Frank Serpico

Frank Serpico, born on April 14, 1936, is a retired detective from the New York City Police Department, renowned for his courageous stand against police corruption. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he served as a plainclothes officer in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan, where he dedicated himself to exposing vice racketeering and the pervasive corruption within the police force.

In 1967, Serpico bravely reported credible evidence of widespread corruption among his colleagues, but his efforts went largely unacknowledged. His persistence culminated in 1970 when he played a pivotal role in a front-page exposé in The New York Times, which brought national attention to the issue. This led to the establishment of the Knapp Commission, appointed by Mayor John V. Lindsay to investigate the allegations of corruption.

On February 3, 1971, Serpico was shot in the face during an arrest attempt in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The bullet severed an auditory nerve and left fragments lodged near his brain. The circumstances of the shooting raised suspicions that he may have been set up by fellow officers, although no formal investigation was conducted. The shooter, Edgar Echevarria, was later convicted of attempted murder.

Serpico's legacy was further solidified with the release of the 1973 film 'Serpico,' in which Al Pacino portrayed him, based on the book by Peter Maas. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the 'Saint Michael Archangel Prize' by the USA Section of ANPS on June 27, 2013, during which he also gained Italian citizenship and received an Italian passport.