The bulls would then burst into the room wearing full police gear, sometimes even with authentic badges, and explain the penalties for violating sodomy laws or corrupting a minor.
As the NYPD division devoted to organized crime activity was connecting these incidents, one specific arrest revealed the true scope of the ring.
Detailed in William McGowan's article on the subject: "July 1965, Detective 3rd Grade James McDonnell received a call in the upstairs squad room of midtown Manhattan's 17th Precinct.
Aitken's subsequent interrogation revealed that "he had knowledge of an extortion ring that had shaken down dozens of prominent closeted homosexual men across the country—most of them married and with families.
There were three main ringleaders financing and overseeing operations across the country: John Pyne, a Chicago police department member who learned about blackmail from those he arrested.
In his 50s at the time of the extortion ring, John J. Pyne worked for the Chicago Police Department as a member of their Confidential Squad, responsible for dealing with cases of blackmail and other racketeering.
Among those confirmed, high-profile, victims were New Jersey congressman Peter Frelinghuysen Jr., and Admiral William Church, among several other government officials, a prominent surgeon, and a famous British producer.