Marked Man: Frank Serpico’s Inside Battle Against Police Corruption

by John Florio, Ouisie Shapiro

1971. Brooklyn, New York. Undercover cop Frank Serpico is knocking on a drug dealer’s door. His partners are there to back him up, but when the door opens, he’s staring down the barrel of a gun―and his partners are nowhere to be found.

For more than a century, the New York Police Department had been plagued by corruption, with cops openly taking bribes from gamblers and drug dealers. Not Serpico. He refused to take dirty money and fought to shed light on the dark underbelly of the NYPD. But instead of being hailed as a hero, he became a target for every crooked cop on the force.

In Marked Man , John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro bring this true story of police corruption to life. Join Frank Serpico on his one-man crusade to clean up the largest police force in the United States. And discover the price he had to pay for being an honest cop.

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle Grade, True Crime, Biography Memoir, Juvenile, Biography

160 pages, Hardcover

Published March 19, 2024

About the author

John Florio was raised in Flushing, NY. He credits the streets of Queens as one of his earliest influences, along with black-and-white movies, old superhero comics, Sports Illustrated, Humphrey Bogart, and the Hardy Boys.

A fan of pop fiction and creative nonfiction, Florio is the author of the historical crime novels, Sugar Pop Moon and Blind Moon Alley. With Ouisie Shapiro, he has written the nonfiction books: Marked Man, Doomed, War in the Ring, One Nation Under Baseball, and One Punch from the Promised Land. Florio and Shapiro also contribute to The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Nation, and ESPN.

Florio holds an MFA from the University of Southern Maine, an MA from New York University, an MBA from St. John’s University, and he is pursing a DFA at the University of Glasgow. He currently serves on the faculty of the Stonecoast MFA creative writing program at the University of Southern Maine.

Visit John Florio at johnfloriowriter.com.

Reviews

[Regan, Maze, and MK · Rating 4 out of 5]

The age group recommendation for this book at 12-18 years old is perfect. The story of Frank Serpico and his battle against police corruption is told without much gore. However, authors John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro kept just enough danger and suspense to keep it a page turner for all ages.

Florio and Ouisie manage to cover complicated topics like police corruption and the “Blue Wall of Silence” in a way that is easy for anyone to understand. The use of pictures kept the story engaging and helped me put a face to many of the names in the story. Florio and Ouisie also included a Glossary with many “need to know” terms. However, they did a great job explaining each term through their writing that I never felt the need to flip through pages to check meanings.

I did take off one star, because despite the book being only 90 pages I was able to put it down twice. I am 25 and have worked in the criminal legal system for a few years. I think most 12-18 year olds with an interest in justice, police, or police corruption will find this to be a 5 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for providing me with this eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. It will be a great addition to any child’s bookshelf or library.

[orangerful · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this is a hard topic to write about for the age range this book was intended but boy did this FEEL like a book for kids/tweens. The writing just felt young? BUT I think the topic and length would be a good way to get a reluctant teen reader.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marked Man is the story of Frank Serpico, who helped uncover systemic corruption in the New York City Police Department in the 60’s-70’s era. There is no new ground broken here, it’s simply a retelling of Serpico’s story, well-known from the movie and earlier book, with a few snippets from Serpico. It’s a very short read, patched together from the above sources, newspaper articles, etc. If you’re familiar with the Serpico story, you can skip it.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read but it covers an important topic and the basics of Frank Serpico's story. I appreciated that we get to hear from Serpico himself. Aside from those moments, some of the stylistic choices weren't quite for me, but this would be a good choice for tween and teen reluctant readers.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this short middle grade account of how Frank Serpico reported the corruption of his own colleagues and higher ups in the NY police department. Tightly written and not as gritty as an adult audience might prefer, this would be a good introduction about how corruption works and why it can be hard to resist.

[Ashley Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that I've never heard about this man until now says a lot.

Very relevant story for today's issue with the police.

RTC

[Alicia]

Reviewing for professional magazine, see review there.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Born in 1936, Frank Serpico's life started out in a fairly typical fashion. Immigrant parents, working in the family store, high school graduation, serving in Korea. He eventually made it into the police academy, and that's where things get interesting. He had several different assignments, and tried to move up in the ranks, but lacked the ability to read the room, which made it hard for him to get ahead. He dressed differently, and perhaps didn't connect with other officers or superiors who would have helped his upward movement. Of course, this served him well when he was exposed to the corruption in the police force. Upon receiving an envelope with $300 in it (which was a lot of money back in the 1960s; my mother was making $3,000 a year as a teacher), he feels immediately that it isn't right to keep it, and tries to talk to several people about it. He learns that this is considered part of the job, and that most of the policemen are on the take. When he tries to consult "good cops" and go to the newspaper, he finds out that even the editor of the newspaper pays bribes to the force so that the newspaper trucks don't get tickets. It's hard to fight that kind of system, but he eventually helps break a story, and for a while, there is some upheaval in the force and people brought to justice. Of course, if we look at other instances in the book, some from the 1990s when headlines screamed that someone was bringing home $4,000 a week in dirty money, it seems that Serpico changed very little. He was injured in the line of duty and eventually left the police force to live a quiet life after the 1973 Peter Maas book about his experiences was turned into a 1973 movie with Al Pacino.
Strengths: For as violent and dangerous as Serpico's life was, the book is fairly tame. There's plenty of suspense and danger, but most of the book is concerned with how Serpico tried to work within the system to change things. There's just enough of an overview of his life before and after this rather short period of time when he was involved in trying to uncover corruption. There are a few pictures, lots of source notes, and this has the same appeal that this team's 2019 War in the Ring: Joe Louis, Max Schmeling, and the Fight between America and Hitler has. An excellent choice for starting a research project or just getting a short dose of interesting history.
Weaknesses: There is one f-bomb at the very beginning of the book, in a quote from Serpico himself, which was completely unnecessary. It would have been nice to see some of the impact of Serpico's work on current policing, but it's not the fault of Florio and Shapiro that the law enforcement system has changed all too little.
What I really think: This is a fairly short book (160 pages including lots of end notes), and there's enough interest in true crime in my library that I will purchase this to hand to readers who have gobbled up all of the Denson FBI Files books or Sullivan's graphic novels like Escape From Alacatraz.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a story I was familiar with nor had I even heard about a movie about Frank Serpico. The story begins in a very engaging way and definitely hooked me right away. I wanted to learn more about what happened.

I enjoyed the snippets told by Frank Serpico himself.

This book is geared to a teen audience and I think it strikes the right tone and reading level for that audience. The information is interesting enough to keep even a reluctant reader going. However, the story does not delve deeply into the issues being covered. What this story does well though, is get the reader interested in this topic. I found myself wanting to go and read more about this issue and the ways Frank Serpico exposed the corruption in the NYPD.

I enjoyed the pictures dotted throughout the book that helped bring the cast of characters to life.

I read this book as a nominee for the Cybils 2024 High School Nonfiction Award.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer]

In the book Marked Man by John Florio, we learn about a man named Frank Serpico Who became a part of the Brooklyn PD and swore to uphold the law but when he sees corruption in the police department that he loves he still holds true to his oath and almost loses his life doing it. Usually a policeman can stake his life on his fellow boys in blue but what if they were the ones to fear. This was a great story and it’s one I had heard about long ago but never in such great detail I truly enjoyed this book anyone who wants to read a story about a real hero should read this one about Frank Serpico. It is definitely a True Crime tail you won’t soon forget. I want to thank McMillan‘s children’s publishing group, the author and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love narrative nonfictions, and it really doesn't matter what the subject is if it's well written. This is one of those well-written narrative nonfictions that sticks with you! It has the gritty feel, and the loneliness, that Frank Serpico must have felt as he worked so hard to do his calling -- serve and protect. Even as he was lauded for his actions, his peers threatened and ostracized him for not acting the way they would prefer. Before Serpico began working on accountability and the inquiry into police corruption, he wanted to be a detective and do the work to protect his assigned neighborhoods. When he didn't take bribes, even when he wasn't indicting the police who did, they turned against him. He fought even harder to do his job, and struggled to find others like him who were willing to take a stand.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This riveting story of Fank Serpico's fierce integrity pitted against a brutal system of systemic NY police corruption kept me reading past my bedtime, and I'll be thinking about for a while. Serpico refused to compromise on his principals, refusing to be part of the culture of bribes and crime that was the police force. This made him a marked man, and he suffered for it, both physically and mentally. The book is biography interspersed with recent reflections from Serpico himself, making personal and more vividly alive. It was a pageturner. At the end, the reader is presented with Serpico's vision of what an honorable police force might look like, followed by the bleakness of how the blue wall of silence and coverups is still going strong.

[Kristen M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a non-fiction biography of whistleblower Frank Serpico of the NYPD in the 1970s. Serpico wouldn't take bribes and revealed that the corruption in the NYPD was systemic and went all the way up to the top. At great personal risk, he took steps to let his superiors know what was going on, only to be refused, ignored, and eventually shot in the face by a department looking to silence him.

This is an important story and one of a trio of titles by John Florio. The other two include Doomed: Sacco, Vanzetti & the End of the American Dream and War in the Ring: Joe Louis, Max Schmeling, and the Fight between America and Hitler.

[Claudia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The overall story was good, but I wasn't a fan of the writing style. It was very hard to follow at times because there were plenty of asides and little boxes of random information that interrupted the story continually. The old-fashioned radio show, film-noir, 30's black-and-white, detective-movie style writing was very garish at times, the action scenes felt way overdone for the story that was being told. The book was okay, but I wouldn't really recommend it. There's probably a documentary or YouTube video about the corruption scandal and Frank Serpico that is more worth your time.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle grade/YA take on one of the most well known thin blue line whistleblowers. It's a very short book, barely 100 pages, but I think it still manages to get the core of the story communicated. This feels like it's aimed at middle grades, but the subject matter is more than interesting enough to also snag YA readers. The writing is fairly conversational and to the point. I most liked that most chapters end with a few paragraphs written by Serpico himself, giving his present day perspective on the events in the previous chapter.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never saw the movie with Al Pacino about Serpice, nor did I ever read Peter Maas's book about him. So this book was an eye-opener for me. This book is very well-written, not at all dragging or boring. It gives the reader an overview of Serpico's time in the NYPD, and the many years it took for anyone to listen to him about the police corruption he encountered. The authors relied on several interviews with the man himself; they include source notes, a bibliography of books, magazines, newspaper, and websites; and an index.
An SLJ Best Book of 2024

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very readable for me which is good because I struggle with non-fiction. I knew next to nothing about Frank Serpico before this. I was shocked at the amount of corruption that has always been a part of the NYPD. I do wonder about the bias in this book, but the author breaks down the book by chapter citing his sources. A lot of it is Frank Serpico himself. Overall and interesting and easy read.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story about a man I had never heard of.
I would easily pass this on to my teenage boys to read.
Plot moving, page turner about doing what is right.


There is unfortunately one strong use of profanity in the beginning. It is actually a direct quote from Serpico, but they could have done without it.

Thank you for NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written for a more in-depth dive on the history of Serpico's story and the influence and challenges it had. I appreciated the connections to more modern examples as well, and the range of sources included and referenced. I think this is a super valuable book for making this information accessible while so many conversations about policing and reform are ongoing.

[Jordan Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an engaging YA nonfiction! I couldn’t put this one down; AND it’s short!

This creative nonfiction dives deep into Frank Serpico and his battle with police corruption and how the NYPD tried to keep it under wraps. (Still to this day).

Loaded with primary sources: photos, interviews, and plenty of resources to scoop through after reading!

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this quick refresh on the whole Serpico story as its been so long since I read the original book. Quite a story and quite a man. It was good to find out how he did after the police force. We need more like him, especially these days.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was super interesting and I had never heard of the man before. Where I think it's lacking is the length, I think for the audience I would have made more of a connection to what is happening today--it seems fairly obvious, but sometimes things need to be stated out loud.

[Jami Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and very informative. Serpico's story is admirable, and a new generation should know what he did to clean up corruption in the NYPD.

[Brooke Nadzam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid and short nonfiction.

[Esther Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and very quick read on how one man tried to end corruption in the NYPD.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, easily digestible true story of Frank Serpico, an honest cop fighting police corruption.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast read, very compelling. I knew there was corruption in this time and place, but I didn't know HOW much corruption.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy and interesting read, would recommend to younger audiences interested in history. Wish there was a bit more suspense set up in the format and retelling of the events.

[sarkathun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and engaging, but a bit repetitive and feels like a middle-grade book. That said, Serpico's story is fascinating. Photos and text features enhance the story. It is a good pick for kids 10-15 and reluctant high school readers.

[Danielle Grise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Police corruption has been an issue since we have had police. Frank Serpico spent his career fighting against this corruption in New Your City. When he began in Brooklyn in 1971, police actively took bribes from gambling rings and drug dealers. When Serpico tried to shed light on this, the force turned against him.m This is a fascinating story about someone trying to do the right thing against so many odds.