I have a friend who lives just outside of Syracuse and he advised that in order to get a pistol permit anywhere in New York state, the applicant has to be "approved" by the local judge and/or police chief. New York state (albeit separate and more "lenient" than NYC) is not a "shall issue" state and the notion that you might have to "suck up" to the local magistrate just to secure a right to self-defense is repugnant to me.