Nicholas Scoppetta papers
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Personal files of New York City public official and educator Nicholas Scoppetta (1932–2016), who served as Commissioner of Investigation for the City of New York (1972–1977), Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice (1976–1978), Professor at New York University School of Law (1978–1982), President of the Board of Trustees, Children's Aid Society (1987–1993), Commissioner of the Administration for Children's Services (1996-2001), and 31st Commissioner of the Fire Department of the City of New York (2002–2009). Includes some photographs and memorabilia.
Biographical/Historical Note
Nicholas Scoppetta was born on 6 November 1932 in Manhattan to Italian immigrants Dominick and Margaret (Rubino) Scoppetta. Dominick was a struggling vegetable merchant and dock worker. In 1937 Margaret was arrested for forging a signature on a welfare check. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor petty larceny charge and was sentenced to 90 days' detention. Because of this the three youngest Scoppetta sons, including Nicholas, age five, were removed from the household and placed in foster care. The boys were reunited at Woodycrest, a Bronx orphanage run by the American Female Guardian Society and Home for the Friendless. Nicholas returned to his parents at age twelve, and graduated from Seward Park High School in 1950. His later studies at City College were interrupted by the Korean War. After the Army he attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, on the G.I. Bill, graduating in 1958 with a degree in civil engineering.
Back in New York Scoppetta worked by day for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (the same agency that placed him in foster care) and attended Brooklyn Law School by night. He graduated in 1962 and was admitted to the New York State Bar that year. Shortly after, he was appointed an Assistant District Attorney in New York County by District Attorney Frank Hogan. He served in the Manhattan D.A.'s Office until 1969, when he became Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
In 1971 Mayor John Lindsay appointed Scoppetta Associate Counsel to the Commission to Investigate Alleged Police Corruption (a.k.a. the Knapp Commission), which issued its report in 1972. On 1 December Lindsay named Scoppetta Commissioner of Investigation for the City of New York, an appointment renewed by Lindsay's successor, Abraham Beame, in 1974.
On 1 August 1974 New York City Controller Harrison J. Goldin accused Scoppetta of "instructing" a civil servant to enter false information on the Controller's books to deceive auditors. Scoppetta was cleared of any wrongdoing by New York State Special Prosecutor Maurice H. Nadjari.
On 6 December 1976 Mayor Beame named Scoppetta to the newly created post of Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice, a post he held concurrently as Commissioner of Investigation until 5 January 1978, when he was relieved by incoming Mayor Ed Koch.
After leaving public service Scoppetta joined the faculty of New York University School of Law as Director of the Institute of Judicial Administration. As Professor of Law he taught a seminar, "The Administration of Criminal Justice," between 1979 and 1982.
In 1980 Scoppetta cofounded with Eric A. Seiff (a colleague from the Manhattan D.A.'s Office) the law firm of Scoppetta & Seiff (now called Seiff Kretz & Abercrombie), and practiced law there privately until his return to public service in 1996.
On 11 January 1996, in the wake of the murder of Elisa Izquierdo (1989-1995) by her mother and allegations that caseworkers at New York's Child Welfare Administration missed multiple opportunities to save her, Mayor Rudy Giuliani created the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) and appointed Scoppetta its first commissioner. Scoppetta held that position until 31 December 2001.
On 1 January 2002 Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed Scoppetta as 31st Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department. As the first commissioner after 9/11, much of Scoppetta's time was spent attending memorial services for the 343 firefighters who died in the attacks, and developing methods to address—and avoid—future tragedies. He was succeeded by Salvatore Cassano on 1 January 2010.
Throughout his long and varied career child welfare remained at the heart of Scoppetta's activities. He served on the board of the Children's Aid Society for sixteen years (and as its president between 1987 and 1993). In 1996 he founded New Yorkers for Children, the non-profit partner to the ACS. To honor his dedication, the ACS Children's Center at 492 First Avenue, Manhattan, was renamed the Nicholas Scoppetta Children's Center in 2013.
In 1963 Scoppetta married Susan Kessell, a social worker, with whom he had two children, Andrea and Eric. He died on 24 March 2016 at age 83, in hospice at Bellevue Hospital, Manhattan, next to the Nicholas Scoppetta Children's Center.
[This biography is drawn from the obituaries for Nicholas Scoppetta in the New York Times (26 March 2016) and New York Daily News (25 March 2016) and from his Wikipedia entry.]
Arrangement
The collection is organized in four series with the following subdivisions:
Series I. Criminal Justice, 1974-2015 (bulk, 1978-1982)
Subseries I.A. Criminal Justice: General, 1974-2015
Subseries I.B. Criminal Justice: Teaching Material, 1978-1982
Subseries I.C. Criminal Justice: Printed Material, 1941-2000
Series II. Child Welfare, 1988-2014 (bulk, 1988-2008)
Subseries II.A. Child Welfare: General, 1988-2014
Subseries II.B. Child Welfare: Printed Material, 1982-2012
Subseries II.C. Child Welfare: Audiovisual, 1996-2002
Series III. FDNY, 2001-2015 (bulk, 2002-2009)
Subseries III.A. FDNY: General, 2001-2015
Subseries III.B. FDNY: Audiovisual, 2002-2009
Series IV. Memorabilia, 1970s-circa 2009 (bulk, 2002-2009)
Subseries IV.A. Memorabilia: Photographs and awards, 1970s-2001
Subseries IV.B. Memorabilia: Political and lapel pins, commemorative medals, etc., 1978-2009
Material is sorted chronologically throughout each series and subseries, except for those groups of folders that were originally housed in accordion files. These files (among the few that Scoppetta labeled with any consistency) come at the end of the "General" subdivisions (see the container lists for Subseries I.A, II.A, and III.A, below). Labels have been transcribed as found, with clarification added in brackets.
All audiovisual material (for which N-YHS lacks playback equipment) is housed in Boxes 9 and 10.
Scope and Contents
Nicholas Scoppetta kept these files from each of his significant career roles over the last forty-odd years of his working life: Commissioner of Investigation for the City of New York (1972–1977), Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice (1976–1978), Professor at New York University School of Law (1978–1982), Commissioner of the Administration for Children's Services (1996-2001), and 31st Commissioner of the Fire Department of the City of New York (2002–2009). Also present is material from his long association with the Children's Aid Society, and from New Yorkers for Children, the non-profit arm of the Administration for Children's Services he founded in 1996.
Note that these appear to be Scoppetta's personal files, not his official working documents (which are likely still housed with their respective agencies), and so provide spotty coverage of his myriad duties. The researcher interested in a specific activity or event in Scoppetta's career should consult the chronological arrangement of the series described below to determine where information is likely to be found.
Much of the collection is printed matter: press releases and digests, internal memos, e-mail printouts, funeral and dedicatory programs, annual reports, conference proceedings, course readings, and so on. A number of Scoppetta's speeches and addresses, in draft and finished form—some with manuscript emendations—are scattered throughout. There is very little correspondence.
The collection includes a large amount of audiovisual material—VHS tapes, audiocassettes, CDs and DVDs—most of it on the theme of child welfare (see Subseries II.C in the container list, below).
Memorabilia in the form of photographs (of Scoppetta with significant figures like Mayor Abraham Beame and First Lady Barbara Bush), awards (including one signed by Hillary Rodham Clinton as United States Senator from New York), political pins (e.g., "NICK SCOPPETTA FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL" from his unsuccessful 1978 bid for that office), and lapel pins (many with post-9/11 sentiments) rounds out the collection (see Series IV in the container list, below).
Subjects
Organizations
People
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers EXCEPT for Box 6, Folder 12, which is RESTRICTED until 2070 because it contains confidential material on the murder of Elisa Izquierdo.
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as the Nicholas Scoppetta Papers, MS 3017, New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Susan Scoppetta, widow of Nicholas Scoppetta, 2016.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Processed by archivist Joseph Ditta, April-May 2017.
Repository
Series I. Criminal Justice, 1974-2015 (bulk, 1978-1982)
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series includes material from Scoppetta's positions as Commissioner of Investigation for the City of New York (1972–1977) and Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice (1976–1978). There is significant coverage of NYPD Detective Robert Leuci's cooperation with the Knapp Commission's investigation of police corruption. The series also contains course readings for the seminar Scoppetta taught for New York University School of Law—"The Administration of Criminal Justice"—between 1979 and 1982. A small amount of printed matter, much of it on police corruption, rounds out the series.
Arrangement
Series I is divided into three subseries, each arranged chronologically:
Subseries I.A. Criminal Justice: General, 1974-2015.
Subseries I.B. Criminal Justice: Teaching Material, 1978-1982.
Subseries I.C. Criminal Justice: Printed Material, 1941-2000.
Subseries I.A. Criminal Justice: General, 1974-2015
Scope and Contents
This subseries spans Scoppetta's years in the administrations of Mayors Beame and Lindsay in his capacity as Commissioner of Investigation for the City of New York (1972–1977) and Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice (1976–1978). It includes a significant amount of material on NYPD Detective Robert "Bob" Leuci's cooperation with the Knapp Commission's investigations into police and criminal justice system corruption (Box 1, Folders 11-16). Leuci's involvement inspired former NYPD Commissioner Robert Daley to write Prince of the City: The True Story of a Cop Who Knew Too Much (1978), which was later filmed by director Sidney Lumet.
Arrangement
The material is arranged chronologically (Box 1, Folders 1-10), followed by the contents of an accordion file Scoppetta labeled "Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice / Det[ective]. Bob Leuci" (Box 1, Folders 11-16). Newsclippings come at the end of this subseries (Box 1, Folder 17).
[Criminal Justice: Beame appointments], 1974, 1976, 2011
Scope and Contents Note
Certificates signed by Mayor Abraham D. Beame appointing Scoppetta Commissioner of Investigation (1 January 1974) and Chairman of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (1 March 1976). Includes a printout of a 2011 e-mail from Scoppetta, "My take on my five years as DOI Commissioner."
[Criminal Justice: General], 1977-1981
[Criminal Justice: "Getting Away With Murder"], 1978
Scope and Contents Note
Two copies of the Saturday Review, 10 June 1978, containing Nicholas Scoppetta's article "Getting Away With Murder: Our Disastrous Court System."
[Criminal Justice:] Police & Official / Corruption—Denver / Seminar, 1989 March 8
[Criminal Justice:] FBI Conference, 1990 June 10
Scope and Contents Note
Notes from the FBI's "Advanced Public Corruption Conference" held at Phoenix, Arizona.
[Criminal Justice: LaGuardia oral history], 1995
Scope and Contents Note
Two typescript copies (one annotated) of Scoppetta's oral history interview for the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York. Includes two letters from Richard K. Lieberman, Director of the Archives.
[Criminal Justice:] Police Comm. Re: Litigation Mayor v City Council, 1995
[Criminal Justice:] Re: Ex. Order City Council, 1995
[Criminal Justice: General], n.d.
Scope and Contents Note
Manuscript notes headed "What Do We Expect Our C. J. System To Do."
[Criminal Justice: Lindsay remembrance], 2015
Scope and Contents Note
Contains the book John V. Lindsay: 50th Anniversary Commemoration of His Election as Mayor of New York City, November 2, 1965. Reflections from More Than 260 Friends and Colleagues (McLean, Va.: International Publishers, 2015), to which Scoppetta contributed a remembrance (pp. 375-376). Lindsay appointed Scoppetta Commissioner of Investigation for the City of New York on 1 December 1972.
[Criminal Justice: Leuci] Relevant Notes / Leuci, 1970-1978
Scope and Contents Note
From an accordion file Scoppetta labeled "Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice / Det[ective]. Bob Leuci."
[Criminal Justice: Leuci] Bob Daley, Manuscript of "Prince of the City", circa 1977
Scope and Contents Note
Partial draft of Robert Daley's book Prince of the City: The True Story of a Cop Who Knew Too Much (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1978). From an accordion file Scoppetta labeled "Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice / Det[ective]. Bob Leuci."
[Criminal Justice: Leuci] Draft of LW's [Loudon Wainwright] Article on "Prince..." Investigation, n.d., 1981
Scope and Contents Note
With a photocopy of "A Dangerous Gift of Recall," another piece Wainwright wrote for LIFE Magazine (October 1981). From an accordion file Scoppetta labeled "Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice / Det[ective]. Bob Leuci."
[Criminal Justice: Leuci], 1974, 1978
Scope and Contents Note
Includes Department of Investigation memorandum to all NYC Administrators and Agency Heads regarding the "implementation of Mayoral Executive Order No. 21 dated 19 August 1970 and Mayoral Executive Order No. 1 dated 1 January 1974." With Scoppetta's remarks to Domestic and International Scientific Planning, Annalysis and Cooperation (DISPAC) Sub-Committee Hearings, 10 January 1978, and a copy of the First Annual Report of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice for the City of New York, January 1978. From an accordion file Scoppetta labeled "Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice / Det[ective]. Bob Leuci."
[Criminal Justice: Leuci] Knapp Commission / "Prince of the City" Articles (2 folders), 1974-1981
Scope and Contents Note
From an accordion file Scoppetta labeled "Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice / Det[ective]. Bob Leuci."
[Criminal Justice: Newsclippings], 1974, 1979, 1982, 2007
Scope and Contents Note
Five newsclippings, including Scoppetta's op-ed piece "Should Judges Jail Suspects?" from Newsday, 4 May 1979.
Subseries I.B. Criminal Justice: Teaching Material, 1978-1982
Scope and Contents
In 1978 Scoppetta joined the faculty of New York University School of Law as Director of the Institute of Judicial Administration and Professor of Law. In 1979 he took over from Adjunct Professor Richard H. Kuh the seminar "The Administration of Criminal Justice," which he taught until 1982.
Arrangement
Professor Kuh's course materials from the spring term of 1978 are found in Box 1, Folders 18-19. Scoppetta's adaptions follow and are arranged by seminar session number. Sessions 4, 9, and 11 were conducted on field trips, hence the lack of material for those meetings. Note the alternate version of session 12 (Box 2, Folder 4), presumably from the first (1979) iteration of the course.
[Kuh seminar: sessions I-XIII] (2 folders), 1978 Spring
[Scoppetta seminar: session 1] Syllabus and assignment instructions, 1979-1982
Scope and Contents Note
Includes two student papers.
[Scoppetta seminar: session 2] The Police, 1979-1982
[Scoppetta seminar: session 3] The Prosecutor and Prosecutorial Discretion, 1979-1982
[Scoppetta seminar: session 5] The Grand Jury, 1979-1982
[Scoppetta seminar: session 6] Bail and Pre-Trial Detention, 1979-1982
[Scoppetta seminar: session 7] Plea Bargaining (2 folders), 1979-1982
[Scoppetta seminar: session 8] The Exclusionary Rule, 1979-1982
[Scoppetta seminar: sessions 10 and 12] Sentences and The Media and Criminal Trials, 1979-1982
[Scoppetta seminar: session 13] Juveniles and the Criminal Justice System (2 folders), 1979-1982
[Scoppetta seminar: session 14] Alternatives to the Criminal Courts, 1979-1982
[Scoppetta seminar, 1979 iteration: session 12] The Trial Jury, 1979-1982
References, Bail & Media Law, "Criminal Court" -- Rothwax, 1979-1982
Subseries I.C. Criminal Justice: Printed Material, 1941-2000
Scope and Contents
A small amount of printed matter, mostly on the theme of police corruption.
Arrangement
This material is filed chronologically by date of publication.
Harold Seidman, Investigating Municipal Administration: A Study of the New York City Department of Investigation (New York: Columbia University Institute of Public Administration)., 1941
Scope and Contents Note
Bound photocopy.
Evaluation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, State of New York, 1975 April
Scope and Contents Note
Stamped "CONFIDENTIAL / LEAA EVALUATION / REPORT #70." [LEAA = Law Enforcement Assistance Administration]
State of New York Commission of Investigation, The Nadjari Office and the Press, 1976 November 18
Richard S. Winslow and David W. Burke, Rogues, Rascals & Heroes: A History of the New York City Department of Investigation, 1873 to 1992., 1992 June
Scope and Contents Note
Bound typescript version of revised book, below.
Richard S. Winslow and David W. Burke, Rogues, Rascals & Heroes: A History of the New York City Department of Investigation, 1873 to 1993 (New York City Department of Investigation Corruption Prevention and Management Review Bureau)., 1993
Scope and Contents Note
Published version of bound typescript, above.
The City of New York, Commission to Investigate Allegations of Police Corruption and the Anti-Corruption Procedures of the Police Department, Commission Report, 1994 July 7
Scope and Contents Note
Inscribed on flyleaf "NICK SCOPPETTA."
The City of New York, Commission to Combat Police Corruption, First Report of the Commission [loose typescript]., 1996 February
The City of New York, Commission to Combat Police Corruption, First Report of the Commission [bound version]., 1996 March 25
The City of New York, Commission to Combat Police Corruption, The New York City Police Department: The Role and Utilization of the Integrity Control Officer, 1996 December 12
The City of New York, Commission to Combat Police Corruption, The New York City Police Department's Disciplinary System: How the Department Disciplines Its Members Who Make False Statements, 1996 December 12
The City of New York, Commission to Combat Police Corruption, Executive Summary, 1996 December 12
Journal of Law and Policy vol. IX, no. 1., 2000
Scope and Contents Note
The David G. Trager Public Policy Symposium, "Behind Closed Doors: Secret Justice in America." Scoppetta sat on Panel III: Secrecy and the Juvenile Justice System. With an offprint of Panel III papers.
Series II. Child Welfare, 1988-2014 (bulk, 1988-2008)
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series contains items dating from before, during, and after Scoppetta's tenure as first Commissioner of the Administration for Children's Services (ACS), a position he held between 1996 and 2001. Also present are materials from New Yorkers for Children, the non-profit partner of ACS Scoppetta founded, along with some from the Children's Aid Society, where he was board president between 1987 and 1993.
Arrangement
Series II is divided into three subseries, each arranged chronologically:
Subseries II.A. Child Welfare: General, 1988-2014.
Subseries II.B. Child Welfare: Printed Material, 1982-2012.
Subseries II.C. Child Welfare: Audiovisual, 1996-2002.
Subseries II.A. Child Welfare: General, 1988-2014
Scope and Contents
Early in his career Scoppetta worked for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (the same agency that placed him in foster care at the age of five), but this subseries does not extend that far back. Instead it picks up a few years before his 1996 appointment as first commissioner of the newly-created Administration for Children's Services (ACS), carries through until his departure at on 31 December 2001, and continues until shortly before his death.
Arrangement
The material is arranged chronologically, with general items preceding the contents of specialized accordion files Scoppetta labeled "Child Welfare & ACS" (Box 5, Folders 7-12); "Reference Child Welfare" (Box 5, Folders 13-15); "Child Welfare / Important Reference" (Box 6, Folders 1-3); and "Child Fatality" (Box 6, Folders 4-8). The final folder in this subseries (Box 6, Folder 12) contains restricted material on the Elisa Izquierdo murder case (see the container list for details).
[Child Welfare: General], 1989-1990
[Child Welfare: General], 1991
[Child Welfare: General], 1993-1994
[Child Welfare: General] (2 folders), 1995
[Child Welfare: General] (3 folders), 1996
Scope and Contents Note
Folder 6 includes letters from Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger, Chief Judge of the State of New York Judith Kaye, Queens County District Attorney Richard A. Brown, and Congress Member for New York's 14th District Carolyn B. Maloney, congratulating Scoppetta on his appointment as first commissioner of the Administration for Children's Services.
[Child Welfare: General] (3 folders), 1997
[Child Welfare: General] (2 folders), 1998
[Child Welfare: General] (2 folders), 1999
[Child Welfare: General] (2 folders), 2000
Scope and Contents Note
Folder 16 includes a program from the ribbon cutting ceremony (16 November 2000) for the ACS Children's Center at 492 First Avenue, Manhattan, and architectural specifications for the building, which was renamed the Nicholas Scoppetta Children's Center in 2013.
[Child Welfare: General] (3 folders), 2001
Scope and Contents Note
Folder 3 holds contents from a binder, "Scan of Innovative Programs Supporting Children Without Guardianship, Presented to the Broad Foundation," 28 September 2001.
[Child Welfare: Wald Course] (4 folders), 2001
Scope and Contents Note
Course material for "Child Abuse and Neglect, Law 585," taught by Professor Michael Wald at Stanford Law School, Spring 2001.
[Child Welfare: General], 2002-2003
[Child Welfare: General], 2003-2004
[Child Welfare: General], 2005
[Child Welfare: General], 2006-2007
[Child Welfare: General], 2007
[Child Welfare: General], 2008-2010
[Child Welfare: New Yorkers for Children], 2009-2014
Separated Materials Note
Material relating to New Yorkers for Children, the nonprofit partner of ACS Scoppetta founded in 1996.
[Child Welfare: General] (3 folders), 2011-2013
Scope and Contents Note
Includes material on the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Honoree-Benefit, May 2012 (Folder 2).
[Child Welfare: General, undated] (3 folders), n.d.
Child Welfare & ACS (6 folders), 1996-2005
Scope and Contents Note
From an accordion file Scoppetta labeled "Child Welfare & ACS."
Child Welfare: Reference (3 folders), 1988-2001
Scope and Contents Note
From an accordion file Scoppetta labeled "Reference Child Welfare."
Child Welfare: Important Reference (3 folders), 2001-2007
Scope and Contents Note
From an accordion file Scoppetta labeled "Child Welfare / Important Reference."
Child Welfare: Child Fatality (5 folders), 1989-2000
Scope and Contents Note
With a sheet (in Folder 4) itemizing the contents of Folders 4-8:
I. ACS' Annual Reports (1989-1999) [NOTE: Only 1989-1995 present; Folders 6-8]
II. Fatality Statistics (Internal Excel Spreadsheets for cases in calendar years 1998-2000) [Folder 4]
III. Miscellaneous Newspaper Articles on Studies on Child Fatalities [Folders 4-5]
[Child Welfare: Marisol case] (2 folders), circa 1995-2011
Scope and Contents Note
Material relating to the lawsuit known as Marisol v. Giuliani, named for the girl (born 1990) around whom it centered. Her physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her mother and mother's boyfriend led to the reformation of New York City's flawed Child Welfare System.
[Child Welfare: Elisa Izquierdo case], 1995-1997
Scope and Contents Note
A memorandum and two copies of Scoppetta's statement, as Commissioner of the Administration for Children's Services (ACS), on the death of Elisa Izquierdo (1989-1995). Elisa was beaten to death by her mother in one of the most horrific instances of child abuse of the day. The case spurred Rudy Giuliani to replace New York's ineffective Child Welfare System with the ACS and to appoint Scoppetta its first commissioner.
[Child Welfare: Elisa Izquierdo case] RESTRICTED until 2070, 1996
Access Restrictions
Contains a confidential draft report of the New York City Child Fatality Review Panel (3 January 1996) and two copies of a memorandum regarding the same (9 February 1996), which, because they name caseworkers and Elisa Izquierdo's siblings, are RESTRICTED until 2070.
Subseries II.B. Child Welfare: Printed Material, 1982-2012
Scope and Contents
Printed matter on the subject of child welfare, mostly reports generated by the Association for Children's Services.
Arrangement
The material is filed chronologically by date of publication.
New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, In the Matter of the Adoption of Male Infant Landaverde . . ., 1982
Protecting the Children of New York: A Plan of Action for the Administration for Children's Services, 1996 December 19
New York City Administration for Children's Services, Outcome & Performance Indicators, Status Report I, 1998 June
Protecting the Children of New York: A Plan of Action for the Administration for Children's Services, second printing (2 copies), 1998 October
The City of New York Administration for Children's Services, Accountability Review Panel Report 1996 and 1997, 1998 December
The City of New York Administration for Children's Services, Accountability Review Panel Report 1998, 1998
The City of New York Administration for Children's Services, Accountability Review Panel Report 1999, 1999
NYC Administration for Children's Services, Division of Child Protection, Child Protective Services, Quality Improvement Management Plan and Outcomes, 1996-1999
The Administration for Children's Services, Division of Child Protection Child Protective Services Casework Practice Guide, first edition, 1999 June 7
NYC Administration for Children's Services, Reform Plan Indicators Status Report 2, 2000 March
NYC Administration for Children's Services, Realizing Reform: The Future of Children's Services in NYC [summary of conference proceedings], 2001 March 26-27
NYC Administration for Children's Services, Five Years of Reform in Children's Services, 1996-2001 Reform Update, 2001 March
NYC Administration for Children's Services, A Renewed Plan of Action for the Administration for Children's Services, 2001 July
NYC Administration for Children's Services, Transition Briefing Document, 2001 October 15
Scope and Contents Note
Has Scoppetta's annotations and loose, inserted notes.
NYC Administration for Children's Services, New York City's Child Welfare System: Status of Reform, New Yorkers for Children Annual Board Meeting, 2003 January 8
The Administration for Children's Services Strategic Plan Update, 2012 September
Administration for Children's Services (2 copies), n.d.
Subseries II.C. Child Welfare: Audiovisual, 1996-2002
Scope and Contents
A large number of audiocassettes, VHS tapes, and two CDs/DVDs on the theme of child welfare. Most of the audiocassettes appear to be recordings of site visits Scoppetta made as Commissioner of the Administration for Children's Services. The VHS tapes are both professionally produced and recordings made by Scoppetta and/or ACS staff of television appearances, conference proceedings, etc.
NOTE: The New-York Historical Society lacks audiovisual playback equipment.
Arrangement
This material is arranged first by format—audiocassette, CD/DVD, or VHS—and then chronologically, except for the first five VHS tapes (episodes of the "Great Depression" documentary), which, for reasons of space, are housed in Box 9. All other VHS tapes are in box 10.
[Audiocassette] Brooklyn 6/4/96 #1, 1996 April 6
[Audiocassette] Manhattan 6/6/96 #1, 1996 June 6
[Audiocassette] Manhattan THM 6/6/96 #2, 1996 June 6
[Audiocassette] Site visit 6/6/96 #1, 1996 June 6
[Audiocassette] Site visit 6/6/96 #4, 1996 June 6
[Audiocassette] Site visit 6/7/96 P.M. #5, 1996 June 7
[Audiocassette] Site visit 6/7/96 #6, 1996 June 7
[Audiocassette] EAC 6/10/96, 1996 June 10
[Audiocassette] Bronx THM 6/11/96 #1, 1996 June 11
[Audiocassette] Queens 6/13/96 #1 THM, 1996 June 13
[Audiocassette] Bed-Stuy 6/18/96 #1, 1996 June 18
[Audiocassette] Bed-Stuy 6/18/96 #2, 1996 June 18
[Audiocassette] All Things Considered, 5/8/97, "Foster Care in the Hood," 1997 National Public Radio, 1997 May 8
[Audiocassette] Joan Hollinger #1 6/26/98, 1998 June 26
[Audiocassette] Joan Hollinger #3 6/26/98, 1998 June 26
[Audiocassette] Non-profit boards & neighborhood-based services [labeled copy 2], 1999 December 20
[Audiocassette] Non-Profit Board & Neighborhood-Based Service 12/20/00 [labeled "copy 1"], 2000 December 20
[CD/DVD] ACS Speeches and miscellaneous, 2002 September
[CD/DVD] Who's Watching the Children? [bootleg], n.d.
[VHS] The Great Depression [episode 1]: A Job at Ford's, 1993
[VHS] The Great Depression [episode 2]: The Road to Rock Bottom, 1993
[VHS] The Great Depression [episode 3]: New Deal/New York, 1993
[VHS] The Great Depression [episode 5]: Mean Things Happening, 1993
[VHS] The Great Depression [episode 6]: To Be Somebody, 1993
[VHS] The Great Depression [episode 7]: Arsenal of Democracy, 1993
[VHS] Child Savers, reel #305, PBS [FRONTLINE], 1985 February 12
[VHS] Who Killed Adam Mann, Reel #1008, PBS [FRONTLINE], 1991 December 3
[VHS] NIJ Research in Progress, Cathy Spatz Widom, Ph. D., The Cycle of Violence Revisited Six Years Later, 1995 April
[VHS] Good Day N.Y., Eric Brett Schn[eider?] w/ Jim Ryan, 1996 April 12
[VHS] Searching for Family: Moments in the Lives of Children in Foster Care [documentary by Kathryn Hunt] (KCTS Television, 1997) [2 copies], 1997
[VHS] NYC Council Committee on General Welfare (Crosswalks Television Network), 1997 December 9
[VHS] Take This Heart [for Press Preview Only], 1998
[VHS] "Like it Is" [profile of ACS], 1998 February 8
[VHS] Wednesday's Child, 1998 September 9 & 16
[VHS] Council Committee on General Welfare (Crosswalks Television Network), 1998 September 10
[VHS] Silent Heroes: A Day in the Life of a Caseworker (ACS Video Unit), 1999
[VHS] TASA [Teen Services Act Program] Graduation, 1999
[VHS] ASFA [Adoption and Safe Families Act], Judge Sara Schecter, [1999]
[VHS] ASFA [Adoption and Safe Families Act] Conference, Cooper Union, Carol Williams and Judge Schecter, 1999 January 14
[VHS] Committee on General Welfare & Women's Issues (Crosswalks Television Network) [2 tapes], 1999 January 21
[VHS] Child Welfare Conference Shane Salter Speech, 1999 July 22
[VHS] Committee on General Welfare / Women Issues (Crosswalks Television Network) [2 tapes], 1999 October 22
[VHS] Charlie [Rose?] / CNS on NBC, 1999 November 1
[VHS] Robyn Brown-Manning Family to Family Conference (ACS Video Unit), 1999 November 15
[VHS] CNS on "Closeup," WB11 News, 1999 December 11
[VHS] Child Victims Model Courts Initiative, 2000 February
[VHS] Team Decisionmaking [sic] Involving the Family and Community in Child Welfare Decisions (Annie E. Casey Foundation), 2000 November
[VHS] ACS Conference media Coverage, 2001
[VHS] Interview with Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta (ACS Video Unit), 2001 February 2
[VHS] Family Separated, Channel 2 [CBS], 2001 April 26
[VHS] Children's Services Facility Walk-through inspection [2 tapes], 2001 August 22
[VHS] Best Talk with A.C.S. Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, n.d.
[VHS] Beyond the System: A future for teens in foster care (Youth Advocacy Center), n.d.
[VHS] Caseworker and Attorney review a case and prepare for for [sic] a court appearance (ACS Video Unit), n.d.
[VHS] Caseworker Testimony in TPR Inquest (ACS Video Unit), n.d.
[VHS] Child Welfare Panel [labeled "copy 1"], n.d.
[VHS] DLS Intake (ACS Video Unit), n.d.
[VHS] Expert Testimony in Fact Finding Hearing (ACS Video Unit), n.d.
[VHS] IDCFS Pathways to Development, n.d.
[VHS] Interview with a DLS Attorney (ACS Video Unit), n.d.
[VHS] Judge Schechter & Judge Larabee (ACS Video Unit), n.d.
[VHS] Listen and Learn: a youth documentary, n.d.
[VHS] NYS Child Protection PSA (ACS Video Unit), n.d.
[VHS] Rikers Island Visiting Program, n.d.
[VHS] Save Our Streets Show #312, n.d.
[VHS] Voices of Youth: Supporting Adolescents in Foster Care (Annie E. Casey Foundation), n.d.
[VHS] Welcome to ACS: The Administration for Children's Services (ACS Video Unit), n.d.
Series III. FDNY, 2001-2015 (bulk, 2002-2009)
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series covers Scoppetta's tenure as New York City's 31st Fire Commissioner, 2002-2009. Some earlier and later transitional items are present. Like the rest of the collection, these files appear to have been those Scoppetta kept at home, rather than his official, departmental files. As such, they are not comprehensive, and only hint at his daily working life.
Arrangement
Series III is divided into two subseries, both arranged chronologically:
Subseries III.A. FDNY: General, 2001-2015.
Subseries III.B. FDNY: Audiovisual, 2002-2009.
Subseries III.A. FDNY: General, 2001-2015
Scope and Contents
This subseries includes general material from Scoppetta's day-to-day activities as FDNY Commissioner. Note the files labeled "Vulcan Society" (Box 8, Folders 8-10), regarding the fraternal order of Black firefighters' discrimination lawsuit against the FDNY, which was settled in 2014.
Arrangement
The material is arranged chronologically, with general FDNY material (Box 7, Folder 5, through Box 8, Folder 3), followed by the contents of several accordion files Scoppetta labeled "Labor/Management" (Box 8, Folders 4-7); "Vulcan Society" (Box 8, Folders 8-10); and "MANAGEMENT (REFERENCE)" (Box 8, Folders 11-18). Photographs of Scoppetta at various FDNY events are filed in Box 9, Folder 1.
[FDNY: General], 2001
Scope and Contents Note
Includes a partially-filled spiral notebook labeled "FDNY 2001."
[FDNY: General] (2 folders), 2002
Scope and Contents Note
Folder 3 includes the FDNY Memorial Day Ceremony Plan (24 September 2002) with Scoppetta's speech (delivered 12 October 2002).
[FDNY: General], 2003-2004
[FDNY: General], 2004
Scope and Contents Note
Includes a copy of Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Understanding the New Security Environment. Readings & Interpretations by Russell D. Howard and Reid L. Sawyer (Guilford, Conn.: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2004), inscribed to Scoppetta, with the latter's synopsis of the text.
[FDNY: General], 2005-2007
[FDNY: General] (3 folders), 2008-2009
Scope and Contents Note
Includes printed FDNY Strategic Plan 2009-2010 (Folder 11) and accompanying material presented to the City Council on 29 October 2009 (Folder 13).
[FDNY: General], 2010
Scope and Contents Note
Includes "Fire Department of New York Transition Document," with Scoppetta's notes "Draft Transition Doc. / The Missing Section 12-8-09."
[FDNY: General], 2010-2011
[FDNY: General], 2012-2015
[FDNY: General, undated], n.d.
Scope and Contents Note
Includes undated speeches, drafts, and notes (8 items).
[FDNY:] Job Action; RTs, 2005-2007
Scope and Contents Note
From and accordion file Scoppetta labeled "Labor/Management."
[FDNY:] UFA Grievances (2 folders), 1996-2009
Scope and Contents Note
From and accordion file Scoppetta labeled "Labor/Management."
[FDNY: Firefighter exam booklets], 1999, 2002
Scope and Contents Note
From and accordion file Scoppetta labeled "Labor/Management."
[FDNY:] Vulcan Society (3 folders), 2008-2014
Scope and Contents Note
The Vulcan Society is a fraternal organization of black New York City firefighters. A lawsuit brought by the Vulcan Society against the FDNY alleging discrimination in hiring practices and was settled in 2014.
[FDNY:] Management (reference) (8 folders), 1998-2007
Scope and Contents Note
The contents of an accordion folder marked "MANAGEMENT (REFERENCE)," which includes a mix of FDNY, ACS, and training material that appears themed toward improving management of FDNY through expertise gained at ACS. Much of this material was loose; only two segments were foldered: "Harvard School of Public Health & Kennedy School" (Folder 13) and "Public Sector / Media & Gov't" (Folder 15).
[FDNY:] "Exhibits" (2 folders), 2000-2004
Scope and Contents Note
Printed matter labeled (with sticky notes) "Ex 1," "Ex 2," etc., through "Ex 9" (except for "Ex 8," which is missing). Presumably exhibits used for some FDNY court case or presentation.
[FDNY:] Excerpt from Ginger Otis Book, circa 2014
Scope and Contents Note
Scoppetta's manuscript comments and corrections on excerpts from Ginger Adams Otis's book Firefight: The Century-Long Battle to Integrate New York's Bravest (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2015). The New-York Historical Society Library holds a copy of the book under call number F128 TH9505.N5 O85 2015.
[FDNY: newsclippings], 2002-2010
Scope and Contents Note
From a file Scoppetta labeled "Diversity" that may cover other FDNY issues.
[FDNY: photographs], 2002-2009
Scope and Contents Note
Photographs of Scoppetta at various FDNY events, 2002-2009, with seven reproductions of historic Triangle Shirtwaist Fire images (25 March 1911).
Subseries III.B. FDNY: Audiovisual, 2002-2009
Scope and Contents
A small number of CDs and DVDs from Scoppetta's tenure as 31st FDNY Commissioner. Includes press clips, speeches, and television news profiles.
NOTE: The New-York Historical Society lacks audiovisual playback equipment.
Arrangement
These items are arranged chronologically.
[CD] Digital Digest / FDNY clips, 2002-2009
[CD] FDNY Speeches, 2004 June-2005 December
[DVD] FDNY Women Firefighters Appearance on Today in New York - WNBC, 2006 March 10
[DVD] News 12 Brooklyn Profile of Women FFs, 2006 April 4
[CD] E53 / Scoppetta, 2006 December 11
[CD] CNN Story on High-Rise Simulator, 2009 July 9
[DVD] September 11, 2009 Headquarters Ceremony FDNY Civilian Response (3 copies), 2009 September 11
[DVD?] NY1 / Cassidy, 2009 December 10
[DVD] New York Blood Center 50th Anniversary Videos, 2013 November 18
Scope and Contents Note
Scoppetta served on the board of the New York Blood Center, 2006-2015.
[CD] WTC Powerpoint, n.d.
Series IV. Memorabilia, 1970s-circa 2009 (bulk, 2002-2009)
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series contains photographs of Scoppetta, awards he received, political pins, awareness ribbons, and lapel pins, many with post-9/11 sentiments.
Arrangement
Series IV is divided into two subseries, both arranged chronologically:
Subseries IV.A. Memorabilia: Photographs and awards, 1970s-2001 (the last four items in this subseries appear out of strict chronological sequence because their size and/or format.
Subseries IV.B. Memorabilia: Political and lapel pins, commemorative medals, etc., 1978-2009.
Subseries IV.A. Memorabilia: Photographs and awards, 1970s-2001
Scope and Contents
This subseries contains photographs of Scoppetta with significant figures like Mayor Abraham Beame and First Lady Barbara Bush, and awards he received throughout his long career, including one signed by Hillary Rodham Clinton (Box 9, Folder 3).
Arrangement
This material is arranged chronologically, except for the last four items, which, because of their shape and/or size, are housed separately.
[Photograph] Scoppetta shaking hands with Abe Beame while former Mayor John V. Lindsay looks on., 1970s
[Photograph] Scoppetta posed with Abraham Beame and Deputy Mayor Judah Gribetz., 1970s
[Photograph] City Hall., 1970s
Scope and Contents Note
Photographic reproduction of a painting of City Hall, inscribed "To Nick Scoppetta, With very best wishes and affection, Abe Beame."
[Photograph] Scoppetta speaking outside the Children's Aid Society's Pelham Fritz Apartments, 12-21 West 118th Street, Manhattan., circa 1987-1993
[Photograph] Scoppetta shaking hands with Barbara Bush., 1989 April 24
Scope and Contents Note
With a letter from the First Lady thanking Scoppetta for her tour of the Children's Aid Society, 26 April 1989.
[Photograph] Scoppetta accepting an award from NYPD Commissioner William Bratton., 1996 January
[Photograph] Scoppetta with Rudy Giuliani., 1996 January 11
Scope and Contents Note
Inscribed "Nick, A good friend, and exceptional public official, and a terrific guy. With great affection, Rudy."
[Photograph] Scoppetta with Rudy Giuliani., 1998 May 15
Scope and Contents Note
Inscribed "Nick, You're doing a great job! Your friend, Rudy."
[Photograph] Michael Bloomberg, Nicholas Scoppetta, Rudy Giuliani, and Hillary Clinton seated at an event, possibly a 9/11 memorial., n.d.
[Photograph] Scoppetta playing chess with NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly., n.d.
[Photograph] Scoppetta with New York Governor Mario Cuomo., n.d.
[Certificate] The Congressional Coalition on Adoption / Angels in Adoption Awards, 2001 / is hereby presented to Nicholas Scoppetta., 2001
Scope and Contents Note
Signed by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sponsoring Member of Congress.
[Plaque] 1985 / Award / Presented to / Honorable Nicholas Scoppetta / From the Members / of the / Frank S. Hogan / Associates Inc., 1985
Scope and Contents Note
Scoppetta's badge as Assistant District Attorney for New York County is mounted on the plaque.
[Certificate] Children's Aid Society / Presented by the / Trustees / to / Nicholas Scoppetta / President / 1987-1993., 1993 October 20
Scope and Contents Note
With a reproduction of a historic photograph of children playing in a tenement-lined street.
[Poster] The Big Apple / You have to be a little crazy to live in New York, but you'd be nuts to live anywhere else. April '76., 1976 April
Scope and Contents Note
Inscribed "To my good friend Nick Scoppetta / With great affection and warm regards / Abe Beame."
Subseries IV.B. Memorabilia: Political and lapel pins, commemorative medals, etc., 1978-2009
Scope and Contents
Box 9, Folder 4 contains an FDNY 9-11 arm patch and six political pins: "NICK SCOPPETTA FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL" (circa 1978); "Rudy"; "NOVEMBER 8 / MIKE / BLOOMBERG / '05"; "VINCIAMO CON / BLOOMBERG / '05"; "We Want / F.D.R. / Again"; "ACS / Latino Empowerment for the Millennium / Empoderamiento Latino Para el Milenio / Latino Heritage Month 99"
The small leather case in Box 9 holds seven commemorative medals and about forty lapel pins / awareness ribbons, mostly from Scoppetta's time as FDNY Commissioner. With a bracelet inscribed "SERGIO VILLANUEVA / 9-11-01 FDNY LADDER 132."
Arrangement
The political pins are pinned to sheets of archival paper in Box 9, Folder 4. The lapel pins and commemorative medals, some of which are still sealed in the plastic pouches in which they came, are unsorted.