IN 1910 THERE WAS A NEW YORK STATE SENATOR

Named Sullivan. “Big Tim” Sullivan. I have already quoted former New York City Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt concerning Mr. Sullivan. Roosevelt compared the “Big Feller” to a Norman noble after 1066. Those who study history know few in all of history who were more rapacious or more corrupt than William, the by blow of Robert the Devil and a blacksmiths daughter. And some of his henchmen made less of a mark on history, but managed to squeeze even more booty, in several senses of the word, from their new Saxon chattels. And just such a one was “Mr. Big.”

Sullivan was born and raised in the notorious Five Points slum, where the movie “Gangs of New York” was laid. By the time he was in his early twenties, he ran a string of saloons – and the women who “roomed” upstairs. Besides barrooms and brothels, Sullivan was involved in the theater, as well as horse racing. And Sullivan got a cut of almost every New York City criminals take.

But the Borough’s greengrocers, butchers, florists, and street peddlers had a nasty habit of perforating the Sullivan gang’s bag men. So, using an attempt on the life of NYC Mayor William J. Gaynor as an excuse, Big Tim rammed through the Sullivan Act. The first “may issue” gun control law in the United States, and one of the first of these evils in the world.

And who does the New York Police Department issue licenses to? Most licenses go to retired police officers, with NYC’s 8 million private citizens holding less than 8,000 permits. 8,000 citizens with “connections.” Among those licensed to carry in “two names twice” are:

* Senator Charles Schumer
* Don Imus
* Harvey Keitel
* Joseph Bruno
* Ronald Lauder
* Edgar Bronfman, Sr.
* Howard Stern
* Donald Trump
* William F. Buckley Jr.
* Joan Rivers
* Arthur Hays Sulzberger
* Robert DeNiro

With the exception of the late William Buckley, every one of these is violently anti-gun. Especially Chucky Schumer and New York Times publisher Arthur “Punch” Sulzberger.

But a full reading of the list of permit holders reveals that a high percentage of licensees are entertainment industry figures like DeNiro and Rivers, or mob associates and mob lawyers.

Of course, Sullivan had no such outcome in mind when he wheeled and dealed to get the Sullivan Act passed. All he wanted was for his bag men to come back with the gelt. He got that, and more.

Between 1911 and 1919 New York City’s violent crime rates more than doubled. And many of the greengrocers, butchers, florists, and street peddlers who were the criminals prey went to jail for possession of an effective means of self defense.

Stranger