The Murder of Police Officer Phil Cardillo

In the Nation of Islam's Black Muslim Mosque # 7 Harlem

I'm Rudy Andre a retired NYC Detective. I was assigned to the 28^th Precinct in Harlem.

I 'm going to tell you about the murder of Police Officer Phil Cardillo as seen through my eyes on that fateful day April 14, 1972. The 28^th Precinct along with the 25^th and the 32^nd precinct all shared the same radio frequency in the 6^th division. I started the 8 to 4 tour with my partner Frankie Crowe. We were assigned to pick up a repaired RMP in lower Manhattan. While in route back to the 2-8 a signal 10-13 was transmitted over the radio. I proceeded with lights and siren to 102 West 116 Street. I was familiar with the address having walked a foot post on 116 Street. I sometimes stood in front of those two large metal doors with the occupants needing to walk around me to gain entrance. Who knew of the dangers that lie just a few feet away? I continued to the 10-13 traveling north bound on Madison Ave. when just a few blocks from entering the 2-8 precinct the 10-13 was called off. Even though the call for help had been terminated I made it a habit of responding at a slower rate of speed, just in case the !$%* hit the fan again. I pulled up and double parked across from 102 West 116 St. I ran across the street and witnessed PO Vito Navarra being assisted by another Police Officer. Vito was badly beaten and bleeding. I ascertained from Vito that other Police Officers were still in the building. Hearing this I tried to open the doors that stood in front of me. Failing to open I looked into the one square foot one way glass window. To my astonishment I witnessed other officers trapped inside that were being beaten by about 15 to 20 men. I called in a 10-13 forthwith at 102 W 116 St. Still unable to enter I made the decision to pull my gun out and smash the tiny window. I then fired three shots over the heads of the felons in an effort to get them to withdraw. To my satisfaction they fled to the rear of the premises. Unfortunately two of my brother officers lay unconscious on the ground. A third Officer Ivan Negron of the 25^th precinct who was badly beaten managed to stand to his feet and fired his weapon at the fleeing mob. Still unable to gain access through the dead bolted doors I screamed through the window I had just broken. I kept calling out to Negron to come open the F N door. I repeated this call several times before Officer Negron understood we were sill locked out. Finally after what seemed like forever he staggered to the front doors and unbolted them. I lead the charge into the building first stopping where our officers lie unconscious. I recognized Police Officer Phil Cardillo he was bleeding from his nose and mouth. I said, "Oh God please take care of him". Two other officers followed me in and began removing Phil to a waiting Police car. I kept up my pursuit of the fleeing mob. They ran down the hallway which had three ways for them to escape. The first was a stairway on the right which led up to the second floor. This was the same stairs that our brothers were beaten down from just moments earlier. The second escape route was on the left of the hallway leading into the Salaam # 7 Mosque restaurant. The third route which they decided to run to was the stairway down into the basement. I gave chase and entered the stairway where I was confronted by a Nation of Islam Soldier who thought he would try to push me up. I was having none of this and struck him in the head with my revolver sending him bleeding and unconscious on the stairway. I was still in pursuit mode when I hit the bottom of the stairway. At the bottom I was confronted by another Nation of Islam Soldier. He towered over me and failed to comply with my lawful order to put his hands up and face the wall. He advanced towards me leaving little choice but to knock him unconscious with my gun butt. He went down with a thundering thud. He was later identified as Louis Dupree 17X the dean of boys and the killer of Police Officer Phil Cardillo. Two down and 14 others to go. I now had the attention of the remaining Nation of Islam Soldiers. They started to comply with my orders to put their hands on the wall. Back up men began arriving in the basement as I started searching the suspects from left to right. While I was searching the 4^th man I noticed that his clothes were disheveled and he was missing his right shoe. I rear cuffed him and dragged him upstairs. I noticed this mans other shoe next to where Officer Phil Cardillo and Police Officer Victor Padilla of the 25^th precinct lie bleeding just minutes earlier. I then continued out the two front doors and placed the subject in a radio car. He was to be removed to the 2-4 station house by another unit that responded to the 10-13. I turned around and as I was walking back into the Mosque I heard shots fired. They rang out on 116 St. just west of Lenox Ave. Hearing these shots I ran up 116th St. to render assistance. It was Police Officer Louis D'Alessio firing shots trying to protect Randy Jurgensen who was struck in the head and fell unconscious in the arms of our Precinct Commander Inspector Haugh. The crowd on the street was ugly, they were looking for blood. Luckily a City bus was trying to make its way down 116^th St. It was readily commandeered and used for their rescue. In the book Murder at the Harlem Mosque as written by a friend and fellow Detective Sonny Grosso there's a photo of myself with my gun out next to the bus protecting the occupants inside. When the bus was safely underway I made my way back through the crowds to the basement of the Mosque. I rejoined the other members of the force who had finished searching the Nation of Islam Soldier's and secured the basement. Regular cops doing what cops do. We had the basement secure and 14 men detained. It should have been an easy thing to at least identify and ascertain names of these defendants. They were the son of bitches that had assaulted our brother officers. The only people identified that day were the two men I knocked out in the basement. One was the Murderer Louis Dupree 17X, as he had to be taken to Harlem Hospital. The other was the shoeless Bobby Hopes 9X. With nothing left for me to accomplish I was ordered by Chief of Detectives Seedman to tend to my wound at St Luke's Hospital. I had cut myself when I broke the front door glass and needed stitches to help stop the flow of blood. The crowd on the street was overturning cars and rioting. The powers that be Benjamin Ward and Charles Rangel made a decision at the bequest of Mayor Lindsay to let the Black Muslim leader of the Mosque #7 Louis Farrakhan take the detainees to the 24^th precinct later in the day.

That time never arrived.

If not for the extraordinary efforts of Detective Randy Jurgensen the murderer of our Brother Officer Phil Cardillo would never have been arrested. Randy is one of the most dedicated men I've had the pleasure of knowing and working with. His book Circle of Six is a true representation of Phil's murder and the disgraceful behavior of Mayor Lindsay and Police Commissioner Patrick Murphy. What a shameful display of cowardice. Then for them not to attend the funeral of a Police Officer killed in the line of duty is outrageous. After my injury had healed I returned back to active duty. I remained in the 2-8 often working the sector where the Mosque was located. Being a good cop I would pay particular attention to the cars parked at the parking meters at the side entrance to the Mosque. So good in fact that Louis Farrakhan made arrangements with the city to have the meters removed. Too bad, I would have been happier being removed to a country club precinct elsewhere. I stayed on the dangerous streets of Harlem for several more years. That was a time before bullet proof vests and automatic weapons were available for patrol officers. Somehow the felons always had easy access to weapons. I commuted from Long Island with three other officers who were also shot, but luckily they survived their injuries. I faced down armed men on numerous occasions and had to shoot three men during three different armed robbery attempts.

Almost 20 years after the death of Police Officer Phil Cardillo I had a chance meeting with a young man working in A&L deli in Palm Coast. He recognized my miniature Detective badge and inquired if it was a NYC badge. We went back and forth about my working in Harlem. Todd then explained that his father had worked in Harlem and in fact he said his dad had worked in the 2-8 precinct. Todd then explained that his father was Police Officer Cardillo. I then explained my involvement the day of his Fathers murder and conveyed the above story to him. From that point Todd and I have become good friends. We have similar interest in cars in fact he painted one of my muscle cars. I was proud to be present at his wedding to Deanna. It's amazing how fast Todd's children Tiffani and TJ have grown.

May God bless Todd and his family and let us always Remember Phillip W. Cardillo a true patriot and hero.

New York City Detective, Rudy Andre (retired)