I have lived here long enough to...

[colorider]

“ Anybody remember the Smaldones? ”. Our family is close with the Smaldone family. I was the alter boy for the grand daughter’s wedding. Was Clyde Smaldone’s person waiter at a popular restaurant in town. Although I was only 16, I was allowed to have 1 beer at the bar with Clyde when he came in. He had clout there. Lol. Grandma Smaldone lived a few houses down from me growing up. Chimney blew up one day. That day was the first time I was interviewed by the fbi and a lot of cops. A group of us were riding our bikes at the time. Wanted to know what cars we’ve seen. None was the answer.

[flogger]

The 94th Aero Squadron. Just on the south edge of Stapleton Runway. A French chateau with WW1 aircraft, machine gun emplacements, and headphones at the table to listen to control tower. Great steaks and French Onion soup.

Cruising downtown College Ave in FOCO Sat nites (hundreds of cars going back and forth in a five block area) since there was nothing else to do.

Sid Kings Crazy Horse on Colfax- ran a few calls there when I drove a Cadillac ambulance for Haley Paramedic.

Estes Park Highland Festival was $5 for the whole weekend and you could join the 2am parade of serious drunken Scottish/Canadian pipers as they marched down main street. Local law enforcement was cool about it too. Just a few hundred people attended way back and you could pass out/sleep on the tennis courts and do it all again the next day.

Northglenn Mall with fountains, Furrs, Sears, Pennys and rival North Valley mall with Wyatts and Monkey Wards.

That 94th Aero Squadron was a cool place! Strange how it burned down right after the DIA move was in the works!

Don't forget parking under the runway approach on Havana, great place at night.

[flogger]

“ Anybody remember the Smaldones? ”. Our family is close with the Smaldone family. I was the alter boy for the grand daughter’s wedding. Was Clyde Smaldone’s person waiter at a popular restaurant in town. Although I was only 16, I was allowed to have 1 beer at the bar with Clyde when he came in. He had clout there. Lol. Grandma Smaldone lived a few houses down from me growing up. Chimney blew up one day. That day was the first time I was interviewed by the fbi and a lot of cops. A group of us were riding our bikes at the time. Wanted to know what cars we’ve seen. None was the answer.

There is a great book on the Smaldone's by Dick Kreck (I think). It mentions a bomb planted under the front porch. They were a tight family that you didn't mess with.

[flogger]

How about the legendary Denver Policeman Buster Snider?

[BladesNBarrels]

Whoa, these comments are triggering some memories.

Sept. 30, in 1961, dozens of disgraced Denver cops were hauled to jail in a paddy wagon for running a massive police burglary ring. Denver's burglars in blue cased their jobs from police cruisers and returned at night to steal while lookouts monitored the police radios. The same policemen returned to investigate the crime and destroy the evidence. The ring was exposed after a 300-pound safe tumbled out of a getaway car owned by patrolman Art Winstanley, 24. His arrest and confession pulled back the curtain on a scandal that earned Denver the title "Crooked-cop capital of the United States."

[HBARleatherneck]

Alan Berg

[eddiememphis]

Alan Berg

That was on my brain this morning, along with Hal and Charlie.

KAZY album side weekends. KBPI rocks the rockies.

[colorider]

There is a great book on the Smaldone's by Dick Kreck (I think). It mentions a bomb planted under the front porch. They were a tight family that you didn't mess with.

My last name may or may not be mentioned in that book a few times.

[Great-Kazoo]

That was on my brain this morning, along with Hal and Charlie.

KAZY album side weekends. KBPI rocks the rockies.

Get the LED out.

[flogger]

Whoa, these comments are triggering some memories.

Sept. 30, in 1961, dozens of disgraced Denver cops were hauled to jail in a paddy wagon for running a massive police burglary ring. Denver's burglars in blue cased their jobs from police cruisers and returned at night to steal while lookouts monitored the police radios. The same policemen returned to investigate the crime and destroy the evidence. The ring was exposed after a 300-pound safe tumbled out of a getaway car owned by patrolman Art Winstanley, 24. His arrest and confession pulled back the curtain on a scandal that earned Denver the title "Crooked-cop capital of the United States."

My In-laws were close friends with Art and his wife after he served his time. I'm trying to get more info from the mother-in-law. My wife remembers him well and said he was a nice guy. He wrote a book about it called 'Burglars in Blue'. When you mentioned his name and a safe falling out of the getaway car, that rang a bell.