Robert Leuci
Encyclopedia
Robert Leuci is a former New York City Police detective known for his work exposing corruption in the police department and the criminal justice system. Since his retirement from the NYPD he has written novels, short stories, TV episodes and a memoir of his years on the force. He has taught and had residencies at over forty universities and law schools. In addition he has lectured on morality and ethics erosion at most of the nation’s police departments as well as the FBI academy in Quantico
, Virginia. Leuci knew Frank Serpico
, known for being the first officer to expose corruption within the police department ranks. The book and the film Prince of the City
are based on a portion of Leuci's police career.
, New York, on February 28, 1940, to an Italian family. He is the son of James Leuci, a union official, and Lucy, a housewife. Right after his birth the family moved to Ozone Park, Queens, where he attended John Adams High School. He was a better than decent high-school and sandlot baseball and football player. After high school he attended Baker University
in Kansas, New York University
, Fordham University
as well as The New School
For Social Research.
As a rookie cop, he was assigned to the 100th Precinct in Rockaway Beach, Queens
. A quiet precinct, he soon realized that the steadiness of his first assignment was not exactly what he had expected to do as a cop. In 1962 he obtained a transfer to TPF (Tactical Patrol Force), where he worked the Manhattan North and South Bronx
precincts. In TPF he worked in the city’s highest crime areas, he was the first at demonstrations and riots; he worked steadily, from six at night until two in the morning, the hottest hours. He was a member of the most elite uniformed police force in New York City and in the country.
The heroin epidemic was spreading a plague that would devastate the city for many years. Leuci established relationships with street contacts and became one of the top arresting officers in the division. People skills and street sense, combined with dedication and courage, propelled Robert Leuci to the rank of Detective, and he was transferred to the Narcotics Bureau when he was only 24 years old. Undercover work was his specialty and the results were immediate. He created a network of field informants that led him to score numerous important cases. One of his first assignments was as a high-school student who easily bought drugs there. His boyish looks earned him the nickname “Baby-face” a trademark that would come to haunt him during his entire career in narcotics and for many years after.
It wasn’t long before Leuci, through his excellent record, expertise and determined attitude, rose into upper echelons of the squad entering the “SIU”, the Special Investigative Unit of the narcotics bureau, which was an elite unit formed by top detectives. He said, “Sitting in on my first SIU meeting my senses blazed”. In SIU, street dealers’ cases no longer represented his team’s objective. The unit aimed to find the major sources of drug distribution in the country and make cases against South American or other foreign cartel operatives. Two of the division’s veterans, Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso were the star cops who busted an international drug ring called “The French Connection". Their arrest resulted in the biggest narcotics seizure of that time: 112 Lb of heroin that was smuggled in the US from France. Robert Daley, in his book Prince of the City noted, "They were not ordinary detectives, they were SIU detectives."
been caught in the grip of various forms of institutionalized corruption. The late 1960s were the times in which NYPD officers like Frank Serpico
and David Durk began their battle against widespread corruption within the NYPD. It was because of Serpico and Durk that Leuci's life changed forever. In the 1970s both Frank Serpico and David Durk both believed that Robert Leuci was the only honest detective in the New York City Police Department's narcotics bureau. They were wrong. It was the day in which Leuci's daughter Santina was born that his stomach wrenching introspection regarding what the, “right thing to do” was, from that moment forward began.
In 1970, as a result of Serpico's and Durk’s revelations, New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay, along with an initial five-member investigative committee, created the Knapp Commission
, which was named after his Chairman, Judge Whitman Knapp
. Soon thereafter, the commission began questioning several members of the force, from patrolmen to high-ranking officials. Serpico and Durk both asked Leuci if he would speak to a man by the name of Nick Scoppetta, an Assistant US Attorney. Leuci and Scoppetta developed a close relationship almost immediately. Leuci pointed out that the Knapp commission was focused only on the police and that was ridiculous.
The criminal justice system in New York City was corrupt as well and the police were working within a system that had been in place for fifty years or more. Leuci told Scoppetta he would not be involved in an investigation that focused solely on the police department. However, if Scoppetta was willing, Leuci would do the undercover work of an investigation into the entire system. Scoppetta agreed and soon Leuci found that he had jumped onto the back of a tiger from which there was no way to get off once the work began. Leuci was given a code name: Sonny. Scopetta and his colleague Michael Shaw soon understood Leuci's emotional conflict about what he was being asked to do. They supported him knowing it would be the start of harsh times for law enforcement in the city of New York. From that moment on, Bob was wearing a wire whenever he had to meet with any of the subjects the group was after. Future New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
too was part of the investigation. It was a short time later that Giuliani became the US Attorney for the Southern District. A strong sense of kinship underscored the work Bob, Giuliani, Scoppetta and Shaw did together.
Soon after Leuci had joined the TPF in his early years on the force, the harsh reality of what he called “Court Fixers”, bail bondsmen, ADAs, court clerks and lawyers became apparent. It seemed to him that they often tried to buy acquittals for felons, people that Leuci dealt with on an almost daily basis. Leuci exposed all of that, the investigative panel made full use of him, whose psyche often skirted very close to madness. Because this work posed potential life threats, Leuci and his family were guarded by armed agents on a 24-hour basis.
Leuci's cooperation lasted two years, after which the SIU no longer existed. Detectives, other officers, along with lawyers, and many who had tied into the aforementioned corrupt criminal justice system, were tried in court and imprisoned. Some of his colleagues had in the interim taken their lives as the pressure that mounted throughout the investigation.
The investigation ended in 1972 and, ultimately, the Federal Government decided not to prosecute Leuci noting his efforts and the risks he and his family had taken. His experience inspired former NYPD Deputy Commissioner Robert Daley
, who had become a writer since retirement. In 1978, through Leuci’s recount of this story and Daley’s pen, the best-selling book “Prince of the City” was published. By that time, Leuci’s future in the Department had taken a toll but he continued working at the Academy as a lecturer, and in the Internal Affairs Division until his retirement in 1981. That same year acclaimed director Sidney Lumet
and executive producer Jay Presson Allen
adapted the book to a highly critically acclaimed though financially disappointing movie. Award-winning actor Treat Williams
portrayed Bob’s role.
. He lives on the Narragansett Bay
with his second wife and life’s companion Kathy.
Quantico, Virginia
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there are 561 people, 295 households, and 107 families living in the town. The population density is . There are 359 housing units at an average density of .-Racial composition:...
, Virginia. Leuci knew Frank Serpico
Frank Serpico
Francesco Vincent Serpico is a retired American New York City Police Department officer who is most famous for testifying against police corruption in 1971...
, known for being the first officer to expose corruption within the police department ranks. The book and the film Prince of the City
Prince of the City
Prince of the City is an American crime drama film about an NYPD officer who chooses to expose police corruption for idealistic reasons. The character of Daniel Ciello was based on real-life NYPD Narcotics Detective Robert Leuci and the script was based on Robert Daley's 1978 book of the same name...
are based on a portion of Leuci's police career.
Early years
Robert Leuci was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, on February 28, 1940, to an Italian family. He is the son of James Leuci, a union official, and Lucy, a housewife. Right after his birth the family moved to Ozone Park, Queens, where he attended John Adams High School. He was a better than decent high-school and sandlot baseball and football player. After high school he attended Baker University
Baker University
Baker University is a private, residential university located in Baldwin City, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools...
in Kansas, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
as well as The New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
For Social Research.
NYPD career
At the age of nineteen Leuci took the test to enter the New York City Police Academy, a dream he had since childhood. At twenty-one he graduated, becoming a sworn member of New York’s police force.As a rookie cop, he was assigned to the 100th Precinct in Rockaway Beach, Queens
Rockaway Beach, Queens
Rockaway Beach is a neighborhood on the Rockaway Peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located on the South Shore of Long Island. The neighborhood is bounded by Arverne to the east and Rockaway Park to the west...
. A quiet precinct, he soon realized that the steadiness of his first assignment was not exactly what he had expected to do as a cop. In 1962 he obtained a transfer to TPF (Tactical Patrol Force), where he worked the Manhattan North and South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
precincts. In TPF he worked in the city’s highest crime areas, he was the first at demonstrations and riots; he worked steadily, from six at night until two in the morning, the hottest hours. He was a member of the most elite uniformed police force in New York City and in the country.
The heroin epidemic was spreading a plague that would devastate the city for many years. Leuci established relationships with street contacts and became one of the top arresting officers in the division. People skills and street sense, combined with dedication and courage, propelled Robert Leuci to the rank of Detective, and he was transferred to the Narcotics Bureau when he was only 24 years old. Undercover work was his specialty and the results were immediate. He created a network of field informants that led him to score numerous important cases. One of his first assignments was as a high-school student who easily bought drugs there. His boyish looks earned him the nickname “Baby-face” a trademark that would come to haunt him during his entire career in narcotics and for many years after.
It wasn’t long before Leuci, through his excellent record, expertise and determined attitude, rose into upper echelons of the squad entering the “SIU”, the Special Investigative Unit of the narcotics bureau, which was an elite unit formed by top detectives. He said, “Sitting in on my first SIU meeting my senses blazed”. In SIU, street dealers’ cases no longer represented his team’s objective. The unit aimed to find the major sources of drug distribution in the country and make cases against South American or other foreign cartel operatives. Two of the division’s veterans, Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso were the star cops who busted an international drug ring called “The French Connection". Their arrest resulted in the biggest narcotics seizure of that time: 112 Lb of heroin that was smuggled in the US from France. Robert Daley, in his book Prince of the City noted, "They were not ordinary detectives, they were SIU detectives."
Personal life
Leuci was married to Regina, a German woman-of Italian descent, and the mother of his two children, Anthony and Santina. He devoted almost his entire time and energies to the job and that had a negative effect on his family, as a close-to-normal schedule did not exist in his life. His success on the job contrasted to the difficulties he faced in his family life. After retirement, Bob and his family had moved to Virginia but eventually moved back to the Northeast, and settled in a beautiful home in Connecticut. The marriage had unfortunately suffered from the strenuous years related to Bob's cooperation with the authorities and, sadly, he and Regina divorced in 1995. He got remarried to Kathy Packard in 2003 after he had moved permanently to Rhode Island to pursue his writing and teaching career.Corruption investigation
New York City, as well as most if not all large American cities had since ProhibitionProhibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
been caught in the grip of various forms of institutionalized corruption. The late 1960s were the times in which NYPD officers like Frank Serpico
Frank Serpico
Francesco Vincent Serpico is a retired American New York City Police Department officer who is most famous for testifying against police corruption in 1971...
and David Durk began their battle against widespread corruption within the NYPD. It was because of Serpico and Durk that Leuci's life changed forever. In the 1970s both Frank Serpico and David Durk both believed that Robert Leuci was the only honest detective in the New York City Police Department's narcotics bureau. They were wrong. It was the day in which Leuci's daughter Santina was born that his stomach wrenching introspection regarding what the, “right thing to do” was, from that moment forward began.
In 1970, as a result of Serpico's and Durk’s revelations, New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay, along with an initial five-member investigative committee, created the Knapp Commission
Knapp Commission
The Knapp Commission stemmed from a five-member panel initially formed in April 1970 by Mayor John V. Lindsay to investigate corruption within the New York City Police Department...
, which was named after his Chairman, Judge Whitman Knapp
Whitman Knapp
Percy Whitman Knapp was a federal judge who led a far-reaching investigation into corruption in the New York City Police Department from 1970 to 1972.-Childhood and education:...
. Soon thereafter, the commission began questioning several members of the force, from patrolmen to high-ranking officials. Serpico and Durk both asked Leuci if he would speak to a man by the name of Nick Scoppetta, an Assistant US Attorney. Leuci and Scoppetta developed a close relationship almost immediately. Leuci pointed out that the Knapp commission was focused only on the police and that was ridiculous.
The criminal justice system in New York City was corrupt as well and the police were working within a system that had been in place for fifty years or more. Leuci told Scoppetta he would not be involved in an investigation that focused solely on the police department. However, if Scoppetta was willing, Leuci would do the undercover work of an investigation into the entire system. Scoppetta agreed and soon Leuci found that he had jumped onto the back of a tiger from which there was no way to get off once the work began. Leuci was given a code name: Sonny. Scopetta and his colleague Michael Shaw soon understood Leuci's emotional conflict about what he was being asked to do. They supported him knowing it would be the start of harsh times for law enforcement in the city of New York. From that moment on, Bob was wearing a wire whenever he had to meet with any of the subjects the group was after. Future New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
too was part of the investigation. It was a short time later that Giuliani became the US Attorney for the Southern District. A strong sense of kinship underscored the work Bob, Giuliani, Scoppetta and Shaw did together.
Soon after Leuci had joined the TPF in his early years on the force, the harsh reality of what he called “Court Fixers”, bail bondsmen, ADAs, court clerks and lawyers became apparent. It seemed to him that they often tried to buy acquittals for felons, people that Leuci dealt with on an almost daily basis. Leuci exposed all of that, the investigative panel made full use of him, whose psyche often skirted very close to madness. Because this work posed potential life threats, Leuci and his family were guarded by armed agents on a 24-hour basis.
Leuci's cooperation lasted two years, after which the SIU no longer existed. Detectives, other officers, along with lawyers, and many who had tied into the aforementioned corrupt criminal justice system, were tried in court and imprisoned. Some of his colleagues had in the interim taken their lives as the pressure that mounted throughout the investigation.
The investigation ended in 1972 and, ultimately, the Federal Government decided not to prosecute Leuci noting his efforts and the risks he and his family had taken. His experience inspired former NYPD Deputy Commissioner Robert Daley
Robert Daley
Robert Daley , is an American novelist. He is the author of 28 books, five of which have been adapted for film.Daley graduated from Fordham University in 1951 and served in the Air Force during the Korean War...
, who had become a writer since retirement. In 1978, through Leuci’s recount of this story and Daley’s pen, the best-selling book “Prince of the City” was published. By that time, Leuci’s future in the Department had taken a toll but he continued working at the Academy as a lecturer, and in the Internal Affairs Division until his retirement in 1981. That same year acclaimed director Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet was an American director, producer and screenwriter with over 50 films to his credit. He was nominated for the Academy Award as Best Director for 12 Angry Men , Dog Day Afternoon , Network and The Verdict...
and executive producer Jay Presson Allen
Jay Presson Allen
Jay Presson Allen was an American screenwriter, playwright, stage director, television producer and novelist. Known for her withering wit and sometimes-off-color wisecracks, she was one of the few women making a living as a screenwriter at a time when women were a rarity in the profession...
adapted the book to a highly critically acclaimed though financially disappointing movie. Award-winning actor Treat Williams
Treat Williams
Richard Treat Williams is a Screen Actors Guild Award–nominated American actor and children's book author who has appeared on film, stage and television...
portrayed Bob’s role.
Life and career after the NYPD
Leuci's desire to write had grown after Daley's book was published, and thanks to an afternoon walk with novelist Robert Stone, his new career path began. He has since written seven successful books and continues to lecture at police academies and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Bob's books have sold in the US, France, Spain, England, Germany and Croatia. He has also participated at several writers’ conferences in Europe. In 1999 he received the South County Center for the Arts Literary Prize. He is now an Adjunct Professor of English and Political Science at the University of Rhode IslandUniversity of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
. He lives on the Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
with his second wife and life’s companion Kathy.
Books
- All the Centurions
- Blaze
- Captain Butterfly
- Doyle's Disciples
- Double Edge
- Fence Jumpers
- Odessa Beach
- The Snitch
- Renegades