POLICE BOOKS - Richard Picciotto

From the History of the New York City Police Department

In 1758 there was another change of system, back to the Citizens' Watch. Under the new rules, the inhabitants of the West Ward were to do duty for nine nights successively; those of the South Ward for five nights; of the Dock Ward for five nights; of the East Ward for ten nights; of the North Ward for eight night; and of the Montgomerie Ward for eleven nights. When all had watched they were to begin over again, and so on. In 1761, however, we find once more a return to paid watchers, for n December 28, Mr. Stoutenburgh, presumably a member of the Common Council, was authorized by that body to advertise for me to "light the lamps speedily to be erected," and to watch the city. the cost after the system became established, say for the second year, 1763, was found to be about £200 per annum. Four years subsequently the expense of lighting and watching the city had increased to £1,400 per annum.

A former New York Police Department police officer, Richard Picciotto is a 28 year veteran of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). As a fire fighter, he has served as a fire marshal, arson investigator, lieutenant, captain and chief.

According to Margaret Flanagan of Booklist, Chief Richard Picciotto’s book, Last Man Down: A Firefighter's Story of Survival and Escape from the World Trade Center, is a “ gripping, first-person account of a 9-11 survivor provides a firefighter's view of the World Trade Center catastrophe. An invaluable eyewitness to history as well as a professional just doing his job, Battalion Commander Richard Picciotto was inside the North Tower when it collapsed. Determined to be the last man down, Picciotto coordinated the rescue effort of several dozen incapacitated civilians. Stranded on the landing between the sixth and seventh floors when the building came tumbling down around and on top of him, Chief "Pitch," a small band of fellow firefighters, and one grandmotherly civilian improbably survived the collapse in a small vacuum created by the placement of the twisted debris.”