Frank Serpico had always been a hero of mine. From reading the book to watching the film to seeing his Biography episode. Being a cop it was easy to look up to the man. How he got screwed by the NYPD made me hold him in even higher regard.
For those who don't know the story, Paco was a New York cop during a very corrupt time. He did his best to ignore the cops around him who were on the take but eventually felt his life was in danger by the "dirty" cops who didn't trust him. He was too honest. Serpico went to some friends in the department and to a newspaper journalist for help.
Soon after while attempting to arrest a wanted guy in his apartment building Serpico was shot in the face and left lying to die by his fellow cops. After he survived his wounds he blew open the corruption within the department. I believe it was called the Knapp Commission which held hearings leading to the arrests and firings of many police. Serpico retired from the force and was a bit of a vagabond for many years and now in his 70's lives in Stuyvesant, NY (Up state).
My former police chief, Neil Behan, was a former assistant commissioner in the NYPD and had spoke about Serpico and insinuated that he was one of the guys Serpico trusted.
I had found Serpico's website and thought I'd write him. I sent him an email mentioning how Behan had spoke of him and that I had admired him and what he had went through.
The next day I received an email from Vince Serpico who said his was Frank's nephew and was pretty much the middle man in contacting Frank as Frank doesn't own a computer but does use a computer at the library. He said he passed my message on to Frank.
The next day, June 2, 2005, I received an email from Frank Serpico thanking me for writing and asking if I thought Behan was a 10%'er or 80%'er. (Serpico believes that 10% of cops are honest, 80% are not and the other 10% are iffy.) Frank finished the email by writing that he would call me and we'd talk about it.
When I got home from work I checked the caller ID and saw F. Serpico had called. (He had the spelling differently but I'll keep his identity secret as it is a listed number)
I had missed his call. The rest of the day I was a nervous as hell. I felt like a school girl waiting for my boyfriend to call. Finally around 7:30pm he called again. I couldn't believe it. I thanked him for calling and then we discussed our mutual acquaintance, Behan. Needless to say Frank, or Paco, as his friends call him, had nothing good to say about Behan. Apparently Behan's story is a little exaggerated as to how he helped Serpico.
We talked about his career and about corruption in general. I have to say the man did most of the talking and genuinely enjoyed telling his stories. I was however surprised to see how liberal the man is and somewhat radical in his dislike for Bush/Cheney.
We talked for over 90 minutes. My ear was sore and my cordless phone was dying but I wouldn't hang up until he was ready.
He told me to call him anytime and I have his number from the caller ID but I have to say I don't have the nerve to call him as I don't have anything really to say to him.
Hey Paco, this is Greg from Baltimore, what's up dawg?, just wouldn't cut it.
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Hey man. Neil Behan is one of history's greatest phonies. There is absolutely zero evidence that he ever passed along Paco's revelations. Having stunk up NYC with his disgraceful conduct, Behan was hired by the corrupt politicians of Balto. Co. precisely because they knew he was no threat to them! I and other Balto. Co. whistleblowers were harassed by Behan's dept., which I found to be the most corrupt bunch of people I have ever met.
Hey Greg baby. Do you want to trade info on the most corrupt of your pals at the Balto. Co. Police Dept.? How about Andy King, Richard Hann, James Chaconas, and others? How about it, huh?
Hey Greg,
I asked someone who used to work for Balto. Co. if Behan was corrupt. His answer: "He's the Teflon Don; they'll never get anything on him."
Does that sound like the way anyone would describe an honest individual?
Behan's little pet, Mark Spurrier, got together with a bunch of the other "community policing" political clique at liberal Johns Hopkins U., and took over law enforcement at NOAA, despite having zero qualifications. After they ran NOAA as a racket, with the Inspector General closing in, Spurrier advised his criminal colleagues to shred all the relevant documents.
That's the legacy of Cornelius Behan.
Dear Greg,
I just finished reading an article that Frank Serpico wrote, and I was hoping to compliment him on it, and express my gratitude for all he tried to do to expose the corruption he faced. I know it wouldn't be right to have you post his nephew's email, but if there is a way you could contact me at my email, maybe I could forward my compliment that way. My email is slvrwlf1@gmail.com. Thank you.
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