Bay Ridge, Brooklyn my hometown and to me the center of the universe. 911 -1997 the opening of the Salty Dog. The brainchild of a firefighter who was quickly bought out due to his tendency to verbally abuse the very patrons that were making him a rich man.

The family that owns it now are very accommodating and pleasant to the customers and to the workforce. When ” The Dog” hit the scene it exploded with business and with popularity. Of course civil servants treated it as their sanctuary and people from out of town came in to view the fire garage door and the old time fire truck on display in the back.

No one can say they have been to Bay Ridge without going to the Dog. Cops fireman and sanitation workers were all treated with that extra bit of respect that no other place offered. This feeling was contagious and later on all who came in regardless felt special in their own way.

This latest incident was disgusting. At 2:30 in the morning with 35 customers at the bar 25 of them being fireman a man 21 years old orders a shot and when he grabs it accidentally spills it on a fireman. The man turns and yells to him we’re going outside! The young man says he is sorry and not to get excited but the man persists. Suddenly an older man gets between them and yells ” No one’s going outside for anything” as things look like they are about to be squashed a fourth man enters the circle and cold cocks the young man and all hell breaks loose. The 3 companions of the young man jump up to protect him and this draws over a dozen firemen into the fray.

After a few moments of the 12 on 3 it’s clear that the 3 are getting the worst of it and the bouncer gets involved to try and bring peace back only to get jumped by yet another group of firemen. The 3 break away from the crowd but the one guy is getting a Goodfellas-like beating something you would see Pesci and DeNiro just times six.

This young man is now in a fetal position just looking to stay alive as over a dozen firemen kick and punch this defenseless man child to near death. Shockingly this only increases the ferocity of the beating and they feel they need to drag him into the bathroom to finish the job. My God! What the hell has happened to my old neighborhood? This is intent to kill!

You know I was a bar owner in this area and we would always give a little latitude of tolerance when it came to our firemen or policemen. On more than one occasion we would take a fireman’s keys or find a cops gun in the bathroom and reported it to nobody that was just the way it was done but today after this? I hope these guys lose their jobs and go to jail. They tried to kill this kid. I use to fight with the bouncer of this place and he is as brave as they come and even he was shocked and scared because he thought somebody was going to get murdered that frightening night.

The picture I put in the space above is of a man named Matt Long. He was a fireman. Nearly a decade ago he was hit by a bus while on his ten speed in N.Y.C. during a strike of the transit system. Matt was a tri-athlete .He was in every sense of the word an iron man. Both in principle and in physical. He carries himself with dignity and I’m sure he is horrified at this debacle but when I think of fireman I think of Matt Long not these cowards who have brought shame and disgust to a noble profession.