He was receiving a tax-free disability pension. I knew the guy, he was pretty arrogant.
Once a year there is a charitable race up the steps of the Empire State Building. He made the mistake of winning it WHILE on disability pension!
The story (I don't remember the final outcome):
A 37-year-old man who won a race up the stairs of the Empire State Building on Wednesday was retired from the Fire Department with back injury four and a half years ago and has been receiving a taxfree disability pension of $11,822 a year, a Fire Department official said yesterday.
The retired fireman, August Gary Muhrcke of 121 East Neck Road, Huntington, L.I., led a field of 14 contestants up the 85 flights of stairs, finishing in 12 minutes, 32 seconds.
The First Deputy Fire Commissioner, Stephen Murphy, who is also acting chairman of the Fire Department Pension Fund Board, said that after seeing news reports of Mr. Muhrcke's climb he decided to ask the board to review his case.
Mr. Murphy said it was likely that Mr. Muhrcke would be re‐examined by pension board and Fire Department doctors who had ordered his retirement after more than 11 years of service.
https://www.nytimes.com/1978/02/17/archives/exfireman-who-raced-up-85-flights-faces-review-of-his-disability.html
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