"The Toughest Cop In America" Campaigns For Mayor of Philadelphia

"The Toughest Cop In America" Campaigns For Mayor of Philadelphia

Frank Rizzo's campaign for Mayor

This article covers the tenure of controversial Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo as he began his campaign for Mayor. While Rizzo would ultimately win the election, he did it mainly through support of low and middle-income white Philadelphians. Under Rizzo's reign, the police department had gained a reputation for unnecessary violence against black people, homosexuals, and anyone else whose lifestyle Rizzo disagreed with. Even those who had not committed a crime found themselves on the wrong side of Frank Rizzo; a black DJ who reported a gang fight to police claimed that Rizzo kept a gun trained on his head and said, "Make one false move, you black son-of-a-bitch, and it'll take 36 doctors to put you back together again." Rizzo was almost singlehandedly responsible for creating a culture of brutality against minorities in Philadelphia. MOVE was formed in response.

Lenora E. Berson

New York Times

May 16, 1971

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