Speaking of the 70s (on another thread) remember the brief but (as I recall) enjoyable TV series in the early part of that era named "Longstreet", starring James Franciscus as a blind investigator who lived in New Orleans?

That's what I wondered if this was going to be like...may have been inspired by it. But listen to that dialogue between Gwynne and Earl Hammond's ("fingers") characters as the detective confronts the crook whose actions ended up blinding the former.

Nice choice.