Triplets

(Above left, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly; above right, actor Charles Dierkop; left, Charles Manson)




Raymond Kelly has led a long and distinguished career in law enforcement. Before his current stint as NYPD Commissioner, which dates back to 2002, he was Commissioner of Customs for the US from 1998 to 2001, Undersecretary of Enforcement for the US Treasury from 1996 to 1998, and was first the NYPD Commissioner from 1992-1994. He has spent a total of thirty years with the NYPD, and also served as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps in Vietnam.

There is now talk that he may run for Mayor of New York when Bloomberg's current term is up.

Kelly bears a striking resemblance to actor Charles Dierkop, perhaps best known as Flat Nose Curry in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Kelly also resembles Charles Manson, who needs no introduction. All of them have that stunted growth look one tends to associate with deprived childhoods. And all three are rough contemporaries: Manson was born in 1934, Dierkop in 1936, and Kelly in 1941.

Dierkop got many of his roles because his short and muscular physique and broken nose gave him an intimidating appearance. Kelly also looks as if he could have played one of the outlaws in a Western, or any of the roles that James Cagney played. (One has to wonder how much Kelly's bulldog-like appearance has helped his career.)

Charles Manson had a similarly tough look, at least when he was young. Of course, in his case, his generally unkempt appearance and the swastika tattoo on his forehead also made him look crazy. (This look was not misleading.)

It is often said that men who become criminals and men who go into law enforcement are cut from the same cloth. If appearances don't deceive, that may be the case here.