PRINCE OF THE CITY by Robert Daley

I read about half of this during the month of December, 2019. I watched the over four hour film on Netflix discs on Saturday and Sunday, 12-21-22/19.

The author was once a real deputy police commissioner.

WHAT IT WAS:

One of the various commissions of NYC comes to a Special Investigation Unit to investigate police corruption. The SIU were 'the princes of NYC'. They were given free reign to handle their own cases, and even determine their own hours.

During the mid to late 1970's they took money and drugs on cases, but were always true to themselves; "Your partners are your only friends".

The SIU agent was more concerned about corruption in the DA's office, but he agreed to become a whistle blower. "A rat is someone who gives information to save himself, but a whistle blower gives information because he believes that he is being forced to do things that are immoral or illegal. That's how he justified himself. He wanted to get back to how he felt when he was at the police academy. To believe that he 'was doing the right thing'.

FAVORITE CASE:

Cops are staking out a local pharmacy that is involved in the drug trade. The phones are bugged and during the surveillance the pharmacist receives a call from some 'mobbed up guys'. They tell the pharmacist must store three hundred stolen TV sets. This is a very small store and it would be impossible to take these in without it being obvious about what is going on.

The cops decide to bust the pharmacist for 'stolen goods'. They call in to the station that this store is harboring stolen goods, and that officers should be sent over to shut it down. As the cops are waiting outside of the pharmacy, dozens of cars arrive driven by off duty cops. They were tipped off by fellow officers that they could go to the pharmacy and get free TV sets.

When higher ups became aware of this obvious corruption, they demanded that the cops return the sets to the store. Not all of them were returned.

All of the names of the cops in the book were changed, but what happened is almost exactly like it was in the book. I wonder why this was done?

The protagonist becomes a police instructor at the police academy.

I liked the book, but the movie worked just as well, and even better.

The film was nominated for best adaptation of a novel.

Sidney Lumet directed, but I wonder what the film would have been like if done by Marin Scorsese of Francis Coppola. And, I thought that Treat Williams was almost too boyish for the role as the SIU investigator that 'turns'. But, maybe he really was that immature looking.

Lumet is known for '12 ANGRY MEN, DOG DAY AFTERNOON, NETWORK, and THE VERDICT. He's also famous as 'A New York' film maker.

Fashion was very well done in the film; men in turtle necked sweaters, black leather trench coats, wide lapels, women's beige colored top coats with fur collars, Cuban heels and platform shoes.

And, the real streets of NYC. So much of the city looked as if it were a war zone, which was absolutely how it really was.