SERENDIPITY

Through diligence, perseverance, and a suicidal abandonment of sound fiscal practices, I have managed to put together a collection of just about one of every handgun NYPD ever used.

As most collectors will tell you, there is a progression to collecting. First, we get the representative example. The one with replaced grips, %75 blue and maybe some light freckling. Thats our "placeholder" gun; that is the gun that lets us say "Yea, I have one of those but I'm looking for a better one.". Then we move up to the nicer condition gun. Then we get the near mint gun. Then we get the near mint-in-box with paperwork ("box & docs") gun. Finally, at the rarified levels, we have the engraved gun with box & docs and at the very top of the gun food-chain-pyramid, the engraved gun that is historically significant with box & docs.

I'm not there yet (goals!) but I do try to upgrade. This is a story about how my attempt to upgrade led me up the pyramid a bit.

At night I peruse the auction websites looking for lost and orphaned NYPD problem solving equipment. My serial number database that I spent years assembling really shines when I'm doing this. The time and effort that went into assembling and maintaining it were worth it, as it allows me to do what no one else really can: hunt down NYPD guns with the ability to instantly verify a pedigree.

Now, in my collection I have a nice Baby Chief. It's an ok gun, good piece but it could be upgraded.

One night I'm scanning the auction sites under the search parameters "SMITH FLAT LATCH". This little beauty pops up:





Nicely composed photo of a very nice Baby Chief. I run the serial number, and it pops as an early 1950's sale to Probationary Patrolman Joseph LAMBERTON. OK. Nice gun but the starting bid is a bit higher than I would like so I take a pass.

I'm communicating with the seller, and he mentions that the gun came in with a 3-inch M36-1 HB. My ears perk up. An NYPD Baby Chief that came in --with-- an M36-1? What are the chances that the M36-1 is also NYPD? Pretty good I figure. So, I ask about the 3-inch.

Seller states that its pretty worn and sends me and image of the gun and the serial number.








I run the number in my records and, not surprisingly, get a hit:





So, it is an NYPD M36-1 and it went to an actual Policewoman. I have three M36-1's in my collection: NYPD Surgeon, Transit Cop and Policewoman. Do I really need another M36-1 or should I send the details to someone who is looking for a documented Policewoman gun (Two-Bit Chief)?. Conditions not great but...

I figure I'll do a little due diligence on PW SALZANO and that's when things get interesting. The first thing that pops up is this:





PW SALZANO and her partner, PW BURRASCANO, were the first female patrol partners in NYPD in 1972!


(Tell me there isn't a Cagney & Lacey vibe here...)





Apparently, this was a big deal and I seem to recall a little bit about this when I was a kid. I remember the Patrolman's wives picketing at Police HQ that they didn't want their husbands partnered with women.

This was a big enough deal that quite a number of television stations, newspapers and magazines covered it. The result is that there is quite a bit of information about on these two and a marvelous number of photos.



PW SALZANO (note the PW shield and not the Patrolman's shield) sitting in the 77 Pct. In Brooklyn.


PW BURRASCANO leaning on a desk. Almost certainly the holstered gun in the foreground is PW SALZANO's M36-1; the holster is the type authorized for 2-inch and 3-inch M36's. Seller states gun came in with a ratty old holster that he tossed out.

PW SALZANO retired as DET2 in 1994 and passed away in October 2023.








Oh, and how does that Baby Chief that went to Patrolman LAMBERTON play into this? Read the obit; Joseph Lamberton was PW SALZANO's father! I could have gotten a Father/Daughter pair!

Oh, and I got her cuffs too!





So, not a bad catch for just screwing around on the internet during work hours! 😊

Best,
RM Vivas

Digication ePortfolio :: The Life and Times of Lucille Burrascano :: Life Is Real

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RM Vivas
SWCA#1482L, SWHF#837

Thanks for sharing!

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S&WHF #946
S&WCA #3824

Seriously cool. thanks for the info.

I know you're not Irish, but you have the luck of a Leprechaun.
One must be watching over you.

Congratulations. Great story.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Robert, you're getting entirely too good at this...We may have to at least slow down your internet connection to level the playing field a little for the rest of us......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

Just a stunning find. You definitely have to put in the time and work to ake these kinds of things happen.

Thanks for sharing!

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Just Say No - To Social Media

That is FANTASTIC! What you do is my goal for retirement life, research and document the "stories" behind such guns. These firearms are so much more than just metal and wood.

I stumbled on a Baby Chief here in NC, but doubt it has NYPD provenance. It is a pretty early one, though. SN: 1840.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

A poor leprechaun! That revolver set me back half a G. I was going to give it a pass but the more I read about SALZANO the more convinced I became that a) there was a historical significance to the gun and b) because of that significance, it would be delightfully easy to document and have profuse images available.

I was going to send you the details if I took a pass because I know you want a gun that went to a PW, but I figured the condition.....

Best,
RM Vivas

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RM Vivas
SWCA#1482L, SWHF#837

Gorgeous!

I'm looking for a half-moon front sight Baby Chief with NYPD provenance.

Best,
RM Vivas

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RM Vivas
SWCA#1482L, SWHF#837

Another great gun, post, and story!! Thanks for sharing it!

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Hank
SWCA 2945

Thanks so much for this story. I am retired NYPD and, like most, I traded in my service revolver at a LGS for something else when we switched over to semi-autos. My son is so mad at me now that he is grown. I would love to track down that old gun and I would pay (almost) anything to get it back, but that's never gonna happen. Worst gun mistake I ever made getting rid of it.

Can’t wait until you have the information on the 64-5’s.

Attached Images

IMG_5165.jpg (89.5 KB, 34 views)

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SWCA 3255 SWHF 615

Awesome story, thanks for sharing. Question - how did you get the information on old NYPD weapons? That’s not something you just check out from a library…

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SWCA #3929

Another fantastic post by RM Vivas.

I have a fondness for NYPD revolvers since I am originally from New York City. When I was a young kid I remember seeing revolvers in police officer's holsters. Even when I got my first NYC handgun permit in 1984, revolvers were still the main gun carried by NY Police. I left NY over 30 years ago to move to TX.

Though I would not want to live there, I still maintain an interest interest in many things related to NY--including firearms laws, firearms, and police firearms.

A little over a year ago I bought two old NYPD handguns: a Colt Detective Special and a S&W Model 10.

Here are some pictures of the guns that make the guns look to be in better shape than they are.

First, a picture of the S&W Model 10 with everything that came with it:



You can't really tell from the picture, but the gun has a lot of bluing worn away from the sides of the barrel by the muzzle and on sides of the cylinder. The Model 10's Serial Number is C7644XX.

Next, a picture of the Colt Detective Special. It was supposedly manufactured in 1964. Its serial number 8822xx.

Great detective work! You sift through the data better than Neo in the Matrix.

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Hal

I can't seem to find the post I made about that question but the short answer is that the Department gave me a certain amount of limited access to the Equipment Bureau in the mid-1990's and then there was a purge. All the people who know I was supposed to have 'limited' access were transferred and when the new people came in and saw me there already they just figured I belonged there and knew what I was doing. I believe the military terms is that I was 'travelling on dead orders".

Best,
RM Vivas

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RM Vivas
SWCA#1482L, SWHF#837

Another awesome post, Mr. Vivas! Thank you!
I really had a laugh over your "lost and orphaned NYPD problem solving equipment" comment. That is truly priceless. All the best to you!

When "The Transition" took place I was buying 5-gallon buckets full of M10's and M64 NY-1's for $100 each. Actaul 5-gallon buckets full of them!

Best,
RM Vivas

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RM Vivas
SWCA#1482L, SWHF#837

RM Vivas what a great story thanks.

Video of PW SALZANO and her partner on patrol


NYPD**™s First Female Partners on Patrol | Meet retired Detective Lucille Burrascano, who was one half of the first pair of female partners**”along with retired Police Officer Kathaline Salzano**”to... | By NYPDFacebook

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RM Vivas
SWCA#1482L, SWHF#837

That is phenomenal! What an amazing artifact and story.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

Robert,

Fantastic post. That's a great find.

Oh my....

you HAVE to track down her fathers gun and buy it.

I can actually hear Maxwell Smart saying "Missed it by THAT much"

Those two guns belong together.

Her Dad's gun is up for auction right now and in gorgeous shape but it just strikes me as a bit overpriced.

All my money is earmarked for my Rigby Mauser project, but I suspect that if I dont get the gun I'll regret it. Chunk of change tho!

Best,
RM Vivas

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RM Vivas
SWCA#1482L, SWHF#837

Let these two thoughts play through your mind as you stare at the pendulum on a grandfather clock.

Ticktock. Ticktock.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

I can't spend your money, But I'd pay whatever amount I took.

Everything is overpriced these days. Seems like a once in a lifetime!

Sell something!