Trending: Vigilante Hero Cop's Funeral to be Held Saturday
Manhattan Tribune
by Maxine Angelis
The funeral for John Riley, Homicide Detective of the 12th Precinct will be held at North Island cemetery, at 12:00 pm this Saturday. Police Commissioner Reagan is expected to attend, along with several section chiefs, and the eulogy will be given by Captain Harris, his commanding officer.
Riley's coworkers spoke of him as a reserved, but remarkably efficient officer of the law. He holds the precinct record for most cases closed in a single day, and his street smarts were second to none. "He was some sort of crazy bad-ass." His partner, Det. Lionel Fusco commented. "Pulled me out of some dark places." Other co-workers of Riley echoed this sentiment. "...[The] man was a beast. Tore through recruits like they were tissue paper" reported Det. Dani Silva, a former student during Riley's stint as an instructor in the Academy. Riley was new to Homicide, having recently transferred from an undercover detail in Narcotics. All who worked with John Riley knew of him as a dedicated and talented officer of great moral integrity.
What was apparently not known, even to his superiors, was that during his undercover time in Narcotics, Riley engaged in a secret side-project—rescuing potential victims of gang violence, disguised in nothing more than a well-tailored suit.
New York citizens are doubtless familiar with the urban legend of the 'Man in the Suit,' a curiously well-dressed and good-looking man who shows up in the nick of time to rescue those in peril. The subject of many tabloids, message boards, and Youtube videos, the tales of the Man in the Suit are as varied as they are fanciful. While it is impossible to know how many of the stories surrounding "The Man in the Suit" are true, (or to what extent they can be considered reliable), they seem to have had their root in Riley.
Upon viewing our recent obituary, a number of readers came forward, offering stories of how Riley had saved them from various dangers. Ian Murphy, who regular readers will remember from the Wellington Scandal two years ago, recognized him immediately, and Scott Powell, famous contributor to the legend of the Man in the Suit, positively identified Riley as the man who broke him out of the prison transport. Most notably, tech magnate Logan Pierce came forward to share his story of how Riley saved his life. Further investigation produced even more stories, as well as verifying the volunteered narratives. Due to concerns of privacy and space, we have chosen not to recount all of the stories here (though a selected narratives can be found here), but they all have several features in common—Riley, under an assumed name and wearing an impeccable suit, approaches them, uses his skills to intervene in the deadly peril threatening them, and then disappears. Most never saw him again.
The other notable feature of the stories is that most fall during the time when Riley was working undercover in Narcotics. It seems that Riley, while hiding amongst the gangs of New York, often heard of various "hits" being arranged. Unable, as an undercover officer, to act as a policeman, Riley adopted the "Man in the Suit" persona as a means of saving those the police could not.
It is as of yet unclear how Riley obtained his information—through brilliant detective work, a wide array of contacts, or just simple hearsay. Several witnesses mentioned a curiously well-informed accomplice of Riley's, referred to only as "Harold." Possibly a private friend or contact of Rileys, or even an employer—some mysterious ganglord who fought his enemies by saving their victims—"Harold" has yet to be identified, but he most likely was deeply involved in Riley's intelligence network.
According to some accounts, Riley assisted Detective Carter in her exposure of the HR organization two years ago, which may have prompted his return to the police force. Apparently, after rejoining the police force, Riley never told anyone about his days as a protector of the innocent. "He pulled me into some off-the-books cases ." Fusco confirmed. "Never told me anything about what he used to do, though." Perhaps Riley felt, in the near wake of HR's breakup, it would be seen in the wrong light. Perhaps he was worried about the repercussions of some of his exploits, such as his rumored association with Carl Elias. Perhaps he was simply embarrassed at all the attention—friends confirm he was a very private person. In some cases, he even asked witnesses to remain quiet about his intervention—doubtless in the hopes that it would not get back to the cartels he was infiltrating.
Detective Fusco could only offer the sketchiest outline of what happened at the high-rise where Riley met his fate, and by the request of the NYPD, we have redacted much of his account in order not to interfere with what is still an ongoing investigation. However, though he could offer little elaboration as to the past or motivations of his former partner, or the circumstances of his death, Fusco was quite vocal in his praise of the man himself. "Wonderboy [Riley] was one of the best partners I ever had, and I've had some swell partners." He said. "A real stand-up guy. Never asked for anything, and never held anything back. World'll probably never know the half of what he did, but they oughta be grateful all the same."
Certainly New York City should be grateful, to the man who gave us a legend, and more... gave many of our citizens their lives. In this cynical age, it's a comfort to know that some myths, at least, are true.
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Top comments
Theresa Whitaker commented: My family was killed when I was fourteen. I lived in hiding for two years before the killer came after me. John saved me, put him away, and gave me a new life with my aunt. He and Harold were the best people I ever met. I never knew how to thank them. EDIT: Screw all you people calling me a troll in the comments. I don't care if you believe it or not. (128 replies)
Nick Fredericks commented: Bullshit. No way some guy just did this while doing some undercover routine. This is some overactive emotional hero-worship cub scout reporting here. Whatever happened to old-fashioned detective work and holding our "protectors" accountable? (438 replies)
Hayden Price replied: No, this guys real. And he's an asshole. I notice it doesn't mention the stories of the lives he screwed up.
Rachel Nanninga replied: Every year some idiot reporter does a rehash of the same old clickbait article. They used to be clever. Now they're just sad.
NYPD commented: The NYPD has published an official response to this article. View it here. (265 replies)
Liz McInroy commented: Holy cow, I met this guy once! Like, he wasn't saving me, but he came into the hair salon. I thought it was weird how he left so quickly. (173 replies)
Daniel Drake commented: My wife and I both owe this man a great debt of gratitude. Every word in here is true. I'm just sorry it didn't come out while he was alive. (243 replies)
Robin Bankston commented: To lern the REAL story bhind the Man in the Suit, Vigilance, adn the iLluminati, visit my siet http/thetruth/xps... (103 replies)
Grace Hendricks commented: oh god