, area. He informed the group that police estimate that they seize, at most, 10% of the drugs being sold.

Photo: Ralph Salerno As Salerno described it to Pacific News Service, “I said to them, ‘Suppose Ralph Salerno could wave a magic wand and stop 20% of the drugs coming into Broward County from coming in. How many of you would be in favor of that?’ All 22 or 23 of them raised their hands.

“I then asked, ‘What happens to the price of the 80% that is getting through?’ And one gentleman — a businessman — said it would probably go up. And I said, ‘You’re probably right. So what would happen to the statistics of breaks and entries and tape decks ripped out of cars and CB radios stolen and little old ladies knocked down on the ground while someone grabs their pocket book and runs away?’ And they said, ‘My God, they would go up.’

“One and half minutes into that educational exercise I asked the same people, how many of you would now like to see me wave my magic wand and cut off 20% of the drugs. And they all voted against it.” (from Sam Smith’s Great American Political Repair Manual, pub:WW Norton)

That is a great story. Kinda makes you wonder.

Some larger cities in the US they have types of "Hamsterdams" as shown in the tv series the wire...you gotta get paid one way or the other I suppose

ralph salerno was no doubt the most informed
man on organized crime in the country.

hes said many times that the war on drugs was a joke.
imagine him as head of the fbi instead of hoover.what a great job he would have done.

Made sense to me !!

That's what its all about !!

I agree !!