According to the book description of  All the Centurions: A New York City Cop Remembers His Years on the Street, 1961-1981, "The bestselling book and acclaimed film Prince of the City told only part of Robert Leuci's story. In All the Centurions, he shares the full account of his years as a narcotics detective with the New York Police Department -- a tale of daring adventure, shattered illusions, and finally, astonishing spiritual growth. Leuci reminisces about cops both celebrated and notorious, like Frank Serpico, Sonny Grosso, and Frank King from the French Connection case. Also here are politicians, Mafia figures, corrupt defense lawyers, and district attorneys, including a young Rudolph Giuliani. Leuci reveals the dark side of the criminal justice system: the bitterness, greed, cruelty, and ambition that eventually overflowed into the streets, precinct houses, and courtrooms of the city. As vivid and entertaining as the best crime novels, All the Centurions is the story of a man descending into a hell of his own making who ultimately finds his way out through truth and justice."

According to the book description of Snitch, "When a confrontation brews between two decent men, aloof New York detective Nick Manaris and Diego Cienfuego, a Cuban immigrant and single father of three who is working for a cousin involved with criminals, the results are tragic and far-reaching."

According to the book description of Blaze, "A police captain and lead investigator for the chief of New York's detectives, Nora Riter is smart, strong-willed, and beautiful--a rising star. But her personal life is threatening to send her career into a nosedive. Struggling to reestablish controlboth professionally and personally-she takes on a case that leads her to the meanest of Brooklyn's streets, the domain of Blaze Longo, a Red Hook loan shark and pathological killer in steel-toed boots. Longo's reputation for cruelty and sadistic behavior strikes terror in the hearts of even the most hardened tough guys. Up until now, he has remained untouchable. But Blaze has never encountered the like of Captain Nora Riter."

But she needs help, and it's coming in the form of a most unlikely ally: good-looking sometime actor, always streetwise Nicky the Hawk Ossman. Ossman knows Brooklyn's Red Hook better than anyone and he has good reasons to want the psychopathic Blaze oft the streets. There's Nicky's adopted sevenyear-old son, Tino, and a light-headed prostitute cousin named Irma, both of whom share Nicky's life-and neither can make it through this life without him. Therefore, a stretch in prison for assaulting a vice cop--a very real prospect proposed to him by a determined Nora Riter-is unthinkable. So he agrees to go undercover to nail the madman Blaze.

Stalking Longo is perilous work, and Nicky soon wants out. Nora, however, wants Longo in the worst way. Circumstance has thrown Nora and Nicky together in this very dangerous game, which is smelling increasingly of secrecy, lies, and betrayal emanating from the top levels of the department. But they can survive the coming conflagration if they are willing to break all their own rules. There is one busted commandment, however, that could cost them everything: the unwritten law that says a cop and her informant must never get romantically involved

According to the book description of Fence Jumpers: A Novel, "It was one of those Irish joints, a spot where you sucked down tap beer from paper cups, got loaded, then pulled chicks under the boardwalk. At night, if you got lucky, you could watch JoJo fistfight off-duty cops. Like JoJo and Dante, Jimmy was nineteen, and he loved every hour of every day of each week of his life. As adults, Dante O'Donnell followed his dead father into the police force; Jimmy Burns, closer than a blood brother, went along. JoJo Paradiso's future was preordained: He would be, first, an underboss in his father's crime family, eventually stepping into Salvator Paradiso's shoes. When Detectives O'Donnell and Burns are assigned to get the goods on JoJo Paradiso, it can't be a simple matter of cop against crook."

Library Journal said of Captain Butterfly , "Leuci, the former New York cop whose exploits were documented in The Prince of the City , follows up his first two novels, Doyle's Disciples and Odessa Beach , with this tense story about steely Captain Butterfly, Marjorie Butera, a 19-year veteran of the force. Assigned to the Internal Affairs Division, charged with finding proof of the corruption in the force, Butera's investigation focuses on vicious Inspector Ronald Janesky. But Janesky--in line for promotion to commissioner, with a record based on illegal arrests and torturing prisoners--is apparently untouchable. Captain Butera's fellow (male) officers fear Janesky and despise the Butterfly as a female snitch. Only her lover, journalist Charles Rose, supports her decision to expose the crooked cop. Leuci alternates steamy scenes of love-making with gritty slices of New York life punctuated by bloody, violent clashes before the decisive confrontation takes place between the evil, unprincipled inspector and his female nemesis. If the adventure is not entirely credible, it is exciting, fast paced and a boost to feminists."

According to the book description of Renegades, "As a brutal Mafia war erupts, the identity of the betrayers is revealed, and three friends find that old debts must be repaid in blood."

About the New York Police Department (NYPD):

The first law-enforcement officer began to patrol the trails and paths of New York City when it was known as New Amsterdam, and was a Dutch settlement and fort in the year 1625. This lawman was known as a "Schout – fiscal" (sheriff – attorney) and was charged with keeping the peace, settling minor disputes, and warning colonists if fires broke out at night. The first Schout was a man named Johann Lampo.

The Rattle Watch was a group of colonists during the Dutch era (1609 - 1664) who patrolled from sunset until dawn. They carried weapons, lanterns and wooden rattles (that are similar to the ratchet noisemakers used during New Year celebrations). The rattles made a very loud, distinctive sound and were used to warn farmers and colonists of threatening situations. Upon hearing this sound, the colonists would rally to defend themselves or form bucket-brigades to put out fires. The rattles were used because whistles had not yet been invented. The Rattle Watchmen also are believed to have carried lanterns that had green glass inserts. This was to help identify them while they were on patrol at night (as there were no streetlights at that time). When they returned to their Watch House from patrol, they hung their lantern on a hook by the front door to show that the Watchman was present in the Watch House. Today, green lights are still hung outside the entrances of Police Precincts as a symbol that the "Watch" is present and vigilant.

When the High Constable of New York City, Jacob Hays retired from service in 1844, permission was granted by the Governor of the state to the Mayor of the City to create a Police Department. A force of approximately 800 men under the first Chief of Police, George W. Matsell, began to patrol the City in July of 1845. They wore badges that had an eight-pointed star (representing the first 8 paid members of the old Watch during Dutch times). The badges had the seal of the City in their center and were made of stamped copper.

Source:

nycpolicemuseum.org

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