Free Republic

They had juice, but who knew how much? Some of the most recognizable names in former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's inner circle were granted police permits to carry arms even as the number of handgun licenses issued by the city dropped nearly a quarter from the start of his administration, according to NYPD documents obtained by Newsday. The one-time mayoral aides appear on a shrinking list of licensees. Nearly 30,000 carry permits were on the books in 1981; as of Aug. 31, the number was down to 3,389. Permits are down in every category except retired law-enforcement officers, driven by the...