KEEPING THE MEMORY ALIVE
JM RAMOS
As this is the first full length Gangster Squad fanfic and the first ever crossover with TNT's Southland (note: I do not own them but have my own characters) I'm doing this, as a citizen of a city that is one of the sister cities of Los Angeles, CA., USA, as a way of utmost gratitude to all policemen and women for the hard work and sacrifice they do to serve the people and protect them from all forms of criminal activity. I'm truly proud to have seen them both. By the way I also read the Paul Lieberman book about the squad and how it all started in fall of 1946. I'm also paying tribute to the legendary TV series, Dragnet, whose first movie in 1954 featured the Gangster Squad helping Jack Webb (Joe Friday) solve a mob case with his partner, Ben Alexander (Frank Smith). Hope you review, this is only just the start of it.
In the immediate aftermath of the Chris Dorner shootings and the manhunt that followed, this is dedicated to all California policemen and women in the different police agencies that risked all to arrest this killer for good, and in memory of the fallen police officers who died in the manhunt last February 2013.
PROLOGUE
OUTSKIRTS OF PHILADELPHIA, PA.
JANUARY 12, 2013
1400 HRS
This is the city… Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of an independent America. It was here, on the 4th of July, 1776, that representatives of the 13 colonies under British rule, after a year and several months of full blown war, declared the birth of the independent United States of America, and proof of this is the Declaration of Independence.
Years before that, the city founded what is now the oldest US municipal police force. Today, with more than six thousand in service the Philadelphia Police Department is one of the best police forces in the East Coast, living truly to its motto of "Honor, Integrity, Service", and one teenage boy is proud of them. I'm John and I'm a student officer in a nearby college and a NROTC member, having finished the winter semester. I've expected that one of 2013's first films would be a big favorite for me and that movie is... Gangster Squad. It debuted just days after my birthday and I was expecting it to be a great one, and I was not disappointed.
As Gangster Squad debuted in cinemas in the US that week, as a young adult at 19 I watched it at the local cinema and knew that it was one of the best films of the year just begun. In anticipation, I brought a copy of the Paul Lieberman book about the squad and brought 10 more during the previous year, one to be sent to the Police Commissioner, Charles Ramsey and the rest intended to be sent to LA via airmail: 4 to the Los Angeles Police Department's new headquarters building south of City Hall, each for the Chief of Police, Charles Beck, the Commissioners Board, the Office of Operations and the Special Operations Office, that copy to be sent directly to the Gang and Narcotics Division (the note for that is also attached to the said copy), 1 to a West Bureau detective, 1 to a former member of the Gang and Narcotics Division, 2 copies each to 2 Hollywood Division cops and one to a cop in the Alvarado Division, all with attached letters and a photocopy of the picture I took with the cast in 2011 and a small photocopy of the poster with signatures from the cast, which I received during the holidays plus copies of the letters I received from David Wooters, Bert Phelps, Kathleen Irvine, Maureen O'Mara Stevens and from the last survivor of the original squad, Conwell Keeler, who died on January 31, 2012 at the age of 97, after having seen the shootings and met the cast and crew in person, which are at my stepfamily residence within the suburbs. Added to them are copies of the letters to me by the cast and movie producer Ruben Fleischer thanking me for dropping by. And since I met the family of the late Jack Webb in several occasions even before the shooting began, I brough another copy just for them in the New Year and am attaching the same letters, since they also wrote a letter to me, one of the new fans of his shows, most especially Dragnet, after one of my visits to the family residence straight from the shooting of the movie, and I've started to make copies of it as well and will add that to the said copy since the original stays in my home. I still remember the time that I met the Webbs in their house last summer and it was a great moment, telling them how I saw the shooting and met the cast and crew personally, and even meeting Keeler in the process. I know how much Jack helped many Americans fight the many threats and problems they faced as a people and as one united nation in the many Dragnet radio and TV episodes he made.
And who are those 5 LAPD personnel that I'll send the book to?
Last summer, I met them all while off duty at the new HQ south of City Hall during a weekend. These were Lydia Adams, a detective of the West Bureau, Police Officer 3+1 John Cooper and PO2 Ben Sherman, both formerly from the Hollywood Division as a team (the latter now working in the Alvarado Division), PO3 Sammy Bryant, now with the Alvarado Division after a stint in the GND, and PO3 Bill "Dewey" Dudek, also from the Hollywood Division. It was my fourth meeting with them for the year, having met them first in 2010 right before shooting commenced on Gangster Squad. I told them that the movie will be ready by January 2013, almost a year after the death of the last survivor of the original squad of 8 raised on October 4,1946, since the movie had to be reshot due to the events at Colorado so I told them how I was able to meet the cast and crew a year ago for the first time, and my subsequent visits afterwards as a high school student in Long Beach back then, as the city is within my reach, before moving to the Delaware Valley in 2012 to finish high school.
Adams answered: "You lucky boy. How did you do it?" I responded: "As a fan of Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin, having watched their movies before. By the way, I like Emma Stone since Crazy, Stupid, Love and I love the tandem between her and Ryan so that's why I'm excited for it. I'm also a Sean Penn fan too. And soon enough I'll be a reserve officer in the Gang and Narcotics Division or at the 77th St. Division, having full knowledge of it since I read some books about crime in the City of Angels and have watched the Dragnet movies and the TV series starring Jack Webb and its later editions. But my heart is with the GND." Sammy, Cooper, Ben and Dewey were shocked at it, the former, before his patrol duty, had served with the division before joining the patrol branch in the year before.
Sammy told me: "You're joining my former unit because of watching this?" "Yes, I'm planning to be a detective there" was my answer and Cooper responded: "You better be safe and remember my advice to stay focused, okay? And just be always ready to risk your life doing it." I nodded in response and answered, "I'll be ready for it". Sammy told me afterwards, "I worked there and got my pal killed, but I hope you stay strong if you join the GND." I said to him, "Bryan, I'm gonna get ready for this job and hope you inspire me, okay?" And he nodded. And I told them after looking at them, "But if I can't join Sammy's former unit I'll be happy to help you guys". They were absolutely happy at it and Dewey told me: "Well we at the LAPD will be proud to have you in our ranks." "Thanks, Dewey. And I'll be happy to wear that badge." "You're welcome", he said in response. Ben added, "Just look sharp, stay sharp, and be sharp just as we do." I answered, "I will, guys". Cooper told me if I met Officer Jessica Tang just recently, and I said yes, and told them that she's active now in her new assignment, and I miss being a friend of her, whom I regard as a mentor. I miss being with her a lot lately. To Cooper, Ben and Sammy I also said that I also miss Officer Danny Ferguson as well as a mentor and friend to me. He's doing well in his division lately as a great officer.
Sam told me later of the history of his former unit and of how he met John "Jack" O'Mara, Gerald Wooters (Jerry is his nickname) and several of the Gangster Squad veterans when he was young. I was impressed indeed, and I told him that Keeler had died early in the year. Sam said, "So sad. I met him a few times when I was young." "Same for me, Bryan. You indeed had close links to them, and years ago, when I was in high school, I met him too, and last year was my last visit to see him, while the movie was being shot. You indeed had a great stint with that division, and his advice to me is to always be down the line like he did... and to stay focused and dedicated to my duty when I take that blue uniform or my coat and tie and the badge, risking all even at the point of death, to live by the LAPD motto, "To protect and to serve", till the last moment of my life." And upon hearing it he burst into tears. I asked them what's the reason and he responded that it reminded him of Nate Moretta, his former partner in the said division, who was killed in the line of duty in 2011 and I responded, also in tears, that I met them before in the summer of 2010, not knowing that it would be the one of the few moments I had with him. And afterwards I told them all that Paul Lieberman's 2008 series of columns for the Los Angeles Times about the Gangster Squad were being made into a book due for a August release. Adams answered, " Will you give me and the boys a copy?" I said yes. Good thing PO3 Chickie Brown, Dewey's former partner and now working with the Metropolitan Division, came by to say hi and asked what all the talk is about. My response is that I'm talking about my experiences with the Gangster Squad cast and crew just last year. Lydia told me about my trip to see them and I added that several of the sons and daughters of the real-life squad members and even Con Keeler himself wrote letters to me about meeting the cast, who would later send me letters and so too was Ruben Fleischer, the executive producer and director, on behalf of the crew, and so too did Jack Webb's family. Cooper asked who he was and I answered, "He's Joe Friday from Dragnet, remember?" He replied that his parents were fans of the show (both 50s and 60s versions) and also of another of his TV shows he conceptualized, Adam-12, and his dad liked Officers Reed and Malloy, as they were his favorites. Dewey and Sherman said likewise, their parents were fans of both shows.
After several minutes I had to leave for home for snacks, so I told them that I'll deliver a copy of the book to them plus Charles Beck, the Operations Office and the Special Operations Office, with orders to send said copy directly to the GNB, with letters attached to them, plus another one to the Webbs. After that I bid farewell, happy for a new experience I had with them. It was only the beginning to a destiny to keep the memory of the LAPD's Gangster Squad, founded in the midst of the threats of the American Mafia after the Second World War, alive in the hearts of all Americans and all the people of the world, and to use it to destroy the threat of organized crime all over the globe, in the eternal memory of all victims of gang violence everywhere, in the way that the late Jack Webb would have wanted to.
The next day... I recieved a letter from Nate's widow Mariella thanking me for having been with the family in those trying and sad times, and for those visits made after going to the Gangster Squad set which now ended my grief over losing a great friend. I've been waiting for that for months after the visits to the Gangster Squad set and my first visit to the Moretta residence that December of 2011. Attached to it was a picture of me, Sammy and Nate from Christmas of 2010 with Nate's kids (Mariella pictured us all that day). As I entered the residence Nate's kids gave me the letter, since she was away. It was a great moment and for the first time in my life I did not cry. I felt that I was not mourning Nate's loss... but remembering the few times I had with him and Sammy.
And that afternoon I returned to the Police Administrative Building to inform Chief Beck about the letter that Mariella wrote days ago. He replied, "Indeed, you have recovered well from the devastating loss of Nate Moretta last year." I thanked him for that response. At the same time someone arrived at the Chief's office: Sammy's former supervisor, Detective Daniel "Sal" Salinger, from the Gang and Narcotics Division, LAPD, and I told him about the letter. He replied, "You have finally recovered, and your strength has returned. I hope, John, that the legacy and memory of my former friend Nate Moretta live on in you as long as you live." I answered, "I will, sir." Sal and I went outside only to see the same personnel from the LAPD to meet me, all with their shifts finished for the day, and I told them about the said letter. I showed that to Sammy, and he cried when seeing the picture attached to the letter. Then he said, "You... you've finally recovered, bud?" I nodded in response and said, "Sammy... thanks for everything and hope I've had helped you rise from the depths of losing a great friend like Nate. I truly miss him well." Cooper, Sherman, Dewey and Lydia (plus Chickie who was late) all looked at me and were extremely thankful for my full recovery after a year of hard times. Sherman and Cooper then approached me and looking at the picture, were shocked. Cooper then asked me, "Have you been with them before?" "Yes", I replied. I was not crying that day, for I was finally full of happiness and relief. I had finally showed a happy face to all of them that afternoon. And Sherman then said "So that's the picture of Sammy and Nate and his kids with you?" I answered yes and told him that now I know that he's already gone and I'm only gonna remember the great times I had with those two. Coop and Ben smiled with happiness and I said, "You two are the reason I've recovered from losing Nate, and for me you're both heroes, the modern day Reed and Malloy." Cooper replied that they surely are those heroes and told me afterwards that I've finally healed the wounds of losing a great mentor. Ben added that it's gonna be hard being a cop like them or a detective like Lydia, but knowing to serve the ones you love is worth doing it for life. Before I left I told them that I'll add that letter to my collection and make copies of it to be attached to the copies of the Gangster Squad book that I'll send next year.
Those were my thoughts after watching the movie and reading my copy of the book again that day. As I arrived back home, I made the letters at last and made photocopies of the letters. I had my pictures with the cast which were on my FB and on my computer, copied to pieces of paper to be attached to the letters. When I slept afterwards, I had my copy of the book to lie with me as always. I indeed had a great sleep that night, ready for a new day ahead for me. It was indeed cold that night in the Delaware Valley. Very cold.