35 Facts About Frank Serpico

Francesco Vincent "Frank" Serpico is an American retired New York Police Department detective, best known for whistleblowing on police corruption.

The circumstances surrounding Frank Serpico's shooting were quickly called into question, raising the possibility that Frank Serpico had been led to the apartment by his colleagues to be murdered.

Much of Frank Serpico's fame came after the release of the 1973 film Frank Serpico, in which he was portrayed by Al Pacino, based on the book of the same name by Peter Maas.

Frank Serpico was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the youngest child of Vincenzo and Maria Giovanna Frank Serpico, Italian immigrants from Marigliano, Naples, Campania.

Frank Serpico's older siblings, Pasquale, Salvatore and Tina were born in Brooklyn.

Frank Serpico attended high school at the prestigious St Francis Preparatory School and graduated in 1954, according to their on-line alumni data.

Frank Serpico later received a Bachelor of Science degree from City College of New York.

On September 11,1959, Frank Serpico joined the New York City Police Department as a probationary patrolman, and became a full patrolman on March 5,1960.

Frank Serpico was assigned to the 81st precinct, then worked for the Bureau of Criminal Identification for two years.

Frank Serpico was then assigned to plainclothes undercover work, during which he eventually exposed widespread corruption.

Frank Serpico was a plainclothes police officer working in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan to expose vice racketeering.

Frank Serpico believed his partners knew about his secret meetings with police investigators.

Frank Serpico was shot during a drug arrest attempt on February 3,1971, at 778 Driggs Avenue, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Frank Serpico climbed up the fire escape, entered by the fire escape door, went downstairs, listened for the password, then followed two suspects outside.

Halley stayed with the suspects, and Roteman told Frank Serpico, who spoke Spanish, to make a fake purchase in attempt to get the drug dealers to open the door.

Frank Serpico knocked on the door, keeping his hand on his revolver.

Frank Serpico called for help, but his fellow officers ignored him.

Frank Serpico fired back, striking his assailant, fell to the floor, and began to bleed profusely.

The circumstances surrounding Frank Serpico's shooting were quickly called into question.

Frank Serpico, who was armed during the drug raid, had been shot only after briefly turning away from the suspect, when he realized that the two officers who had accompanied him to the scene were not following him into the apartment, raising the question whether Frank Serpico had actually been taken to the apartment by his colleagues to be murdered.

Edgar Echevarria, who had shot Frank Serpico, was convicted of attempted murder.

In October, and again in December 1971, Frank Serpico testified before the Knapp Commission:.

Frank Serpico was the first police officer in the history of the New York City Police Department to step forward to report, and subsequently testify openly about, widespread, systemic corruption payoffs amounting to millions of dollars.

Frank Serpico retired on June 15,1972, one month after receiving the New York City Police Department's highest honor, the Medal of Honor.

On February 3,2022, Frank Serpico received the certificate, which he greeted with an improvised "21-gun salute" made with the sound of popping bubble wrap.

Frank Serpico lived on a farm in the Netherlands and spent time traveling and studying in Western Europe.

Frank Serpico returned to the US briefly in June 1974 to deliver a nomination speech for Ramsey Clark, candidate for United States Senator, at the New York State Democratic Party's convention in Niagara Falls.

Frank Serpico was well known in and around Corwen and frequently mixed in the town's pubs.

Frank Serpico still speaks out about police brutality, civil liberties, and police corruption, such as the attempted cover-ups following Abner Louima's torture in 1997 and Amadou Diallo's shooting in 1999.

In 2015, Frank Serpico ran for a seat on the town board of Stuyvesant, New York, where he lives, his first foray into politics, but was not elected.

On June 15,1972, Frank Serpico left both the NYPD and US to move to Switzerland and later the Netherlands and travelled throughout Western Europe.

Frank Serpico contested the child support order, claiming that the mother told him she was on the contraceptive pill, an allegation she denied, but her friend testified against her in court.

Frank Serpico lost his case on appeal and a tribunal ruled he had to pay $945 per month.

Frank Serpico was represented in his suit by Karen DeCrow, former president of the National Organization for Women.

Frank Serpico was granted citizenship after extended research by the president of ANPS USA, Chief Inspector Cirelli, who established the jus sanguinis or "right of blood".