Semper Fi

In the mid 1980’s, 1986 to be exact, I was assigned to Special 

Operations Group 2 in NYC. Our primary function was to 

perform ground, subway and vehicle surveillances. Somehow, 

on this particular evening I found myself to be the team leader 

for a team of six agents. For approximately two weeks we had 

been following numerous health inspectors throughout the five 

boroughs. Their MO was to go into restaurants, hit the owners 

up for a $250 to $500 bribe and if not paid, they would find the 

restaurant unfit to operate and they would shut it down with a 

great big yellow placard being affixed to the door of the prob-

lematic business.

Well, on this particular evening we were following a pair of NYC 

health inspectors in Chinatown in lower Manhattan. The lead agent 

who was a female and a, good friend of mine, caught these two 

birds going into a Chinese Restaurant. She reported on the radio 

that they had entered the Suk Yo Dik restaurant. When I heard this 

I was flabbergasted. I called her on the radio and asked her to 

"Say again your last.”  She responded the Suk Yo Dik restaurant.  

I then asked her to spell it all out and she responded “Suk Yo Dik 

Restaurant.” I nearly had a conniption fit. The whole team had to 

drive by the restaurant to see for themselves. Sure enough, the two 

birds were out there affixing a yellow placard closing down the place.  

I could imagine the other surveillance agents who overheard this in 

the command post just jumping with glee and could visualize other 

agents nearly driving off the roads as there were laughing so mightily. 

Guess the two birds didn't get what they were looking for.

Don Goulet has moved his act here:
http://authortree.com/chesuncookpublishing