Serpiko

Serpico (the 1977 Yugoslav/Croatian edition) is a tense, true-life biographical novel by American investigative journalist Peter Maas. The book tells the fascinating and harrowing story of Frank Serpico, an idealistic New York police officer who, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, decided to break the wall of silence and stand up to a system rife with routine, systemic corruption. Unlike most of his colleagues, who regularly accepted protection money and bribes from local criminals, Serpico remained steadfast in upholding his personal honor and his police oath. His refusal to participate in illicit activities turned him into an outcast within his own department. After his superiors ignored his internal reports for years, Serpico decided to risk his life by taking the story to the media—a move that led to the establishment of the famous Knapp Commission to investigate corruption. With masterful skill and documentary-like precision, Maas captures the atmosphere of New York’s streets, the interior of police precincts, and the immense psychological pressure under which Serpico lived. This is a timeless story of an individual who dared to stand up against a corrupt apparatus, paying a heavy personal price for the truth.