While reading this book, I had to stop to get a map of New York City. I've only been there once and that was a few years ago. TriBeCa is one of the locations discussed a lot, and, if memory serves me correctly, I spent time there going to different art galleries. I also wanted to find out where 507 E. 11th Street was, since that address played a prominent role in this book.
These two locations are discussed over and over in Frank Bose and Bob Barchiesi's book Rock Solid ( 364.177 BOS). They are cops who were playing cat and mouse with a powerful drug lord named Alejandro "the Man" Lopez in 1985. The apartment building on 11th Street was one of his main locals for moving as much as an estimated $50,000 in solid cocaine every day. His operation was so sophisticated and well-known that "the Man" called his brand of cocaine "Rock Solid." This guy was clever, setting up his business in buildings with trap doors, underground corridors, and secret hideaways.
"The Man" was one of those ruthless guys who thought nothing of killing associates who squealed on him. Ralph Rodriguez was one of the unlucky ones who ended up with six slugs after he talked to the police about the cocaine ring. Others who did spill there guts to save themselves from jail time were lucky enough to have the police provide alibis for talking to them - alibis that were realistic enough to save their lives.
Anyone who's interested in a true story about the techniques used by policemen to catch criminals and get them to talk should read this book. It's fascinating and troubling to read that this happened in an area I casually walked through 20-some years after these events took place.
c Waterloo Public Library 2007
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