Biography of Frank Serpico - Term Paper Example

Only a few people have the courage to stay unblemished in an environment wrought with corruption. They stand for what is right even if it leads them to dangerous consequences. Frank Serpico is one such man who stood unwavering in the face of wrong and fought courageously against injustice and corruption. He is famous for playing his part as a whistleblower in the year 1971 when he testified against the corruption prevalent in the New York Police Department (Haberman, 1997). Frank Serpico was born on 14th April, 1946 to Vincenzo and Maria Giovanna who were Italian immigrants from Mangliano. He attended Brooklyn University and City University of New York after graduating from Saint Francis Prep high school. Since his childhood, he had keen interest in detective stories and used to listen to them intently on radio or read t them in different books and newspapers (Maas, 2004). He respected the job of police officers and that is what inspired him to become one when he would grow up. He became a part of the army at the age of 18 and acquired the military experience required for his police duties. In the year 1959, he joined the New York Police Department as a patrolman, making his dream a reality. As a youngster devoted to his job, he took special care of his uniform, shield and gun. As soon as he was handed the shield he got it plated again so that it appears sleek and shiny. He truly loved his job and wanted to be a respectable and a dutiful police officer (Ebert, 2011). Frank Serpico was disliked by his colleagues not only for his commitment to the job but also due to his lack of participation in their corrupt activities. The officers isolated him because of his valor and extra commitment to stop the criminal activities pervading throughout the city. He used to go for raids or arrests even during his off timings (Shetterly, 2005). Frank Serpico is a man of honor and that is what made him raise his voice against the ongoing practices. He revered the police officers but after witnessing the corruption prevalent in the department, he started to loathe how the police officers were misusing their authority. Corruption was at its peak in the Police department and the officers were looting and pressurizing the general public rather than helping them. Practice of bribery was enrooted deep within the department and blatant bribes were not only taken from criminals, thieves, and gamblers but also from an ordinary hardworking tradesman. Serpico could not believe what he witnessed as all his idealistic images of the police officers were shattered. He could not bear the sight of all the corrupt activities taking place and refused to be a part it, for which he began to be hated by the police department (Maas, 2004). Frank Serpico was disappointed by the tolerance of the New York Police Department for corrupt activities rife among the department police officers. When Serpico was first offered some money as a bribe, he refused to follow in the footsteps of his fellow officers and reported the matter to his seniors. However his complaint was dealt with a deaf ear and no action was taken. In 1967, Serpico felt that he could no longer tolerate the intense corruption taking place inside the Police department (Ebert, 2011). He started telling about all the misdoings to the high rank police officials with the intention that a strict action would be taken against the wrongdoers. He provided documented evidence including names, places, dates and other valuable information to the senior officials but the culprits were not punished. The bribes and the other similar corruption activities were called ‘controlled payments to the police’ also known as ‘pads’. Serpico reported about these to the District Attorney, an external authority hoping that such activities would be put to an end. Upset by the lack of viable action from the seniors, he and his friend, David Durk decided to expose the corruption to the public. David Durk had joined police department in 1963 after dropping law school. Both of them contacted a reporter who worked for the New York Times so that the story of corruption is brought into limelight. Durk and Serpico along with a few others who were frustrated with the way things were running in the police department contacted David Burnham, a reporter for the New York Times. On April 25, 1970 an article was published on the front page of the New York Times which exposed the illicit actions of New York Police Department to the general public (Haberman, 1997). The article created havoc and created one of the biggest scandals in the history of NYPD and the senior officials had to face a lot of embarrassment in front of the media (Haberman, 1997). The mayor of that time, John Lindsay formed the Knapp Commission to investigate the allegations made in the article. The Knapp commission was named after its chairman, Whitman Knapp. The investigations of the commission started in June 1970. The purpose of this investigation was to study the charges brought forward by Serpico and his colleagues and to eradicate practices of bribery and corruption from the Police department. Serpico was the first person in the history of New York Police to step up and raise voice against the department itself. The commissions began disciplinary hearings on October 18, 1971 (Ebert, 2011). Testimonies not only included those of Serpico and Durk but also from a multitude of those people who had been a victim of the corrupt police officers. Frank Serpico was critically injured during a secret narcotics operation in 1971. He was shot in the face and underwent serious trauma. While trying to apprehend the drug dealers, he was shot just below the eye and bullet pierced his jaw. There is also speculation that the narcotics operation was a ploy to get Serpico executed. Serpico was accompanied by two other officers in the operation but as soon as he got near the suspect, he realized that they were not with him. Even after he was shot, he was not rescued by his fellow policemen who also did not report the incident to the headquarters. It was an old Hispanic man who called an ambulance and informed the police who then came for his rescue. He was moved to the Greenpoint hospital in a serious condition. The incident left him deaf in his left year along with the critical facial injuries. Even on his sickbed, he was intimidated and threatened by the police officers in the form of routine checks (Shetterly, 2005). As an important witness, he ultimately gave his testimony in front of the Knapp commission. These are the actual words of Serpico in front of the commission (Haberman, 1997). “Through my appearance here today... I hope that police officers in the future will not experience the same frustration and anxiety that I was subjected to for the past five years at the hands of my superiors because of my attempt to report corruption... We create an atmosphere in which the honest officer fears the dishonest officer, and not the other way around... The problem is that the atmosphere does not yet exist in which honest police officers can act without fear of ridicule or reprisal from fellow officers.” (Phalen, 2011) The commission presented to the mayor a 264 page report filled with gory details of murder, corruption, scam and crime present within the New York Police Department (Ebert, 2011). The report was an eye opener as it revealed how millions of dollars were being looted due to the corruption. It also laid down many policies that would lead to a reduction in corruption present in the New York Police Department (Haberman, 1997). For his courage and bravery he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest honor in the New York Police Department in May, 1972. Just a month later he retired on a disability pension, and shifted to Switzerland where he stayed for over a decade. His purpose behind the stay was to regain good health and that is why he stayed closer to nature, living on a farm or on the countryside. During this time, he also travelled and got ample time to study according to his interests. When it was announced that a movie was to be filmed on Serpico’s life, Al Pacino invited Frank Serpico to stay with him in his house which he had specially rented in New York. The purpose was to know more about Serpico so that he does justice to his character (Maas, 2004). Serpico is no longer an active member of the Police Department but his heart reaches out to all those who seek truth and speak out against the wrong. He gives lectures against the corruption enrooted in the civil bodies of the country and encourages people to be courageous enough to expose the culprits. In his interviews, he has made it clear that he respects and supports all those who try to unveil the wrongs of the society. Serpico expressed his dislike for the word ‘whistleblower’ and coined a new name ‘lamplighters’. He believes that people who care for morality and strive to seek justice and truth should be called lamplighters rather than whistleblowers (Ebert, 2011). He coined the term by reminiscing how Paul Revere lighted the Old North Church to warn the public of Charlestown, Massachusetts about the danger during the American Revolution. Such people who endanger their lives and risk their personal happiness to reveal wrongdoings are heroes in his sight and he encourages the public especially youth to stand steadfast in the face of wrong (Phalen, 2011). He has iterated many times during his talks that he is still consulted by many working policemen, all of whom tell them about tales of corruption and wrongdoings in the police department. He acknowledges that the wrong cannot be completely eradicated but a person must not become a part of it no matter how intense the pressure from peers and seniors (Shetterly, 2005). He has married several women during his life but could not live a successful married life with any of them. His first wife was Mary Ann Wheeler whom he married in 1957. The marriage did not last for long and he divorced her in 1962. Mary Ann Wheeler was followed by Leslie Jane who was a fellow college student of Serpico. They married in 1963 but divorced just after two years (Maas, 2004). Inspired by Serpico’s fight against corruption, Peter Mass penned a biography about him named Serpico, which was a huge hit with the public selling over 3 million copies. It was soon adapted into a film with the same title. The film was directed by Sidney Lumet and starred Al Pacino as Frank Serpico. Soon afterwards in 1976, a TV movie with the name of “Serpico: The Deadly game” was broadcasted on NBC in which the role of Serpico was played by David Birney (Maas, 2004). A few months later, the success of the movie led NBC to show a small TV series with the name of Serpico which garnered great public interest (Ebert, 2011). There are very few people in this world who live with a purpose in their lives and have courage to stand up for themselves and stand strong in the face of wrong. Frank Serpico is one such person- he followed his dreams and became a police officer but as soon as he sensed that the department was engulfed in corruption, he chose to fight against the department he had always dreamt to be in. Frank Serpico personifies courage, bravery and a strong determination and all those people who yearn to seek justice and truth, look up to Frank Serpico as a role model (Phalen, 2011). Works Cited Ebert, R. (2011, April 11). Serpico, the cop who wouldnt take money. Chicago Sun-Times . Haberman, C. (1997, September 24). Serpico Steps Out of the Shadows to Testify. The New York Times . Maas, P. (2004). Serpico. Harper Paperbacks. Phalen, K. (2011, February). Frank Serpico. Retrieved August 18, 2011, from Gadfly online: http://www.gadflyonline.com/archive/JanFeb01/archive-serpico.html Shetterly, R. (2005). Americans who tell the truth. Dutton Childrens Books. Read More