WOW! great job Mac!!

My answer above was firtst intended to be facetious rather than speculative.

Having looked on the web under many references, the one that makes most sense to me is for National Fatherhood Initiative...an apparent non-profit social cause...

While there are commercial and consumer choices also on the web for those initials,.... I've never really noticed an overt product plant in any Columbo episode.

I don't think Peter would wear something he was uncomfortable with... but I do think he might promote some cause...but this is all just speculation on my part.

WIKIpedia indicates that The National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) "was founded on March 7, 1994 by Don Eberly, a civil society scholar.' This episode aired in 1991. The Nederlands Forensisch Instituut (NFI) (Dutch Forensic Institute) was formed in 1999 with the merging of the Gerechtelijk Laboratorium (Judicial Laboratory) and the Laboratorium voor Gerechtelijke Pathologie (Laboratory for Judicial Pathology).

The mystery persists.

Bob I just wanted to thank you for all for your answers. I really think today's answer is a good one.
-hbe

WOW! great job Bob!!

In those times, there was in my home country an NFI: the Nederlands Forensisch Instituut (which of course stands for: forensic institute of the Netherlands). Why Colombo would wear their cap, even when thatt is in a scene in which he is looking for tracese of a purp., I coyld not say. The Institute changed name a few years ago, and you most likely wouldn't find em on internet, they are rather covert.

It's probably the national fisheries institute. Their logo even uses the same font http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Fisheries_Institute I can imagine columbo being given a free hat by a seafood trader or someone :) only took 9odd years and a google search :-)

It's probably the national fisheries institute. Their logo even uses the same font http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Fisheries_Institute I can imagine columbo being given a free hat by a seafood trader or someone :) only took 9odd years and a google search :-)

You'll find the answer at this link, oddly enough:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=8045131

Copied below:

"kwassa (22,426 posts)
108. NFI

If you look at old "Columbo" episodes on tv, you will eventually see one where Columbo is wearing a baseball cap with the letters NFI on it. I've seen it.

My friend's brother, who was a friend of Peter Falk, wore such a cap onto the set one day. Peter asked him what NFI stood for. The brother said "No ******* idea".

Falk thought this hilarious. He asked for a hat just like it, and wore it on the show."

NFI has to do with his Alzheimer's Disease. It's the type "NFI" of Neurological Damage Peter Falk had.

That's amazing and hilarious. I'm watching the episode now. Thanks so much for explaining something that no one would have ever figured out.