WoFat at Home

Cute

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:03:41 -0600

I have a weakness for cute animals.

Heron

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:37:44 -0600

On the beach at Dauphine Island.

Lake Guntersville

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 16:00:23 -0600

One of Alabama’s beautiful lakes.

Wind Surfer

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 09:05:00 -0600

Can’t think why someone would want to do this.

The Media

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 14:30:56 -0600

Shakespeare once made a comment about lawyers. I don’t guess there were any journalists around then.

LIFE

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 12:18:20 -0600

LIFE Magazine brought WWII to the world. Leaving us many photos of the Greatest Generation.

Duh!

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 08:53:20 -0600

Graphic from http://www.motifake.com

Face a picture of pain

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 13:29:05 -0600

I didn’t know you could hit yourself in the nuts with a drumstick. Oy, did that hurt.

A Boy and His Dogs

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 10:02:05 -0600

Bald old man with his dogs, Peanut and Goldy.

Beach Photo

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 09:53:31 -0600

Beach at Dusk
Dauphine Island, Alabama

Retired Cop

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:54:33 -0500

At last, happy with life.

WoFat Maple

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:45:36 -0500

WoFat’s front yard, featuring the Autumn Maple Tree. Life is good.

Bataan Death March

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:05:08 -0500

The greatest generation.

The Dick

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:28:25 -0500

Say what you like about Dick, but he’s usually the smartest man in the room.

Di V

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:19:57 -0500

Early Italian Boogie Instructions

Duck Lady

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:43:36 -0500

Ruthy the Duck Lady
Her early days.

D DAY

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:22:17 -0500

Soldiers preparing to board landing craft.

Airborne troopers ready to jump into Nazi occupied France.

Such men saved the world, and our debt to them can never be repaid.

From the Air

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:16:00 -0500

D Day 1944
From the air.

D Day France, 1944

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:27:54 -0500

Greater love hath no man . . .

D Day

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:13:50 -0500

American soldiers going ashore at Normandy, 1944.

For Lonely Terrorists, Far From Home

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:58:45 -0500

Everybody needs love.

What it be?

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:59:19 -0500

Ring in the sky over Moscow.
Photo (and video of same) from the UK SUN.
Like most British papers they usually have pics of naked ladies. This makes quite a change.

Pre D-Day

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:15:08 -0500

Scant days before D-Day: American soldiers marching toward the ship that will take them across the Channel to France. These men and others like them saved the world. Today, their descendants patrol in desert heat, fighting the ideological off-spring of Hitler.

Sigh

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:09:07 -0500

These are the girls who wouldn’t have anything to do with me when I was young.

Normandy

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:12:03 -0500

A Normandy beach before D-DAY. See the German soldiers running from the plane.

Drone

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 08:54:38 -0500

Every dead terrorist is classified as an innocent citizen, the second he bites the dust.

Fall Has Fell

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 08:17:41 -0500

Northeast Alabama: Fall has fell.

Girls & Guns

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 19:10:19 -0500

There is a Heaven.
from http://www.motifake.com

Cop’s Cop

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 09:26:16 -0500

My kind of cop.
from http://www.motifake.com

Cop Job

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 20:07:21 -0500

The cop job can sometimes be fun.
from http://www.motifake.com

Field Trips

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 20:30:04 -0500

My third grade field trip to the Audubon Park Zoo in New Orleans suffers in comparison.
Graphic from http://www.motifake.com

Right T-Shirt

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 15:07:17 -0500

Graphic included in an email from a friend.

Bad Day

Sun, 4 Oct 2009 13:53:10 -0500

The pilot was having a real OH SHIT!!! day, until he met his new best friend.
Graphic from http://www.motifake.com

Sail the Seven Seas

Sun, 4 Oct 2009 08:51:03 -0500

file copied from http://www.motifake.com

Bonds

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 20:18:07 -0500

Poster from a long time ago, when the Government respected the military.
from http://www.motifake.com

M.R.E.

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 20:14:19 -0500

From WIRED’s Danger Room web site:

The military’s got disaster-proof foodstuff down to a science: their meals ready-to-eat (MREs) are packaged, vacuum-sealed rations that supply high-calorie sustenance, have a multi-year shelf life and are prepped using nothing but water. Too bad they taste like Irish Springs.
That’s according to a review panel at Popular Mechanics, where testers sampled three of the military’s 24 different MREs - available in civilian versions for your at-home fallout shelter - and concluded that the end of the world “tasted a little bit like soap.” At least, the dried fruit snack does. And it’s accompanying chicken, “indistinguishable” from a side dish of potatoes and beans, doesn’t sound much better.
And we used to think C-Rations were bad.

Sad Doggie

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 16:42:06 -0500

Just can’t understand what happened to the boss.

Knock Knock

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 07:52:08 -0500

Emailed by a friend.

Reading and Relaxing

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:22:31 -0500

Look at that centerfold, Miss July, Aiiieeee chiwawa!
Graphic copied from http://www.wired.com

Sun In His Eyes

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:46:11 -0500

This genius must be in Congress, or the Chicago City Council.
Image copied at http://www.motifake.com

Guardian Angel

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:13:04 -0500

My Guardian Angel probably looks more like Rosie O’Donald.
Graphic copied from http://www.motifake.com

Ticket Writer

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:34:08 -0500

Would you like me to hold your groceries, Ma’am?
Poster copied from: http://www.motifake.com

Army of One

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:37:49 -0500

You think you don’t owe this man? Try to wear what he’s wearing, in 110 degree temperature.
Graphic copied from http://www.motifake.com

Me, Me, Me

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:40:21 -0500

One result of overly high pay and union benefits.
Poster copied from http://www.motifake.com

DRAFT of Article

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:54:45 -0500

This is the DRAFT of an article a friend asked me to write (1997) for something he was putting together. Don’t know if his project was ever finished. I don’t think I ever saw the finished product. But I’m old and forget things, so who knows. Footnotes and page numbers are in ITALICS.

Wo

DRAFT

This is not a story. There is no beginning. There is no middle. There is no end. The Good Guy
does not win: Maybe, just maybe, if he has enough money, he gets the girl.
“There are more than 600,000 Vietnamese in the United States. In some states their population
has doubled in less than ten years. The crime rate in these communities is greatly disproportionate.
A number of discreet, yet candid, surveys indicate that the people in these self-contained
communities rated crime, unrelated to racial prejudice, as their priority problem.”1
At the time of the great Vietnamese exodus of 1975, New Orleans and selected other areas of
the United States, notably California and Texas, were settled by refugees from the former
“Indochina.” Vietnam, like any other country, especially one long involved in conflict, had its
share of criminals and never-do-wells; they too came to America, the “Land of the Big PX.”
Police in the United States were unprepared for a new brand of alien criminal. The mid-1980s
saw the first classes and seminars designed to help street officers combat Vietnamese gang
members and other ethnic Indochinese criminals. Some of these Vietnamese gangs started in
Vietnam, or in refugee camps, seniored by established ethnic hoods, usually older and more familiar
with the criminal process. Many youth gangs started in schools, like other alien gangs, usually as a
means of protection from students of other ethnic groups, who saw the new minority as a threat.
Young Vietnamese, disaffiliated, unhappy, wanting to be “somebody,” but without guidance,
soon banded together into casual, roving criminal gangs. Never before had we seen groups of autoborne
young criminals move about the country in such numbers, or with such frequency. These
kids belonged nowhere and had loyalty to nothing, other than members of their group or gang.
Even gang loyalties were often temporary, vanishing as the group disbanded, to reform again with
new and different members. “Violent and Mobile,” were the usual terms associated with
Vietnamese traveling criminals, or “Nomads,” as they were branded. Nomads they were, staying in
one area only as long as the threat level was low and the pickings were good. As soon as a threat
from law enforcement appeared they moved to another place, meeting with locals for information
and targets.
In the early days of Vietnamese gang development, officers were surprised by the meek public
face presented by suspected gang members. Cops were used to being sassed and threatened by
gangsters, not to being addressed as “sir.”2 With the years came a lessening of this false show
1 “Vietnamese Criminal Activity in the United States - A National Perspective,” Organized
Crime/Drug Branch, Criminal Investigations Division, Federal Bureau of Investigations.
1993
2 Please ladies, don’t get excited. Use the gender term of your choice, as I do.
1

of deference to authority and a more “Americanized,” attitude was displayed: “Yo dude, you can’t
talk to me. I know my rights!” It should be noted that the more intelligent of gang members still
use a subdued attitude when speaking with police officers. They are no less dangerous for being
polite, quite the opposite. This politeness is meant to deceive police and put them off their guard,
sometimes to be attacked by the gangsters when it is seen the cops have started to relax3.
Vietnamese gang members, and non-gang affiliates, became well connected across the country
by traveling, as well as having relatives who settled in various sections of the U.S. More sedentary
criminals became knowledgeable of national activities by association with travelers and gossip,
heard in coffee shops, bars, and restaurants. The older, criminally inclined, Vietnamese provided
safe houses and detailed information to young gangbangers4. Cops exchanged tales of traveling
gangsters sleeping in peoples’ garages or car ports, outdoor lean tos, and other unlikely places.
Travelers quickly became known to owners of the cheaper motels5, as one or two people would
rent a room and ten or more would sleep there. Police soon started looking at motel parking lots
and nearby eating and drinking establishments for signs of Vietnamese traveling criminals. They
also looked at their Missing Persons and Runaway files, for names of young Vietnamese who were
leaving home to join gangs. Tracking these criminals became quite a hobby for policemen across
the country, some of whom developed their own networks of mutual assistance.
Many officers involved with gang investigations met with official brick walls. Police
administrators, already strapped financially, were slow to admit problems existed with Asian
refugees 6. They saw only grocery stores and tailor shops, not the underlying community fear of
criminal menace. Few Vietnamese gang homicides made the front page of the local papers and most
of the refugees were not yet citizens, and were unable to demand action with their votes. In some
jurisdictions this was to change as time passed; others are still mired in ignorance as Asian gang
problems fail to appear as front page news.
“The War on Asian Crime,” has a very elastic front line. More Vietnamese refugees/emigrants
are entering main stream life every day and becoming successful in business and politics. New
emigrants are coming from Vietnam and travel restrictions are being lifted between there and here.
3 In New Orleans, two Vietnamese criminals wanted for several Armed Robberies escaped custody after being
extradited from Virginia to Louisiana. The transporting officers said “They were so quite and polite, we
didn’t think they would do anything.” Down the street the boys went, handcuffed and smiling.
On I-10 a Deputy Sheriff stopped to help some nice, young Asian lads change a tire. They got his gun
and police car. Why didn’t they shoot him? Who knows?
4 When young gangsters were apprehended, these older “fagins,” would get them released from Juvenile
Detention by claiming to be relatives. Should they be caught running a safe house, the common cry was “They
made me do it. They said they would kill me if I didn’t help them.” Many a judge fell for this foul lie.
5 “The Mo,” in gang parlance.
6 To admit a problem means money has to be allocated to solve that problem.
2

Money is flowing from America to South East Asia in many forms, legal and criminal. Illegal
involvement in high tech credit card fraud as well as old fashioned armed robbery and extortion are
not uncommon. Police are specializing their investigations, while their target class of criminals are
multi–entrepreneurial7.
The criminal class (gangs) of the early ‘80s is evolving into semi-organized crime groups 8,
with contacts nationwide. They are involved in credit card fraud, counterfeiting, high-tech theft of
computer components, real estate investments and off-shore movement of monetary assets and
drugs. Many of the older criminals are dieing out and some of them, those who couldn’t keep up
with the times, are on welfare and have lost all respect in the criminal community 9. Young gang
members are still around, extorting their way across the country and networking with their
contemporaries in various states. There is less fear/respect for police and authority among sub–teen,
gun toting, Black and Hispanic imitating, mixed ethnic Asian, American born, English speaking,
baggy pants wearing, funny hair cut, loud mouth, little hoods. An officer specializing in Asian
gangs and criminals must be familiar with them all, as there is obvious as well as covert interaction
between the criminal classes. Crack cocaine has also had it’s affect on Vietnamese and other Asian
gangs, as it has had on ethnic groups throughout the country. Crack heads are dominated by the
drug, regardless of race, and will do anything to support their addiction/affliction 10. Addicted gang
members are easier to apprehend than their more intelligent compatriots, as they do stupid things.
While little difference may be noticeable in the typical Viet “street hood,” today as opposed to
ten or fifteen years ago11, there are quite a few differences in the make up of other criminal
groups. Officers “in the bricks,” are interviewing more and more young men and women, either
gang members or associates of gang members, who are attending college. Many of the students are
studying in high tech fields, such as physics or computer science, and most any fool would assume
some will, in the future, put their education to use in criminal endeavor. This is already happening,
7 It is not unknown for agents to become confused when a target, let us say (for purposes of
illustration only) the madam of a Vietnamese whore–house/massage parlor, is also involved in official
corruption, check fraud, narcotics, gambling, child pornography, welfare fraud and fencing stolen property. It
doesn’t help, in addition to the above, when the (wire wearing) snitch is also extorting the target. There
are times when I just love this job.
8 Those who, in the 1980s, thought there would be one, gigantic “Vietnamese Mafia,” were wrong. There
are organized crime groups, within the various definitions of that term, and many more small criminal
enterprises involving less than 10 members. No “Vietnamese Fu Manchu,” (with apologies to Sax Romer)
has appeared. What a shame. He would make great press.
9 There is something pitiful about a former, major crime figure caging drinks in a pool hall. It’s hell to be old,
with no retirement plan to fall back on. Let this be a lesson to you. Save, and invest wisely.
10 One is reminded of the pretty, white prom queen who was trading sexual favors for crack, with black gang
members. Her football playing boyfriend was so upset he committed suicide.
11 Except of course maybe the ability to speak better English.
3

as investigators notice more use of computers in manufacture and processing of fraudulent and
counterfeit credit cards, documents, and currency. A certain number of these students will be joining
members of their gang, family, or extended family in illegal practices.
The hardest “organized crime group,” or “gang,” to break open is one which consists of
family and extended family members12. In much of Asia, the extended family can involve persons
related by blood or circumstance, other than immediate relatives. A criminal enterprise such as this
has few, if any, “loose ends,” for law enforcement to pry open; when arrested, family members are
less likely to testify against each other than non–related associates. Educated off–spring will
enhance already in place illegal operations, such as narcotics smuggling or money laundering.
Good education is a key to success.
Home Invasion Robberies are still a mainstay for young, Vietnamese criminals. Some
uniformed officers tend to “write and forget,” i.e., report only those obvious things they see on a
crime scene. Anyone working in an Asian community should be ready to do indepth investigations.
An “obvious” Home Invasion Robbery may not be that obvious at all, once an officer starts to
profile the victim13 in order to apprehend the perpetrator. Many victims14 may be found to be
involved in illegal or “grey” activities; money laundering, gambling, narcotics, fencing stolen
property, various frauds. Example: In eastern New Orleans, several years ago, officers investigated
an early morning home invasion robbery and made their usual15 report. When checking that
report, an investigator noted the victim, listed as an “unemployed fisherman,” said over $80,000.00
in cash and jewelry were stolen from his home. The price of a cup of hot tea and some long, boring
conversation revealed the victim of the robbery was the owner/captain of a fishing boat, plying his
trade in the Gulf of Mexico. A week or so before the robbery the captain and his crew recovered a
large package floating in the Gulf, containing cocaine16. The captain/boat owner then sold the
drugs to an unknown third party for a large amount of money. He kept half and presented the other
half to his crew, to be split among them. His crew felt they had been dealt with unfairly. While they
12 A family in New Orleans has been “known,” to be involved in narcotics smuggling and other criminal
activities for years, but little has been accomplished in the way of successful prosecution. Some arrests have
been made on members of this family – failure to pay taxes on cigarettes, small marijuana arrests, minor
charges related to business operations, etc. – but due to a lack of verifiable information, no member of this
group has been brought up on major charges. They just don’t talk to cops about their business. There are
however very friendly and wave at the nice policemen when they see them on the street.
13 Those who would do a serious profile of the victim, or anyone else, should read “Vietnamese Identification
Investigations – The Standard Reference,” by William L. Cassidy. International Association of Asian Crime
Investigators, Washington, D.C. 1994
14 If you prefer, “some victims,” that’s OK too. I certainly wouldn’t want to step on anyone’s liberal toes.
15 Sloppy.
16 Obviously another successful Coast Guard chase.
4

agreed the fishing catch should be divided in such a manner, after all it was the captain’s boat, the
floating package had been, in their eyes, a Gift from God, and as such, should be divided equally
among all on board the vessel. They were even further upset when Mrs. Captain was overheard in
the morning market, bragging how clever her husband had been in cheating his crew of so much
money. These disgruntled fishermen soon had a few beers with some of their more disreputable
friends and plans for robbery were hatched and carried out. The perfidious captain lost his money,
had his wife and daughters raped, became a laughing stock in the community and had I.R.S. on his
tail, as the result of a tip from the investigating officer17.
Investigation may reveal robbery victims with gang involved family members. The target of the
robbery may have been a gambling game, taking place in the victim’s home. If a business owner,
the investigating officer should check the victim’s business for illegal activity, included but certainly
not limited to tax fraud and/or money laundering. Grocery store owners may be involved in food
stamp fraud or fencing stolen property. Jewelry store owners may be side-lining as fences of stolen
jewelry, especially gold18. There is even a chance the victim is innocent of any wrong doing whatso-
ever, which in fact may be true in the majority of cases19.
Should an investigator notice, on the scene of a Home Invasion Robbery at two o’clock in the
morning, one or more female victims dressed in nice clothes with fresh make-up on, they may be
rape victims. Few Vietnamese women, especially in traditional families, will admit a rape has taken
place; it is the duty of an investigator to get some help to these people if possible. Never be satisfied
with one interview of a robbery victim. Many Vietnamese will call almost everyone they know
before the police are contacted. This is family business which must be discussed with the family
before bringing in strangers. They will attempt to hide, or gloss over, anything unfavorable to
themselves or other family members; again is stressed the importance of having complete
information on the victims. Upon re-investigation, a detective may find the victim had just returned
from a big win at the casino, or a local gambling game, and the crime was a “follow home,”
robbery. This fact would not be presented at first, because the victim might feel the officer would
think him a gambler or layabout, and not a respectable person.
While Vietnamese gang members may appear and originate anyplace, many of them seem to
start their journeys from the West Coast and migrate Eastward. It is not at all unknown for young
criminals to start their careers in Orange County or Los Angeles, California, then move up to San
17 Even cops don’t like a cheat.
18 In seconds, under a hot flame, a gold necklace or bracelet becomes an untraceable lump of precious metal.
19 Should you think the victim an honest businessman, ask him if he’s recently sold a business or made a large
sum of money. Ask him also, out of hearing of his lovely wife of course, which massage parlor he goes to.
Some men have been known to brag to the “spa girls,” about their wealth. It is not unknown for naked men to
talk too much.
5

Francisco, over to Denver, Colorado, down to Houston, Texas, across to New Orleans and/or Biloxi,
Mississippi and then to Florida for the winter20. To illustrate movement of this class of criminal, I
give you the Houston Police detective, who made the homicide arrest in Canada, where he happened
to be at a police conference, of a Vietnamese gang member21 wanted in Houston. This subject had
been featured on the television show “America’s Most Wanted”, and when he heard a Houston
cop was in town, simply gave up the ghost.
Every year Carthage, Missouri hosts the “Marian Days Celebration,” at a seminary operated
by the Vietnamese Arch-Diocese. Thousands of Vietnamese, mostly Catholic, come from all over
the U.S. and Canada to take part in the celebrations, pray, and meet friends. While hundreds of
gang members also come to the festivities, few of them pray very much while there. It has become a
custom for gang cops who specialize in Vietnamese groups to attend this meeting and assist the
Carthage Police. It is fair to say that surprise lights the faces of visitors from California, Texas, and
Louisiana when one of their home town detectives puts the arm on them22 in this small Mid–West
community 23.
As time goes on more and more Asian gangs are multi-ethnic; members may be of Vietnamese,
Cambodian, Lao, or Chinese origin but all belong to the same gang. “All Asians Together,” is a
common theme in such gangs. Many of these American born youth speak only English and broken
versions of the language of their parents, if any at all. Many are in rebellion against the ways of the
older people and are ashamed of their “quaint” ways and customs, as black, white, or Hispanic
children at school have made fun of them. It is not al all unusual to see Vietnamese members in an
originally all Cambodian group like “The Tiny Rascal Gang,” from Southern California24.
Gambling casinos are a great boon to Vietnamese criminals. Most of them like to gamble and
the chances of being shot in the head while doing so are much less in a casino than in the back
room of some nite-club. Cheating casinos is also a favorite pass time. There are really more
casinos 25 and gambling games than there are Vietnamese speakers who desire to work in the
20 The case comes to mind of Vietnamese gang members of ethnic Chinese origin, who first were members of the
Hung Pho Gang, then the Oriental Park Place Boys, and yet again of other unnamed and/or unidentified
groups on the Gulf Coast, all within a five year period. Robbery, extortion, gambling, narcotics and homicide
follow their path across the country.
21 “Minh Mazda,” to use his nick-name.
22 Federal Agents from New Orleans arrested a subject who had been hiding in Canada for two years. He came to
Marian Days to visit his family, who had driven up from Louisiana for the celebration.
23 A young gang member once asked me what I was doing in Carthage. When I replied I was working he said
“That’s one hell of a commute.”
24 I once stopped one such gang member and asked him what he was doing with a Cambodian gang tattoo like
“TRG,” on his arm. He said “It’s all right. They’re OK.”
6

gaming industry. Due, in some cases, to an inability of security in some areas to make a total and
complete background check26 some less than honest dealers and casino employees have been
hired from time to time. A clear tip–off that something is going on is when tables start to lose
money in large sums, the dealer is ethnic Vietnamese or Chinese, all the players are of the same
ethnic persuasion, there are no pit bosses who speak the language, and activity at the table slows
down or stops when another casino employee closes with the table or forces a change in dealers.
Casinos would be well advised to have trusted, multi-lingual pit bosses.27 Young, traveling
criminals also use the casinos to collect their rations. Groups of these criminals will target a casino,
or casinos, and pass counterfeit coins, or slugs, in the slot machines. They copy tokens, in plaster,
make them in a motel room, in lead, and hit the casino for a few hours, then leave the area or go to
another casino to start all over. Cops with casinos in their jurisdiction should maintain friendly
relations with security personnel at these operations. We are, after all, in the same business; chasing
bad guys.
Language skills are always important when dealing with alien criminals, but less so at times in
this area of interest, as many Vietnamese gangs now consist of a majority of members who were
born in the U.S. and are speakers of English. Their operations may be conducted in their ethnic
language, but they are often interviewed in English. No investigator should place all confidence in
an informant or interpreter solely because that person is bilingual, or even trilingual. In the years
following 1975 it was quite common to discover some court interpreters were giving “favorable,”
interpretations to the highest bidder 28. When the use of a non-police interpreter is necessary, use
all caution. In interviews, place the interpreter behind the subject being interviewed, so no “body
language,” may be used to threaten your interpreter. Advise the interpreter you want a complete and
literal interpretation of everything said by the subject. Should you ask a question and the subject
make a five minute reply, and the interpreter says “He don’t know,” stop the interview and fire the
interpreter. An incorrect interpretation of a victim or perpetrator’s statement can easily lose an
important case in court. You may be sure the defense has an interpreter also, and when prosecution
and defense interpreters disagree on content, some judges take the side of the defense rather
25 “Land based,” as well as riverboat gambling has taken the country by storm. From Indian casinos in the
Northeast to the barges moored on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, slot machines, card games and video poker
have moved in to stay.
26 Officers trying to do a background check in a closed mouthed ethnic community know what I’m talking about.
It is very difficult when one constantly hears “I no know him. I no speak English.”
27 “On line extortion,” is not unknown in casinos. This occurs when a dealer is threatened, in his native language,
by another native speaker and there is no security employee nearby who understands the language. Fear of harm
at the hands of violent criminals is universal and some dealers will cave in to demands when the bad guy has
information about his family and makes threats toward them. This may also be used as an excuse when a
crooked dealer is caught.
28 One such case is rumored to have a victim, standing in the witness box screaming in Vietnamese and pointing
to the defendant, and the interpreter saying “Victim say that man is not the man who robbed him. He not
know who the hell that man is or why he here.” Forgive the poor English. That’s the way the story is told.
7

quickly. Any mistake, proven or even implied, may result in a case lost29.
Officers working in Asian communities should be volunteers, not drafted to what they may see
as a disagreeable assignment. People are quick to spot it when a cop displays racial prejudice
toward them, even if involuntarily. Assigned officers must train themselves to observe, not merely
look: Who associates with whom? What persons do the shopkeepers keep an eye on? Who has a
new car and doesn’t work? Are there new faces in the area, riding around in a car with out-of-state
license plates? Which businesses have cars in their parking lot after they’re closed? Who runs
gambling games? In short, who is who and what is everybody doing? Asian communities are
hotbeds of gossip and information, but only if an officer allows himself to listen and understand.
Following are some more “tips30,” for working in an Asian community31.
• Don’t do stupid things and get sued. It may be quite costly to you and your Department.
Asians have the same rights as anyone else in this country, and it would be wise not to forget it.
• Always be polite. Everyone likes to be shown respect, and this is even more important in an
Asian community environment. Especially, be polite to and show added respect for older
persons. In a traditional Asian society one always respects elders.
• Visit the Asian owned business in your area. This will have several results: Crime directed at
those businesses will go down and you will earn the respect and thanks of the business
owners; You will become known in the business community and develop cooperating sources
among the businessmen and their families; Illegal activity in and on the part of the businesses
will be affected, and you may be able to run some of the bad guys out of business by your
constant presence among them.
• When driving or walking through a business section, watch the business owners. Who do
they look at when they see the police? Businessmen and residents, upon the arrival of officers,
often look, however briefly, toward the local bad guys. They want to see what the hoods are
going to do32 and determine if you know who the bad guys really are. This can also be a
signal on the part of an astute store owner to you, “See that guy? He’s a crook.”
29 An ethnic Vietnamese policeman in New Orleans appeared in court to interpret and found the defendant to be a
court interpreter himself. The defense was hoping, one would think, to have the case won on appeal, should
they lose, by claiming the interpretation presented by the officer was incorrect.
30 Dr. Douglas Daye has written an excellent book of dos and don’ts; “A Law Enforcement Sourcebook of Asian
Crime and Cultures – Tactics and Mindsets,” CRC Press, 1996. Rush out and buy this publication. It’s quite
good and Doug can use the money for his old age.
31 Experienced officers, if they haven’t already, may now turn to the next chapter of this book.
32 So they can hide if shooting starts.
8

* Remember, not all teenagers dressed like gang members are actually gang involved.
Sloppily dressed kids may be just that, average kids. The smarter gang bangers may not dress
the part. They want to blend in and escape police notice. Some criminals look like criminals,
dress like criminals and act like criminals. Catching these guys is like shooting gold fish in a
toilet bowl.
• “Gang tattoos,” don’t always mean gang affiliation. Tattoos are often imitated or copied. The
real importance of tattoos is two fold: Most youngsters with lots of tattoos are involved in
anti–social activities of one sort or another; Detailing tattoos on field interview forms may
provide identification information for the future. Many suspects have either no I.D. at all or
carry falsified forms of identification. Detailed descriptions of tattoos may identify a suspect on
a wanted bulletin when there are no other easily described identifiers.
• When officers see gang members, they should let them know the police are around. Say hello
and try to chat them up, even if you’re not doing formal field interviews. Smile a lot. Keep
them off balance. Being a “tough cop,” doesn’t impress anyone, but being polite to, and taking
obvious notice of, the bad guys may prevent a crime, as they are more than aware you know
they’re in the area as well as who they are.
• Never trust a naked bus driver.
The main differences between 1982, when I started working Asian crime, and now are:
• There were hundreds of young, gangsters. • There are thousands of young, gangsters.
Many of them did not speak English. Most of them speak English.
• Older men, born in Vietnam, ran the • Young, and middle aged men, some born
major criminal operations in the community. in Vietnam, run major criminal operations
in the community.
• Criminal organizations were complex and • Criminal organizations are very complex
multi–entrepreneurial. and multi–entrepreneurial.
• Some police departments did not admit • Some police departments do not admit the
the importance of Asian crime. Few if any importance of Asian crime. Few if any
police officers were assigned to work this police officers are assigned to work this
9

area of interest in such places. area of interest in such places.
• There were few seminars or conferences • There are too many conferences and seminars
for officers/agents, on Asian crime. for officers/agents, on Asian crime.
• I was much younger then. • I am much older now.
What does the future hold? Who knows? Probably more of the same, with great leaps forward in
off-shore currency movement and high tech fraud. An old, street cop will still have a place in this
new world, because there will always be people who live by saying, “Hands in the air, this is a
stick-up.”
Remember: The prime directive is get the bad guys and protect the people, not get the credit and
say, “To hell with the people.”
Live long and prosper.

WoFat, aka:
Jack Willoughby
New Orleans, LA
December 1997
With special thanks to Bill Cassidy, Tom Perdue, Rance Redican, Doug Daye, Ken Sanz, Jack
Douglas, and the Tooth Fairy. Long may they wave.
(3,806 words)
10

Fine Dinning

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:52:18 -0500

You want me to eat WHAT?

Imanutjob

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:06:40 -0500

President Imanutjob, of Iran, would be more than happy to kill everyone in the world. He thinks that Allah would take care of the right guys and the rest of us would go to Hell.

Alien (Asian) Interactions

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:12:25 -0500

This is one of those things that was posted in the past, but has now - somehow - vanished. Here it be again.

Wo

Who Was That Masked Man And Why Is He Listening To Vietnamese Music?
A short discussion on the effect of assumptions and perceptions on criminal investigations in Southeast
Asian communities.
by
Jack Willoughby
Lt., New Orleans Police Department (Ret.)

“People are all the same.” What nonsense. Everyone is different. Not
necessarily better or worse, but surely different. When an investigator enters a crime
scene in a Southeast Asian community he makes assumptions and gathers perceptions,
many of which are going to be wrong and have a detrimental effect on his investigation.
The victims will make as many mistakes in dealing with the cop as he does dealing with
them. Maybe this presentation will help, in some small way, to change that. Perhaps we
can get at least a few officers to break the long established mold of complete
misunderstanding when dealing with a alien cultures.

Investigating officers must realize they are dealing with a multi-level cultural
group, from immigrants fresh off the boat to second, or even third generation Americans
of ethnic-Asian descent. Some of the young people they see may not only be filled with
the usual teenaged angst but have additional rebellious feelings toward “non-American”
parents. The children must deal with perceived racism and half learned cultural mores
entangling the usual school-based indoctrination with tales heard from relatives sitting
around and talking about “the old days.” Different cultures and viewpoints may have
opposing assumptions, and Asian youth are often caught in the middle.

As noted in Neal Sheehan’s book, A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and
American in Vietnam,1 we started off on the wrong foot in Vietnam and never saw the
need to change our perceptions. Colonel Vann understood that the South Vietnamese
Army, well armed and at the ready, did not exist to fight Communists but to help the
party in power in South Vietnam, stay in power. Fighting Commies, from their point of
view, was a waste of troops and equipment. Why couldn’t we see that? Well, nobody
explained it to us, we thought. It was explained, and I would guess many times, but no
one would, or could, listen2. It wasn’t the way we were used to thinking. As Americans,

1
Random House, 1988
2
The late, great Dr. Douglas Pike was a prophet on the scene.
we always seem to assume we’re correct, without ever having to study the problem or the
culture with which we’re dealing. A national trait, I suspect.

In 1975 thousands of Vietnamese from all walks of life fled Vietnam for America,
Australia and a few other countries; but mostly America. Our Vietnamese allies, those
who could, ran to save their lives. When they reached refugee camps many were
sponsored into the United States by any number of well meaning American families.
Neither refugee nor American had any idea what “sponsorship” really was. The folks in
Kalamazoo and New Orleans, among other places, thought sponsor meant to kind of
stand good for the refugee families and see they were settled in their new home. With the
help of various aid organizations, this was done. The sponsoring American family then
waved a cheerful goodbye and went back home with a good feeling in their hearts.
The Vietnamese family was left in a strange new dwelling with no idea what to do
or how to get food – unless one of the employees of an aid organization showed them the
ropes. They had assumed that the American family sponsoring them would take care of
them and answer their every wish and desire. Bad feelings were generated, some of
which linger to this day. The Americans and the Vietnamese stumbled into this quagmire
thinking everyone was “really the same, way down deep,” and never realized they were
wrong. Each felt the other was not living up to reasonable expectations.

When delivering lectures on Asian committed or inspired crimes to groups of
police and civilians, it is always well to announce – several times – that the subject(s) of
the discourse are criminals and not the majority of ethnic Asians. If this is not mentioned
– and even if it is – some civilians of a more liberal bent will incorrectly leap to the
conclusion that the speech pertains to all Asians. Why they do this, we’re not sure.
Probably has something to do with perceptions.

Some ethnic Asian police officers will, after sitting through a discourse on Asian
crime, say to all and sundry that there is no such crime in their community. There are
those who will say, with a straight face, that there is no Asian committed crime at all, and
that any talk of Vietnamese and/or Chinese/Japanese gangsters and gang members is a
pack of lies designed to harm a long-suffering minority. These utterances might well
come after watching surveillance videos of Asian robberies, shootings, gambling cheats,
etc. ad infinitum. They know damn well there is crime in every community, including
theirs, but seem to feel that to say so is not only impolite, but might lead to incorrect
perceptions.

Please feel free to deal with realities, not assumptions and perceptions.

J. W. Willoughby
September 2007
Scottsboro, Alabama

http://web.mac.com/wofat

Cookie Monster

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:26:52 -0500

Every business needs a good manager.
Poster received in email.

Change

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:14:14 -0500

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