In 1941 , during World War II , the U.S. Department of War began to use the area as a Navy base . The Army used Rodman 's Neck again in the 1950s during the Cold War , building a radar fire control center there . In 1959 , the peninsula 's operation was transferred to the NYPD who built the current firing range at the peninsula 's southern tip . Early signs at the entrance said , " NYPD Pistol Range " . In 1976 , one NYPD Officer was killed and another was badly injured in The Pit when a bomb went off accidentally
bomb
TWA Flight 355
Rodman's Neck