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the Southern District of New York. Here Freeh rose quickly and prosecuted many major FBI cases, including the notorious "Pizza Connection" case and the "VANPAC" mail bomb case. He was appointed a U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York in 1951. on July 20, 1993, President Clinton nominated hin to be FBI Director. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August -6, 1993, : Freeh began his tenure with a clearly articulated agenda that would respond both to deepening crime problems and to a Climate of government downsizing. In his oath of office speech he called for new levels of cooperation among law enforcement agencies, both at home and abroad, and he announced his intention to restructure the FBI in Order to maximize its operational response to crime. ‘ Six weeks after taking office,. he announced a major reorganization to streamline Headquarters operations of the For. Many management positions were abolished. Selected divisions and offices were merged, reorganized, or abolished. Soon after, Freeh ordered the transfer of 600 Special Agents serving in administrative positions to investigative positions in field offices. To revitalize an aging Agent work force, Freeh gained @pproval to end a 2-year hiring freeze on new Agents. Freeh also instituted changes which affected current FEI employee policies and Standards of conduct. These chances strengthened the FBI's traditionaliy high requirements for personal conduct and ethics, and established a "bright line" between what would be acceptable and what would not. In continuation of the FBI’s commitment to the advancement of minorities’ and women within the ranks of the organization, in October, 1993, Freeh appointed the first woman, the first man of Hispanic descent, and the second man of African- American descent to be named Assistant Director. In late 1993, Freeh was given a simultaneous @ppointment to serve.as Director of the Department of Justice’s new Office of Investigative Agency Policies. Fron this position, he has been able to work effectively with law enforcement agencies within the Department of Justice to Gevelop” close cooperation on criminal lay enforcement issues, including Sharing information on drug intelligence, automation, firearms, and aviation support, Also in late 1993, Freeh moved strongly to dramatize the importance of international cooperation on organized crime issues. Re traveled to Sicily to honor his late friend and colleague Giovanni Falcone, who had been killed in a bomb blast with his wife and three bodyquards the year before. On the steps of the Palatine Chapel cf the Palace of the Normans, in the face of the Mafia presence, Freeh Challenged the Sicilian people "to Oppose them with 20