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Top Stonewall Cop: Raid Was "Right"

Nearly 40 years to the day have passed since the Stonewall riots that sparked the modern LGBT rights movement, but the New York City police officer who led the pivotal bar raid in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, maintains that the operation had little to do with gay people, and everything to do with following orders.


Nearly 40 years to the day have passed since the Stonewall riots that sparked the modern LGBT rights movement, but the New York City police officer who led the pivotal bar raid in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, maintains that the operation had little to do with gay people, and everything to do with following orders.

NYPD deputy inspector Seymour Pine, now 89, joined a special broadcast of TheBrian Lehrer Show on WNYC-FM on Tuesday that looked back at the Stonewall riots. Guests also included Stonewall veterans Danny Garvin and Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt and historian David Carter.

When pressed about the motivation for the raid, Pine, speaking by telephone, said, "I don't think not liking gay people had anything to do with it." Instead, the former member of NYPD's vice and gambling unit listed complaints from the community about the Stonewall Inn that included Mafia connections, dirty drink glasses, and the violation of contemporary dress codes. (Earlier, panelist Garvin mentioned the preponderance of "flame queens" at the establishment.)

While Pine acknowledged that the Stonewall Inn in the West Village was known as a "gay headquarters," he sounded genuinely confused when asked whether any antigay bias existed among police officers on the streets at the time.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get that," said Pine. Audience members, who were present in the studio for the live broadcast, chuckled.

Finally, host Lehrer asked Pine directly, "Do you think that the police were on the side of right?"

"Yes, of course," Pine answered. "When we took the action that we took that night, we were on the side of right. We never would have done something without supervision from the federal authorities and the state authorities. They were involved with this just as well as we were."

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Harry
    Date posted: 6/24/2009 10:16:00 PM
    Hometown: Brookly, NY

    Comment:

    In those days, gay bars had a short lifespan. A new bar would quickly attract a young and affluent crowd, eager to share the next big thing. The management would add enticements -- go-go boys, for instance -- and the place would be mobbed. I remember waiting in line to get it. As word got around, more ordinary gay folks would start to drift in, while the fashionistas dashed off to the latest sensation. Eventually, teens and street people would come to dominate the crowd, buying maybe one beer a night, and management would stop paying off the cops. By June of '69, the Stonewall was nearing the end. Complaints from residents of nearby apartment buildings gave cops the ideal pretext for a raid.

  • Name: Serial Mom
    Date posted: 6/24/2009 10:02:00 PM
    Hometown: Hollywood, CA

    Comment:

    "...violation of contemporary dress codes..." SO WE CAN ARREST PEOPLE FOR WEARING WHITE AFTER LABOR DAY! I KNEW IT!!!!!!!!

  • Name: Art M.
    Date posted: 6/24/2009 9:58:00 PM
    Hometown: SF>CA>USA

    Comment:

    Uh, explain to me why arresting patrons of a bar is going to make the drink glasses served there any cleaner? If the Mafia was operating the bar, how did arresting their patrons solve the problem? WERE THE BAR OWNERS ARRESTED??? NO!!! Did they have to arrest the patrons at night when they could have just arrested the Mafia employees during the day? NO!!! Obviously hatemongers can claim any rationalization and justification but it's transparent as hell. And I'm pissed as hell that ANY of you would come to this piece of shit's defense, much less call him "kind". Following orders my ass.

  • Name: Javier
    Date posted: 6/24/2009 5:59:00 PM
    Hometown: Houston

    Comment:

    Typical heterosexual response, lie and play dumb. The Stonewall Inn was attacked by the police because gay people went there, period.

  • Name: Michael-Bruce
    Date posted: 6/24/2009 5:56:00 PM
    Hometown: Philadelphia

    Comment:

    I think what Whit Fisher so eloquently describes is also what Jesus was contemplating when he encouraged his followers to forgive their enemies. Pray for them, for they know not what they do. Look, the guy is 89 years old. How many of us who are much younger actually can acknowledge that we were wrong? A few brave ones who possess dignity and integrity. We may be expecting too much. How must Stonewall veterans Danny Garvin and Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt felt listening to his justifications? I'm ambivalent about seeking reparations for all our years of suffering at the hands of the government. Is it emotionally healthier for us to acknowledge the suffering, fight like hell for our legal rights, and then move on?

  • Name: Jim Kane
    Date posted: 6/24/2009 5:49:00 PM
    Hometown: San Antonio

    Comment:

    I have always understood the reason that Stonewall was raided was because the Mafia had not paid the NYC Police their usual bribe.

  • Name: Rob
    Date posted: 6/24/2009 4:32:00 PM
    Hometown: Phoenix

    Comment:

    A must read for everyone is "STONEWALL, The Riots That Sparked The Gay Revolution" by David Carter. It is the best historical account of the Stonewall Riots. I am just rereading the book, and Pine is a lying sack of shit when he says, "I don't think not liking gay people had anything to do with it." All of NYC hated GLBTs. Pine had already raided the Stonewall on Tuesday night, June 24, 1969. The Mafia owners gave him lip that night so he raided again at 1:20 am Saturday morning, June 28, 1969. Pine always invited someone from the Fed. Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms because the Mafia owners watered down the liquor which was a federal offense. Yes, Pine was trying to jail the Mafia owners, but NYC had laws that would not allow legitimate businessmen to own gay bars.

  • Name: Alex
    Date posted: 6/24/2009 3:28:00 PM
    Hometown: NY

    Comment:

    Back in 1969, it was against NY state liquor laws for a homosexual to be served a drink in a bar, As a result, the mafia stepped in and ran just about every gay bar and bath house in the city. It was very profitable, and they usually ran without any problems, except when they were late with the periodic bribes to the cops. Stonewall has more to do with a certain mafioso deciding that he wasn't going to give any money to the cops anymore.

  • Name: Man-E-Faces
    Date posted: 6/24/2009 3:17:00 PM
    Hometown: pali

    Comment:

    The Mafia connection is worth going into. I wouldn't be surprised if it existed because that is what happens with marginalization.

  • Name: George
    Date posted: 6/24/2009 3:15:00 PM
    Hometown: New York

    Comment:

    he didn't get his ass kicked enough in 1969

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