Based on the true story of New York cop Frank Serpico, who sacrificed his career to expose widespread corruption in the NYPD to the New York Times.
Al Pacino is forcefully real as Serpico, an independent young recruit entering the police force in the late 1960s fulfilling a childhood dream.
New York’s finest lose no time in initiating Serpico in the ways of cutting corners, forging documents and taking payoffs from local gambling operations and narcotics rings.
His refusal to take illegal protection money and his counterculture lifestyle (he goes to Spanish literature classes and learns to dance ballet) make Serpico a target for harassment by his unified and powerful peers.
Serpico’s obsessive fight for truth begins to have disastrous effects on his personal life and ultimately threatens his safety.
NBC produced a 15 episode TV series of Serpico from 1976 to 1977 with David Birney in the Pacino role.
Frank Serpico
Al Pacino
Sidney Green
John Randolph
Tom Keough
Jack Kehoe
McClain
Biff McGuire
Laurie
Barbara Eda-Young
Leslie
Cornelia Sharpe
Bob Blair
Tony Roberts
Pasquale
John Medici
DA Tauber
Allan Rich
Rubello
Norman Ornellas
Lombardo
Edward Grover
Peluce
Al Henderson
Malone
Hank Garrett
Joey
Damien Leake
Potts
Joe Bova
Captain Tolkin
Gene Gross
Gallagher
M Emmet Walsh
Charlie
Kenneth McMillan
Director
Sidney Lumet