More than fifty years after he was shot in the face during a Brooklyn drug bust, Frank Serpico still carries lead fragments in his head. For many, the name "Serpico" evokes the image of a bearded, bohemian Al Pacino in the 1973 film, but the real-life retired detective remains a living testament to the heavy cost of integrity. An Idealist in a "Mobbed Up" World
Unlike his peers, Serpico refused his share of extorted money, a decision that transformed him from a colleague into a "traitor" in the eyes of the force. The Whistleblower’s Price Serpico
The Man with the Bullet in His Brain: The Legacy of Frank Serpico More than fifty years after he was shot
Frank Serpico joined the NYPD in 1959 with a simple goal: to be a good cop. Instead, he found a department where systemic bribery was "business as usual". Serpico’s famous observation—that 10% of cops were absolutely corrupt, 10% were absolutely honest, and 80% just wished they were honest—highlighted a culture where staying quiet was the only way to survive. The Whistleblower’s Price The Man with the Bullet
Whistle-Blower? A Half-Century Ago in N.Y.C., It Was Serpico
More than fifty years after he was shot in the face during a Brooklyn drug bust, Frank Serpico still carries lead fragments in his head. For many, the name "Serpico" evokes the image of a bearded, bohemian Al Pacino in the 1973 film, but the real-life retired detective remains a living testament to the heavy cost of integrity. An Idealist in a "Mobbed Up" World
Unlike his peers, Serpico refused his share of extorted money, a decision that transformed him from a colleague into a "traitor" in the eyes of the force. The Whistleblower’s Price
The Man with the Bullet in His Brain: The Legacy of Frank Serpico
Frank Serpico joined the NYPD in 1959 with a simple goal: to be a good cop. Instead, he found a department where systemic bribery was "business as usual". Serpico’s famous observation—that 10% of cops were absolutely corrupt, 10% were absolutely honest, and 80% just wished they were honest—highlighted a culture where staying quiet was the only way to survive.
Whistle-Blower? A Half-Century Ago in N.Y.C., It Was Serpico