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Mickey Finn card

2020-06-04 15:28:01.407999+00 by Dan Lyke 2 comments

History Q: In the late '70s or early '80s, my grandfather, who worked for the New York State Department of Health and as a volunteer firefighter in Floral Park, showed me a handwritten business card that he kept in his wallet next to his license where any police officer asking for identification would see it.

He described this card as a "Mickey Finn" card, and it said something like "Ralph Gode is an upstanding citizen and a friend to all policemen", and was signed by one Mickey Finn.

In his role for the Department of Health he did a lot of law enforcement and fire department training, so if I was out riding around with him in a car and there was something going on he'd inevitably stop and ask, and the response was almost always "Oh, hi, Mr Gode, yeah, you and your grandson step under the ropes and let's show ya what's going on".

(It was situations like those where I was cautioned that you never ever straddle a fire hose, step over quickly.)

I *think* the context in which I saw this card actually used was one of those, where the officer didn't recognize him, he flashed that card, and the attitude completely changed.

I'm assuming the signature came from a Michael Finn somewhere up in the Fraternal Order of Police or the union or something like that.

Anyone got background?

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comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: Mickey Finn card made: 2020-06-04 16:56:28.933447+00 by: John Anderson

Maybe a reference to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Finn_(comic_strip) ?

#Comment Re: Mickey Finn card made: 2020-06-04 20:07:58.457876+00 by: Dan Lyke

Perhaps. I remember him saying at the time that yes, the signer understood the cultural references, but still went by that name.

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