Buddy Boys: When Good Cops Turn Bad

by Mike McAlary

A shocking true story of corruption and crime in the ranks of the NYPD in the worst police scandal since the revelations of Fred Serpico

In the 1970s, New York City’s 77th Precinct was known as “the Alamo.” In Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights, Brooklyn—neighborhoods notorious for drugs and violent crime—some of the worst criminals wore police uniforms and carried badges. Henry Winter was a good cop when he first entered the infamous 77th station house that was already infamous as a home to the dregs of the NYPD. Before long, he and fellow officer Anthony Magno found themselves deeply entrenched in the Alamo’s culture of extortion, lies, corruption, and crime—and they were regularly supplementing their incomes by ripping off thieves, drug dealers, junkies, and honest citizens alike. But the gravy train couldn’t stay on the rails forever. Winter and Magno were caught and faced a devastating They could betray their crooked friends and colleagues by helping investigators expose the rot that festered at the Alamo’s core—or spend the next several years behind bars.
 
In Buddy Boys, Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist Mike McAlary blows the doors off 1 of the worst scandals ever to taint New York’s uniformed guardians, the men and women sworn to protect and serve the populace. Blistering, shocking, and powerful, it’s a frightening look inside the NYPD and an eye-opening exploration of the daily temptations that can seduce a good cop over to the dark side.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Police, Crime

279 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 15, 1988

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. McAlary does a great job of painting the corrupt cops as people. I hate corruption so much. I hate the injustices of the judicial system so much. And yet McAlary, a Pulitzer Prize winning author, made me feel, for a short while, that it would be fun to be a "Buddy Boy." We're taken on a fast paced romp through the 77th Precinct in NYC in the 80s where the cops played vigilantes of the ghetto and kept the spoils of war. We shouldn't full condemn the police, nor fully praise them. They are human beings who ocassionally rise to the finer side of our humanity but also fall victim to our human weaknesses. Henry is our protagonist. McClary who sadly passed away in 1998, knew him personally following his source's experience as a police officer turned informant. I guarantee you will laugh, cheer, cry and spit at this one. So pick up a copy, ... Buddy Boy.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific book about police corruption at the notorious 77th Precinct in New York. Packed full of anecdotes and alternately funny, sad, and terrifying.

[Craig Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

McAlary's background as a top crime reporter in New York City shines is what drives this book; in a good and bad way. The positive aspect is that McAlary tells a compelling story of one of the most corrupt police precincts in American history. I work in this field and can assure you that his sources are well-informed and the information on the pages is dead on accurate.
The down side of this is that this book at times feels like one long newspaper expose' on police corruption. Often the writing boils down to Henry Winter just telling stories of his exploits ripping off drug dealers and planting evidence. It is compelling stuff, but gets a little monotonous.
Overall, if you enjoy true tales of police corruption and enjoyed watching the movie "The 7-5", then this is for you.

[Jacob Ornelas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished “Buddy Boys,” a cops and robbers story where the cops were the robbers. Henry Winter and his partner Tony Magno were veteran cops who were caught red handed accepting bribes from drug dealers and dealing drugs in the Brooklyn ghettos they were supposed to be serving and protecting. Rather than go to jail, they wore recording devices and rolled over on their friends and fellow police officers in the notoriously corrupt 77th precinct. Their testimony resulted in the suspension and indictment of at least 13 officers in 1986. A few went to prison. One committed suicide before trial. The scandal rocked the NYPD and stimulated major changes to root out corruption.

Winter himself agonized over his decision to rat on his gang and break the “blue wall of silence”. The story is shocking and sad and full of terrible examples of the dark parts of human nature.

Winter wasn’t always a bad guy, nor were many of the officers who were involved. They joined up to help but ended up down a bad path due to peer pressure, greed, and frustration with a broken justice system. Poverty and ignorance are corrosive influences and like a festering boil can sicken the whole body when left unattended. This book was full of colorful characters and interesting stories.

[Tex · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very vivid recollection of the post-Serpico New York Police Department and a few of the cops who were rats to their fellows. Haunting to re-learn just how corrupt things were and daunting to think about how it must be now. People just don't change that much over time.

[Sue Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it as part of research for one of my books. Interesting account about the takedown of corrupt cops back in the 1980's

[Lillie Herr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cried

[Matt Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stellar book of reporting. Stupefying and told with perfect reportage and prose. A fine reporter lost far too soon.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucky guy was the Nora Ephron play that we liked this year, about Mike McAlary the journalist. This is his book, a work of nonfiction which outlines the police corruption in NYC during the 70s. He is a newspaper reporter and the book itself reads like a good story about cops gone wrong, the blue wall of silence and what happens to those rats who report their buddies. Interesting.

[Spideygirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Story about corrupt NYPD cops getting caught and flipping to catch more corrupt cops in the mid 80's.

[Toesnorth's mom]

true story

[Lauren Turnof · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dads locker was right next to Brian O'Regan in the 77th precinct. This story is tragic.

[Joel Laing · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting it meshes well with what I've heard about New York in the 80s. Based on this book I would recommended 'Point Blank Range- Story of a Jamaican Badman Police.'

[AJ Bonomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Kept my interest while well written. Good read for anyone looking at a glimpse back in time I would reccomend

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story about crooked cops in NYC. Almost made me feel sorry for these "Buddy Boys" especially since two of the central characters later committed suicide.

[Ashley]

#
NC
Own in paperback.

FS: "Henry Winter lay in bed, dreaming."

LS: "Of course not, dear, she said. We know you're not like that."

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It kept me on my toes.

[Tomy Starks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about corruption at the 77 in the gritty late 70's going into the 80's.

[Cws]

A McA