"Well, it's nice to go out on a win" -  The simple departing phrase of police detective Leonard "Lennie" W. Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) on the legal drama LAW & ORDER/NBC/1990-2004.

In the spring of 2004, Detective Lenny Briscoe decided that he'd had enough of police work and put in for retirement after "30 years on the job."

He told his female supervisor Lt. Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkeson) with whom he worked for the past 11 years that she was the longest relationship he'd ever had with a women. To which she said "Pitiful."

Lenny's last case involved two wives who conspired to kill each others husbands. After one was sentenced to jail and the other was about to be indicted, Lenny said "Well, its nice to go out on a win."

Exiting his workplace for the last time, Lenny carried a small cardboard box filled with his few possessions. Leaving with little fanfare, (a few glances, a few nods), Lennie gave one quick look back at his fellow officers, and then quietly turned and left the 27th precinct for good.

TRIVIA NOTE: Over the years, Lennie's partners included Mike Logan (1992-1995); Rey Curtis (1995-1999) and Ed Green (1999-2004). Lennie served in the US Army as a corporal. He came from the 116th precinct and worked vice at the 13th precinct. His father was Jewish, but he was raised Catholic. He has two ex-wives, two daughters (Cathy -she died & Julia), struggles with alcoholism, likes sports, hates the beach and likes his pretzels extra salty. As for technology, Lennie was a technophobe and once said ""Don't no one send you no e-mail anyway!"

At the age of 69, actor Jerry Orbach (aka, Lennie Briscoe) died in of cancer in late December 2004.