A Special Agent: Gay and Inside the FBI

by Frank Buttino, Lou Buttino

It was a tough job, a dangerous job, and Frank Buttino loved it. For twenty years he served as one of the nation's top FBI agents. He led investigations into organized crime, narcotics, and foreign counterintelligence - and was praised by every FBI director from J. Edgar Hoover to William Sessions. But Frank Buttino also led a secret life - a life he kept hidden from the FBI, his family, and many of his friends. After years of denial, Frank had finally admitted to himself that he was gay. Extended undercover assignments had prepared him brilliantly for life deep in the closet and enabled him to form a discreet relationship with another man. Then, at forty-three, at the peak of his twenty-year career, an anonymous letter shattered his privacy and revealed his sexual orientation to his parents and to the FBI. First the FBI tried to intimidate him into resigning. When that failed, his security clearance was revoked and he was fired. With exhilarating candor, Frank tells the story of his life as a closeted gay man in the FBI - and as an openly gay man fighting for the right to serve his country. He recounts the strains on his relationship, coming out to his parents, his entry into the gay and lesbian community - and its acceptance and support for him. Frank pulls no punches, commenting on many of the most controversial issues of the day: lesbians and gays in law enforcement and the military; the government's response to the AIDS crisis; the legacy of J. Edgar Hoover (and the issue of his sexual orientation). A Special Agent provides a thrilling and intimate look inside the FBI. In vivid detail, Frank recalls his firsthand experiences working on some of the most famous FBI investigations of our time, including the tragic Mitrione case, and the interrogation (in Frank's dining room) of Mafia member turned government informant Jimmy "The Weasel" Fraianno. Using the skills he developed as an agent, Frank Buttino turned his investigaive talents to his class-action suit against the FBI. In FBI files never released before, he uncovered a shocking history of systemanic harassment of patriotic lesbian and gay FBI applicants and employees. Frank's case is already regarded as a landmark chapter in the unfolding story of the quest for civil rights for all Americans.

351 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Mary Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are 3 types of homosexuals..."oh, yes that person is definitely gay!" As in that person leaves no doubt. "Is he/she or isn't he/she?" Their actions leaves you questioning. You think you know but are unsure. And "What? You're kidding me! No way." I have had the pleasure of knowing Frank Buttino. If he did not come out and said he was gay, you would not believe it. Frank is a wonderful man, kind, thoughtful, and considerate. For the FBI to do this to him is so unspeakable. I'm glad that through his lawsuit, he was able to open the door for others to be able to become agents.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this personal account of being discovered gay while in the FBI during a time when there was still a stigma and internal orders to rid them from government agencies.

[Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not particularly poetic or stylistically written, but I think the matter-of-fact voice was fitting for Frank Buttino's story. I experienced quite the range of emotions reading this book – anger, sadness, joy, grief for people whom I've never met... the list goes on. This is also a great book to read after completing Conduct Unbecoming by Randy Shilts, as they deal with similar issues. I took one star off my review because the book ends right before Buttino's trial takes place, which takes some oomph out of the book's power. It would have made more sense to wait to publish until those details could be included in the narrative, but it also makes sense that they may have wanted to publish before the trial in case they lost. Regardless, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in how the US government treats its employees that are committed to protecting it.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Special Agent: Gay and Inside the FBI by Frank Buttino (1993)

[Squeemu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very abrupt and anti-climatic ending (the book was published before the court case ever began), but very much worth reading.

3.5/5