Chapter 13
Irishtown
THE POLICE SERGEANT continued his orientation tour with his new recruit and walked the blocks nestled next to the East River between Tillary Street and the Brooklyn Navy Yard—the part of Brooklyn referred to as Irishtown. He instructed the new officer on the basics of the neighborhood. “Goddamn Irish. All they do is drink and fight. We spend all our days locking up the Paddies.”
“My father told me they’re not all bad, though, sir. Lots of them started with me as officers.”
“Sorry to say, John, I think your father became a little soft on the job. The damn Irish are all bad—I understand them better than anyone. The bosses think putting drunken criminals on the job will make things better? I don’t think so, and I’ll never trust the damn Paddies and neither should you.
