Frank Serpico Biography
Frank Serpico is an American retired New York Police Department detective. He is well known for whistleblowing on police lawlessness. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was a plainclothes police officer working in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan to expose vice racketeering.
In 1967, he reported credible evidence of widespread police corruption, to no effect. In 1970, he contributed to a front-page story in The New York Times on widespread corruption in the NYPD, which drew national attention to the problem.
10 Quick Facts About Frank Serpico
Here is a list of 10 facts about Serpico
- Name: Francesco Vincent Serpico
- Age: 88 Years Old
- Birthday: 14 April
- Zodiac Sign: Aries
- Height: 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 meters)
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Retired Detective
- Marital Status: Married
- Salary: Not Available
- Net worth: $2 Million
Frank Serpico Age
Frank is 89 years old, he was born on 14 April 1936, in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. He celebrates his birthday on 14 April every year, and his birth sign is Aries.
Frank Serpico Height
Frank Serpico stands at a height of 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m).
Frank Serpico Weight
Frank weighs 68 kg (150 lbs).
Early Life and Education
Frank was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the youngest child of Vincenzo and Maria Giovanna Serpico, Italian emigrants from Marigliano, Naples, Campania. His older siblings, Pasquale, Salvatore, and Tina, were also born in Brooklyn. Serpico went to high school at the prestigious St. Francis Preparatory School and graduated in 1954, according to their online alumni data.
In 1954, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the United States Army and was stationed for two years in South Korea as an infantryman. After his service in the army, from about 1954 to 1956, he worked as a part-time private investigator and as a youth counselor while attending Brooklyn College. Serpico subsequently obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from City College of New York.
Rise to Fame and Breakthrough Moment
Serpico is widely known for whistleblowing on police corruption. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was a plainclothes police officer working in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan to expose vice racketeering. In 1967, he declared credible evidence of overall police corruption, to no effect. In 1970, he donated to a front-page story in The New York Times on widespread corruption in the NYPD, which drew national attention to the problem. Mayor John V. Lindsay appointed a five-member panel to investigate accusations of police corruption, which became the Knapp Commission.
Personal Life
Frank Serpico Family, Parents
Serpico was born to his mother, Maria Giovanna Serpico, and his father, Vincenzo Serpico, in Brooklyn. His parents are Italian immigrants from Marigliano, Naples, Campania.
Frank Serpico Siblings
Serpico has two elder siblings Pasquale, Salvatore, and Tina
Frank Serpico Wife
Frank has been married severally times. He was married to Mary Ann Wheeler from 1957 until 1962. He was then married to Leslie Lane from 1963 until 1965, he later got married to Laurie Young from 1966 until 1969, and from 1973 till 1980, Serpico was married to Marianne Serpico.
Frank Serpico Son
Frank has a son named Alexander Serpico, his only child, who was born on 15 March 1980, out of wedlock. After going to a tribunal to contest child support payments to the mother, who Serpico has claimed told him she was on the contraceptive pill (an allegation she denied), the tribunal ruled he had to pay around $900 per month. Unfortunately, he passed on 10 May 2021 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
Frank Serpico Net Worth
Frank Serpico’s net worth is estimated at $2 million dollars. This includes his assets, money, and income. His primary source of income is his career as a Retired Detective. Through his various sources of income, Serpico has been able to accumulate a good fortune, but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.
Facts: Everything You Need to Know About Frank Serpico
Here are some interesting facts you should know about Frank.
Frank Serpico Bio.
- Full Names: Francesco Vincent Serpico
- Popular As: Frank Serpico
- Gender: Male
- Occupation / Profession: Former (NYPD) Officer
- Nationality: American, Italian
- Race / Ethnicity: White (Italian descent)
- Religion: Christian
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Birthday
- Age / How Old?: 88 Years Old
- Zodiac Sign: Aries
- Date of Birth: 14 April 1936
- Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, United States
- Birthday: 14 April
Body Measurements
- Height / How Tall?: 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m)
- Weight: 150 lbs (68 kg)
- Eye Color: Brown
- Hair Color: Brown
- Shoe Size: Not Available
- Chest Size: Not Available
- Waist Size: Not Available
Family and Relationship
- Father (Dad): Vincenzo Serpico
- Mother: Maria Giovanna Serpico
- Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): Not Known
- Marital Status: Married
- Wife/Spouse: Married to Marianne Serpico
- Children: Alexander Serpico
Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth: $2 Million
- Salary: Not Available
- Source of Income: Former New York City Police Department (NYPD)
Effect on the NYPD
As a result of Serpico’s efforts, the NYPD was drastically changed. Michael Armstrong, who was counsel to the Knapp Commission and went on to become chairman of the city’s Commission to Combat Police Corruption, observed in 2012 “the attitude throughout the department seems fundamentally hostile to the kind of systemized graft that had been a way of life almost 40 years ago.”
Also in the late 1970s and early 1980s, vice laws were generally unenforced to prevent police corruption. Consequently, bookmakers and drug dealers often operated openly out of storefronts, while prostitutes openly advertised and often plied their wares in various “red-light” sections of the city.
Frank Serpico Movie
Serpico retired on June 15, 1972, one month after receiving the New York City Police Department’s highest honor, the Medal of Honor. There was no ceremony; according to Serpico, it was simply handed to him over the desk “like a pack of cigarettes”. He went to Switzerland to recuperate, spending almost a decade living there and on a farm in the Netherlands, and traveling and studying.
When it was decided to make the movie about his life called Serpico, Al Pacino invited the officer to stay with him at a house that Pacino had rented in Montauk, New York. Pacino asked him about why he had stepped forward, and Serpico replied, “Well, Al, I don’t know. I guess I would have to say it would be because… if I didn’t, who would I be when I listened to a piece of music?” He has credited his grandfather (who had once been assaulted and robbed), and his uncle (a respected policeman in Italy) for his sense of justice.
Contacts
About InformationCradle Editorial Staff
This Article is produced by InformationCradle Editorial Staff which is a team of expert writers and editors led by Josphat Gachie and trusted by millions of readers worldwide.
We endeavor to keep our content True, Accurate, Correct, Original and Up to Date. For complain, correction or an update, please send us an email to informationcradle@gmail.com. We promise to take corrective measures to the best of our abilities.