[PRCo] Re: Vic Cianca Directing Traffic - Grant Street, 1975

[Herb Brannon]

Yes, he would always do that "sleeping gesture" when a driver became
distracted. If a pedestrian started across before the walk light came on he
would sometimes put both hands out to his side as if he were holding and
waving a matadors cape and the pedestrian was a charging bull. Usually the
jaywalker went back to wait for the signal.
As for Police Superintendent Slusser.............I guess he was a very
jealous man and probably not well qualified either.

On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 14:52, Bob Rathke <bobrathke at comcast.net> wrote:

>
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> I remember Vic when he directed traffic at Grant and Sixth, the location
> seen in the video. I liked his jesture for drivers who weren't paying
> attention when the light turned green.  Vic would tilt his head to the side,
> put his hand on his cheek and close his eyes as if he were sleeping.
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> In Pittsburgh, Traffic Division officers wore white hats to distinguish
> them from patrol officers.  I'm not sure if this is still the case, or if
> it's also done in other cities.
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> Vic passed away on 1/24/10.  His obituary included the following:
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> "His fame occasionally earned him animosity from fellow officers. 'I've
> gotten more guff from the guys I work with than I ever got from the public,'
> he said in 1982. When he was invited to New York to accept an award from
> "Candid Camera," then-Police Superintendent James W. Slusser refused to let
> him to travel there. 'If he wants to be an actor, he should take a course at
> Carnegie Tech,' Mr. Slusser said, at the time. Mr. Slusser later allowed Mr.
> Cianca to go, though it was too late for the man to receive his award."
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> Bob
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> ----- Original Message -----
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> From: "Matthew R Barry" <mrb190 at pitt.edu>
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 1:26:02 PM
> Subject: [PRCo] Vic Cianca Directing Traffic - Grant Street, 1975
>
> http://digital.library.pitt.edu/pittsburgh/video/vic_cianca.html
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-- 
Herb Brannon
In Cuyahoga Valley National Park