Gary Capuano, a South Philadelphia retired police sergeant and the author of several books on crime and the police, has written a memoir about his 24 years as a cop called “Behind the Badge: Policing, Politics and Pandering in Philly.”
A dedicated police officer, Capuano received many awards and commendations throughout his career. He said he became a police officer because he wanted to serve his native city and make a difference in the lives of his community. “Behind the Badge” recounts some of the most notable cases in his career, including the many dangerous situations he often encountered serving arrest warrants, as well as some of the more offbeat and humorous moments on the job.
I reached out to Capuano and asked him why he wrote the book.
“I wrote the book to memorialize my career, focusing on the events I believed were the most interesting and would best hold the reader’s attention,” Capuano said. “I began my career in uniformed patrol in the 4th District. From there, I joined 5 Squad’s Stolen Auto Detail and eventually its burglary team. After being promoted to detective, I was assigned to Southwest Detectives, which was a wonderful place to learn and develop as an investigator.”
Capuano said he later moved to Southwest Detectives, where he led the Fugitive Task Force for six years.
“With the help and guidance of Inspector Dennis Wilson, I was later promoted to sergeant and assigned to the 3rd District, where my career would ultimately end, but not in the way I expected.
“When I graduated from the Police Academy, I was fortunate to work alongside several outstanding veteran officers who showed me the ropes. I specifically remember David Budka, Anthony Parrotti and John “JR” Ross. Those men helped guide me during the earliest days of my career. Many detectives also contributed to my development, including Joseph Abruzzese, Bill Carey, Teddy Manko, Joe Gibson and “the Bobbys” — Bob Lis and Bob Conn. I was equally fortunate to work for many excellent supervisors, including Capt. John Heath; Sgts. Mike Petrucci, Mike Anderson, Anthony LaSalle and Charles Layton; Lts. Anthony Mirabella and Pat Doherty; and, last, but certainly not least, Lt. John Walker.”
Capuano said that the high point of his career was leading the Fugitive Task Force.
“During my six years in charge, I don’t remember the exact number of open warrants we had, but we significantly reduced that number, even as new arrest warrants arrived daily. In addition to serving arrest warrants, we executed search warrants, conducted extraditions, picked up fugitives being held in other jurisdictions, and transported prisoners from correctional institutions when they faced new charges in our division. Assistant district attorneys frequently asked us to locate witnesses because they had confidence that our team would get the job done.”
One arrest that stands out for Capuano involved a West Philadelphia defendant whom the U.S. Marshals had been trying to locate for more than a year.
“My team and I were ultimately the ones who tracked him down and arrested him. He was wanted in connection with three homicides, along with numerous robberies and assaults. Another memorable case involved a man who had accumulated an astonishing 99 prior arrests.”
Capuano also noted that politics influenced the police department and it left a bad taste in his mouth.
“The lowest point of my career came when I was injured while chasing a suspect who had bailed out of a stolen vehicle. I eventually underwent four surgeries, including back surgery that the City and its insurance carrier had approved and paid for,” Capuano recalled. “Because they had accepted the injury and authorized the surgery, I believed they would rule in my favor when my disability appeal was heard. I could not have been more wrong and I lost my appeal. Am I bitter? Absolutely.”
Capuano said he was concerned about today’s cops.
“It seems as though the police officer is always presumed to be at fault, while at the same time walking around with a target on their back,” Capuano said.
You can purchase Gary Capuano’s books via the link below:
www.amazon.com/author/garycapuano ••
Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com.
