FBI mafia hunter, NYPD commissioner John Pritchard dead at 75

By Jordan Fenster, lohud.com

In the 1980s, John S. Pritchard III led the FBI team that brought down the Genovese crime family. As Mount Vernon police commissioner a decade later, he reduced the crime rate by 20 percent. Later, he was tapped to root out corruption in Westchester County.

All that is true — Pritchard, who died Thursday at the age of 75, was a Mafia hunter and uncompromising police administrator — but his friends and family speak of him with both awe and warmth.

"He was an amazing man," said his wife, Anne.

Pritchard was born in Mount Vernon, growing up on Tecumseh Road. In 1996, when he became Mount Vernon's commissioner of public safety, he spoke with The New York Times about his youth.

"My parents moved here, back in the late '50s, from New York City,'' he told the Times. ''They moved here for really the same reasons that people still move here: a little piece of grass, some trees and a better way of life.''

As commissioner, Pritchard worked to create opportunities for young people in Mount Vernon, believing that to be the key to crime reduction, as he told The Journal News in 1996.

"We are our brother's keeper and we must spend time with the children, whether our own or others," Pritchard said.

It was Pritchard's upbringing that led to his inclusive method of policing, according to Joe Spinelli:

"He had a lot of empathy for people who were less fortunate than himself," Spinelli said. "He had a tremendous antenna and ability to involve the community in police work."

Spinelli, who would later go on to be the first-ever inspector general of New York state, was Pritchard's partner for seven years in the FBI. Together, along with soon-to-be FBI Director Louis Freeh, they worked on some of the most high-profile cases in the bureau's history.

They led the Crown Royal investigation, which uncovered the Mafia influence in professional boxing. They were part of the Abscam sting, leading to the conviction of one U.S. senator and seven members of the U.S. House, among others. They brought legendary Mafia boss Vincent "the Chin" Gigante to justice. They worked on the investigation that led to the capture of Atlanta serial killer Wayne Williams. They led the investigation into Wedtech, after which 20 state, local and federal government officials were convicted.

"John was someone who was a staunch believer in doing the job according to the Constitution," Spinelli said. "He was incisive, comprehensive, a tenacious investigator. He dedicated his life to law enforcement."

After the FBI, Pritchard was nominated by then-Gov. Mario Cuomo to be inspector general of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and chief of the NYC Transit Police.

But "his proudest moment would have been when he became the first deputy commissioner in the New York City Police Department," his wife said.

Pritchard was the first African-American to hold that post.

"He was a trailblazer," Spinelli said. "He set the tone."

He left the NYPD for Mount Vernon in 1996. At the time, Anne Pritchard told The Journal News that her husband had "come full cycle. It was an old-fashioned story of local man makes good."

"He was a native son of our city whose love for Mount Vernon guided his decision-making," Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas said in a statement. "John had a reputation for being willing to meet with anyone and to always having his door open. His example of community policing and connecting with the residents is something the department carries forward to this day."

Pritchard was later appointed Westchester County's first-ever inspector general, tasked with rooting out corruption in county government.

"Pritchard was a great guy," said William O'Shaughnessy, friend and president at radio station WVOX where Pritchard hosted a show. "Very low key, very unassuming, but a relentlessly gifted investigator."

But as much as his friends and family emphasize Pritchard's success as a cop, they speak in awe of his morality and demeanor.

"Forget law enforcement for a second. He was a great person. The only enemies John had were the people he put in jail," Spinelli said. "He was humble, to a fault sometimes. He had a heart as big as anyone I've ever met.

"On Sept. 13, a big piece of me died. We were brothers."

Pritchard leaves behind his wife, two children and six grandchildren.

A memorial service and celebration of Pritchard's life will be held on Friday, October 12th, 2018 at 11:00am at Forest Hills Funeral Homes Palm City, Florida.

Please feel free to share a remembrance, message of condolence or light a virtual candle with the family through this online guestbook.