By: Eugene Gino Mahofski, La Nostra Voce 

It was 4 a.m. The night air was still crisp and fresh. I was driving alone on the streets in the city of Pittsburgh, Penn. The stillness was very noticeable. Street and traffic lots seemed to be brighter. Lights inside the residences were not visible. Surely no one was awake. My thoughts were focusing on walking a midnight beat as a young, uniformed Pittsburgh police officer. This is a sight easily remembered, while walking neighborhood beats alone, on a chilly late night and early morning timeframe.

Recalling such a night in the Beechview Section of our #8 police district sparked a memory. Businesses were closed, the taverns had last call and patrons were leaving the area. Before long I was all alone.

I was sure to make myself seen, just in case anyone was looking. My intentions were to walk up the street to the city of Pittsburgh Firehouse (a warm oasis on a cold night). The night watch fireman was listening to the fire radio. There was always a warm cup of coffee for the “beat officer.” He was happy to engage in conversation, because he was usually the only one awake at this time.

On this early morning, a young male teenager burst through the firehouse front door screaming that his baby sister was not breathing. The family lived next door to the firehouse. The watchman rang the alarm.

I ran with the teenager to his home. Taking the baby from her mother I applied mouth to mouth resuscitation. By now, the firemen were inside the house. The baby vomited into my mouth, a taste remembered for many months, and began crying as I cleared her airways. Satisfied the child was breathing normally she was passed back to her relieved and excited mother. Sometime afterwards, I received The American National Red Cross Award. The family and I were treated to an awards dinner.

Let’s fast forward a few years. From walking a Beat, to answering police calls while assigned to Uniform Police Cars or Paddy Wagons. The time raced by.

Now assigned as a Station House plainclothes detective, one of my first investigations was in the Beechview Area. My partner, Regie B, had information from several sources of a male selling drugs from his home. Yes, it was the house in Beechview next to the firehouse.

Yes, the screaming teenaged male was now a young adult, and the suspect of selling drugs. Armed with a search warrant, we entered the home.

The search was restricted to the brother’s room. The mother and sister sadly looked on. Our search found indications of drug use, but nothing that would indicate drug dealing. My partner and I had a strong conversation with the brother.

As my partner and I left the home, I wondered if the only one who remembered that cold, clear, crisp, chilly night from years past was me. Maybe not! We never again received information on the house or the brother. I’m hoping they put it all together as we walked out the door closing the chapter on that involvement.