Vincent DeSimone
Encyclopedia
Vincent J. DeSimone, Jr. (1918 – 1979) was the Chief of Detectives of Passaic County, New Jersey
, USA
. In 1966, he became known as the lead detective in the homicide
case at Lafayette Grill
, Paterson, New Jersey. His handling of eyewitnesses was criticized by supporters of the accused 1 and the federal court later wrote about the special treatment of key witness Bello by the police: "His [Bello's] motivation was crystallized when, shortly after the trial, police officers and others tried to help him obtain a $10,000 reward offered to persons providing information that led to the arrest and conviction of the Lafayette Bar killers"5.
In 1969 he resigned from his job as the result of a dispute about the way that a murder investigation was being handled (which was, according to an unnamed county attorney quoted in his obituary, "the only thing that a respectable law enforcement man could do" in the situation), and for a year worked as warden of the Passaic County jail, until he was re-hired by a new county prosecutor.1
DeSimone was facially disfigured
, his face having been hit by a bullet during his service in World War II
. Although he underwent nineteen plastic surgery
operations, it was never fully restored.²
7. There is no evidence that this is a correct description of DeSimone, and the partial disclaimer
in the movie credits
states, "some characters have been composites or invented, and a number of incidents fictionalized."6. Unlike the character in the film:
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1966, he became known as the lead detective in the homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
case at Lafayette Grill
Rubin Carter
Rubin "Hurricane" Carter fought professionally as a middleweight boxer from 1961 to 1966. In 1966, he was arrested for a triple homicide in the Lafayette Bar and Grill in Paterson, New Jersey...
, Paterson, New Jersey. His handling of eyewitnesses was criticized by supporters of the accused 1 and the federal court later wrote about the special treatment of key witness Bello by the police: "His [Bello's] motivation was crystallized when, shortly after the trial, police officers and others tried to help him obtain a $10,000 reward offered to persons providing information that led to the arrest and conviction of the Lafayette Bar killers"5.
In 1969 he resigned from his job as the result of a dispute about the way that a murder investigation was being handled (which was, according to an unnamed county attorney quoted in his obituary, "the only thing that a respectable law enforcement man could do" in the situation), and for a year worked as warden of the Passaic County jail, until he was re-hired by a new county prosecutor.1
DeSimone was facially disfigured
Disfigurement
Disfigurement is the state of having one's appearance deeply and persistently harmed medically, as from a disease, birth defect, or wound.Disfigurement, whether caused by a benign or malignant condition, often leads to severe psychosocial problems such as negative body image; depression;...
, his face having been hit by a bullet during his service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Although he underwent nineteen plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
operations, it was never fully restored.²
Comparison with Vincent Della Pesca
DeSimone was portrayed in the movie The Hurricane as "Lt. Vincent Della Pesca", an obsessed racist out to get Rubin CarterRubin Carter
Rubin "Hurricane" Carter fought professionally as a middleweight boxer from 1961 to 1966. In 1966, he was arrested for a triple homicide in the Lafayette Bar and Grill in Paterson, New Jersey...
7. There is no evidence that this is a correct description of DeSimone, and the partial disclaimer
All persons fictitious disclaimer
An all persons fictitious disclaimer is a disclaimer in which a work of media states that all persons portrayed in it are fictitious. This is done to reduce the possibility of legal action for libel from any person who believes that he or she has been libeled via their portrayal in the work .Such a...
in the movie credits
Credit (creative arts)
In general, the term credit in the artistic or intellectual sense refers to an acknowledgement of those who contributed to a work, whether through ideas or in a more direct sense.-Credit in the arts:...
states, "some characters have been composites or invented, and a number of incidents fictionalized."6. Unlike the character in the film:
- DeSimone had never met Carter before the murders, and so had not hounded him as a child. 3 4
- DeSimone could not have threatened Carter's Canadian supporters immediately prior to the 1985 federal hearing, since he died in 1979. 1 3
- Obviously, he couldn't be present at the 1985 trial, either. 1 3