i remember the 80z well. in NY they were closing the mental hospitals - pilgrim state, then kings park - mario cuomo covertly was placing the patients in residential neighborhoods. the state was buying up long island foreclosures. staffing them with nurses aids, lpn, rn and a visiting dr. patients had their own rooms. staff would cook/clean on premises.

no one knew about these patients living in their neighborhoods til one day one patient 'got loose'. he was pissing on a sidewalk in ronkonkoma out in his underwear.

once the press got wind of this the story broke. we were amazed at how many of these 'homes' were all over LI.