Serpico, Frank (1936– )

US police detective 1959–71. He is famous for exposing widespread corruption within the New York police department during the late 1960s. He was the subject of Serpico (1973), a best-selling biography written by Peter Maas (1929–2001) and a film starring Al Pacino.

As a plainclothes police detective, he exposed vice racketeering and refused to take bribes. After The New York Times published an exposé based on Serpico's evidence, New York mayor John Lindsay appointed the Knapp Commission to investigate. Serpico's testimony caused him to be shunned by his fellow officers.

Serpico was shot in the head during a drug raid in 1971, which he believed was actually a set-up. After this he resigned from the New York Police Department and spent ten years living abroad. After returning to the USA, he spent time travelling, speaking, and writing about civil liberties and police corruption.