Real life sopranos exposed in mike russells new book. My names mike russell and i was a new jersey state trooper working undercover, playing the role of an. If youre a fan of donnie brasco because it actually had a good guy the undercover cop then this books for you. A former crooked cop looks back on his conflictofinterest life as a policeman and midlevel grifter. This book, written by socalled mafia cop lou eppolito, turned out to be eppolitos undoing. Nicodemo scarfo testifies with attorney bobby simone 62282 duration. Russell miraculously healed, and rather than press charges, he maintained his cover. The book is a whirlwind of suspense, violence and moral ambiguity. In the book russell writes that he was an undercover new jersey state trooper who infiltrated the mob and brought. Russell took a bullet to the head, passed on info about a plan to whack rudy giuliani and had to strip down to his underwear in front of a gang of riled mobsters all part of his undercover duties that led to the takedown of 45 wiseguys. According to mike russell s account, which is consistent with the 1988 hbo documentary, mike was a new jersey cop who worked undercover for the new jersey state police.
In 1982, russellwho coauthored this book with picciarelli coeditor. The next, he was lying facedown in an alley after being ambushed and shot in the back of the head by a mobster over a dispute. If it werent true, it would be comical in the way that jimmy breslins the. Italianamerican and native chicagoan pascentes nonfiction debut, cowritten with crime novelist reaves mean town blues, 2008, etc. April 11, 1935 march 5, 2006 was an american murderer and hitman. I loved the book a great read and all the behind the scene mob stuff was very. Undercover cop by mike russell 20 take all of the wise guys in all of the movies you have ever seen and put them in one place, and then you will have an idea of what this book is like. A new york cop with mob connections louis eppolito was a decorated new york cop who came from a longtime mob family.
Using his cover story an excop fired for excessive force and street skills, russell assimilated into the genovese crime family in new jersey and ultimately orchestrated. Versatile veteran character actor jonathan banks was born in washington d. We found 48 records for michael russell in saint paul, minneapolis and 33 other cities in minnesota. Undercover cop how i brought down the reallife sopranos book. Officer russell had just finished his tour and went to a softball field at a local public school to play softball with several officers from his precinct and several community members. Mike russell mob cop the early years hero cop pops the real sopranos duration. Russell has gone on to further fame with his series mob cop. Join facebook to connect with mike russell mobcop and others you may know. On the surface it seemed like mob cop was going to be just another chapter in the already embattled history of the chicago police department. Fred pascentes positions as an insider on both the criminal and law enforcement fronts makes this story a matchless tellall. Mike russell spent twenty years in law enforcement and is currently the president of mob cop productions, making films and other.
As an undercover new jersey state trooper, mike russell says he infiltrated the mob and brought down dozens of wiseguys, all after taking a. Mike russell has quite a story to tell in undercover cop. The next, he was lying facedown in an alley after being ambushed and shot in the back of the head by a. One moment, new jersey state trooper mike russell was working undercover, playing the role of an upandcoming mobster hoping to infiltrate a mafia family. Mike hagerty was born on may 10, 1954 in chicago, illinois, usa as michael gerard hagerty. Billed as a truecrime version of the sopranos, the story of russells violent life as an undercover cop cum trusted associate of the genovese crime clan in newark, n. Undercover new jersey cop writes book about infiltrating. Gordon wynnivo jones april 5, 1912 june 20, 1963 was an american character actor, a member of john waynes informal acting company best known for playing lou costellos tv nemesis mike the cop and appearing as the green hornet in the first of two movie serials based on that oldtime radio program. On the surface it seemed like mob cop was going to. Undercover cop mike russell macmillan macmillan publishers. Patrick picciarelli one moment, new jersey state trooper mike russell was working undercover, playing the role of an upandcoming mobster hoping to infiltrate a mafia family crew. Deutsche bank, donald trump, and an epic trail of destruction. Mike russell, who has said he is a former new jersey state trooper, has written a new book describing how he helped take down the mob. January 8 sandra lansky, author of daughter of the king.
Former chicago police officer and outfit associate fred pascente is the man who links tony spilotro, one of chicagos most notorious mob figures, to william hanhardt, chief of detectives in the chicago police department. I was in kings court, a mob hangout on the west side of newark, new jersey, with two wiseguys. Tellall book on infiltrating the mob may have some bulletsized. Tellall book on infiltrating the mob may have some. Mike russell mob cop the early years hero cop pops the. Sam reaves does an excellent job of weaving together the story of fred pascente who was a 26 year veteran of the chicago police department. Mike russell spent twenty years in law enforcement and is currently the president of mob cop productions, making films and other media about what he knows best. In 2003, he received an additional 30year sentence after confessing to the murder of a mobconnected police officer.
You can learn more about the author and his exploits on his website which is located at. A bizarre world depicted with such accuracy that several times it made me laugh out loud. Join facebook to connect with michael russell and others you may know. Undercover cop is the story of how mike russell, an undercover cop, took down one of the five mob groups in new jersey. Mob cop tells about the decline of traditional organized crime in the united states, and it reveals information about the inner workings of the outfit that have never been publicly released. Mike russell subject of a hbo documentary went undercover int he genovese crine family and put 50 guys in jail this case inspired david chase to. One moment, new jersey state trooper mike russell was working undercover, playing. The man he saved turned out to be andy gerardo, one of the ranking captains of the genovese crime family. Patrick picciarelli is a retired nypd lieutenant, vietnam veteran and private investigator. One moment, new jersey state trooper mike russell was working undercover, playing the role of an upandcoming mobster hoping to infiltrate a mafia family cr.
How i brought down the reallife sopranos russell, mike. The investigation at the center of confessions begins by chance, when a retired east orange, n. My life of crime in the chicago police department by fred pascente and sam reaves. Undercover cop book snoisle libraries bibliocommons. Defamation case settled by undercover cop publisher. One moment, new jersey state trooper mike russell was working undercover, playing the role of an upandcoming mobster hoping to infiltrate a mafia family crew. Police officer michael russell was shot and killed while offduty as he attempted to arrest a man who shot and killed a civilian. In 1988, he was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of killing two members of his burglary gang and two other associates.
Join facebook to connect with mike russell mobcop and others you may. The book is filled with a good amount of historic facts about the mob and information that i never knew. Russell, who wrote the book with patrick picciarelli, first went undercover to sniff around a luchese crew in newark. The former new jersey state trooper unleashed hell on the mob in the form of 200 cops who took down 45 wiseguys on sept. Undercover cop mike russell had a stroke of good luck when he saved a man from an attack by two street thugs. His superiors realized his survival enhanced his undercover. You learn about many of the different mobsters and get a clear image of what it was like to go undercover and join the mafia. Memoir of infiltration of the new jersey mafia, told with bluster and bravado. Picciarelli, a vietnam vet, spent twenty years in the nypd and is a licensed private investigator and adjunct writing professor at seton hill. In mike russells new book undercover cop, some facts are at best stretched, at worst fabricated.
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