May 8, 1973: Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York signs into law a series of bills designed to fight the possession and sale of narcotics. They become known as the Rockefeller Drug Laws.
"Rocky" had previously backed drug rehabilitation, job training and housing as strategies, having seen drugs as a social problem rather than a criminal one. But he did an about-face during a period of mounting national anxiety about drug use and crime. Having already made 3 failed attempts at the Republican Party's nomination for President, each shot down because he was considered unacceptable by the Party's conservative wing, he pushed the State legislature hard for the laws in his State of the State Address in January.
Under the new laws, the penalty for selling two ounces or more of heroin, morphine, "raw or prepared opium," cocaine, or cannabis (marijuana), or possessing four ounces or more of the same substances, was a minimum of 15 years to life in prison, and a maximum of 25 years to life. The original legislation also mandated the same penalty for committing a violent crime while under the influence of the same drugs, but this provision was subsequently omitted from the bill, and was not part of the legislation Rockefeller ultimately signed. The section of the laws applying to marijuana was repealed in 1977.
The adoption of the Rockefeller Drug Laws gave New York State the distinction of having the most severe laws of this kind in the entire United States. By the 1980s, the drug laws were a major reason for increased incarceration in New York City, as the New York Police Department started policing street-level drug markets much more intensively.
If Rockefeller's critics thought his drug laws were just a cynical maneuver to start him off on one more run for GOP's Presidential nomination in 1976, they miscalculated: On December 18, 1973, with a year left in his term, and with 2 years and change before voting for 1976 started, he resigned as Governor to run the Commission on Critical Choices for Americans. Malcolm Wilson, his Lieutenant Governor from day one of his Administration in 1959, assumed the Governorship, served out the last year of the 4th term, ran for a term of his own in 1974, and lost to Representative Hugh Carey.
When Gerald Ford became President following the resignation of Richard Nixon, he offered Rockefeller the Vice Presidency, and he held that job for the rest of the term. The conservative wing tried to stop his confirmation, and let him, and Ford, know in no uncertain terms, that he would not be accepted for the Vice Presidency in a full Ford term, or the Presidency himself if Ford didn't run. He died in 1979, under mysterious circumstances.
In 2002, attorney Meile Rockefeller was arrested during a protest of the laws bearing her grandfather's name. Eventually, the message got through, and the Rockefeller Drug Laws were scaled back in bills signed by Governors George Pataki in 2004 and David Paterson in 2009, with treatment becoming more of an option than incarceration.
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May 8, 1973 was a Tuesday. Game 4 of the NBA Finals was played at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 103-98. The Knicks won the title 2 days later in Inglewood.
Game 5 was played in the ABA Finals. The Indiana Pacers beat the Kentucky Colonels, 89-86 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum (now named the Corteva Coliseum). The Colonels won Game 6 in Louisville, before the Pacers won Game 7 on May 12, for their 3rd ABA Championship in 4 seasons.
Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals was played, and it turned into a slugfest at the Montreal Forum. The Chicago Black Hawks beat the Montreal Canadiens, 8-7. Stan Mikita scored 2 goals and had 2 assists. Jim Pappin also scored 2 goals. For the Canadiens, Claude Larose scored 2. Both Frank and Pete Mahovlich scored, with Frank assisting on Pete's goal, and also assisting on one by Henri Richard. However, 2 days later, in Chicago, the Canadiens won Game 7 and the Cup.
The 1st World Hockey Association season had ended 2 days earlier, when the New England Whalers beat the Winnipeg Jets in Game 5 of their Finals.
Football was out of season. And these Major League Baseball games were played:
* The New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins, 14-4 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. Mel Stottlemyre was the winning pitcher. Ron Blomberg went 2-for-4 with a home run and 4 RBIs. Thurman Munson went 3-for-5 with an RBI. For the Twins, Harmon Killebrew went 0-for-4, but Tony Oliva hit a home run.
* The New York Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves, 10-6 at Shea Stadium. Hank Aaron went 1-for-4 with a walk. His hit was not a home run. Davey Johnson hit 2 for the Braves. It would be another 13 years before he managed the Mets to win a World Series.
* The Montreal Expos beat the Houston Astros, 4-3 at Jarry Park in Montreal.
* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-1 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. Pete Rose went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Johnny Bench went 3-for-4 with a home run and 4 RBIs.
* The Cleveland Indians beat the California Angels, 2-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Gaylord Perry pitched a 4-hit shutout. Dave Duncan, now usually remembered as one of Tony La Russa's coaches on the teams he managed, hit a home run for the Indians. For the Angels, Frank Robinson went 2-for-4.
* The Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox, 1-0 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Eddie Fisher (6 2/3rds innings, not to be confused with the 1950s singer) and Terry Forster combined for a 3-hit shutout. Carl Yastrzemski went 0-for-3 with a walk.
* The Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-3 at Milwaukee County Stadium.
* The Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers, 7-2 at Royals Stadium (now Kauffman Stadium) in Kansas City. Al Kaline went 1-for-3 with a walk.
* The Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres, 3-2 at San Diego Stadium (later Jack Murphy Stadium and Qualcomm Stadium). Joe Pepitone -- yes, he played for the Cubs toward the end of his career -- doubled Ken Rudolph home in the top of the 12th inning.
* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-4 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Willie Stargell hit 2 home runs, and Al Oliver 1, but those accounted for all of the Pirate runs, and it wasn't enough.
* The San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-7 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
* And the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland Athletics were rained out at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader on July 6. The A's won the opener, 7-5. Catfish Hunter outpitched Jim Palmer, despite home runs from Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell and Al Bumbry. The O's won the nightcap, 5-3. Dave McNally outpitched Vida Blue. Merv Rettenmund and Enos Cabell homered for the O's, Bill North and Deron Johnson for the A's. Over the 2 games, Reggie Jackson went 1-for-8.
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