Sheila Flynn at the Daily
Mail offers a piece on a new documentary about the late Robert Leuci, the
former NYPD detective who testified about police corruption and was portrayed in Robert Daley’s true crime book, Prince
of the City, which was later made into a film by director Sidney Lumet.
The unlikely duo met at a
barbecue in Rhode Island, a young Norwegian student of photojournalism and a
former NYPD detective who exposed massive corruption within the force in the
1970s. Magnus Skatvold had no idea who Bob Leuci was when he was first introduced
to him, considering the New York native a ‘fast-talking … very kind, very
charismatic grandfather that was just the center of attention and telling
stories and being very interested in everybody.’
They struck up a friendship,
and the more that Skatvold learned about Leuci, the more fascinated he became.
Their relationship eventually sowed the seeds for a new documentary, which was
just awarded the prestigious Pitch Perfect Award at DOC NYC film festival – a
prize given to a work-in-progress during a daylong pitch event.
Blue Code of Silence is
currently a 60-minute rough cut, directed by Skatvold and Gregory Mallozzi,
telling the story of how Leuci brought down New York City’s most corrupt police
unit – at a grave personal cost. Skatvold interviewed and collaborated with
Leuci, who tragically died during the making of the film, as well as family
members, friends and people connected with the story.
Leuci had agreed in the 1970s
to cooperate with the Knapp Commission, which had been formed by New York Major
John V. Lindsay following whistleblower revelations by other legendary NYPD
officers. The commission aimed to investigate corruption within the system;
Leuci, heavily entrenched in a narcotics unit and tainted by participation
himself, agreed to go undercover – but insisted on exposing the whole system
and not just cops.
You can read the rest of the
piece via the below link:
You can also read my Q&A with
Robert Leuci via the below link:
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