Lieutenant Joe Peroni was with the Hawthorne, California drug squad. He was a veteran officer having served for over thirty years starting as a uniformed patrolman. As was typical for long service professionals, Peroni had a habit of telling stories of his experiences. Unlike many, he was actually very good at it. One day, at the end of a slow shift, he was telling Dets. Ralph Sandars and Willie Payne a story from the days when he was a uniformed officer. When he got to the punchline Sandars laughed loudly and sincerely but Payne laughed so had he accidentally knocked over his Coke.