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In the tradition of Serpico and Prince of the City, a brilliantly reported true story of power and betrayal in the NYPD set against the worlds of the Mafia and big-city politics
In 1993, Vincent Armanti, Undercover Detective #4126, agreed to infiltrate the branch of the Lucchese family responsible for the homicide of a beloved fireman. Already a legend for successfully posing as a hit man and arms smuggler, Armanti transformed himself into Vinnie "Blue Eyes" Penisi-a veteran hood with an icy stare. Yet, once under cover, Armanti found that the wise guys he was chasing had access to classified police information. Stakes accelerated when the informant was revealed to be the son of the commander of NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau. Again and again, IAB's detectives compromised Armanti to protect the powerful man's son, but even the police commissioner ignored the situation. Like the fireman who took an oath to serve, Armanti stayed on the job, even when it was clear his life was in danger.
David Kocieniewski, former New York Times police bureau chief, reveals every moment of Armanti's effort to break through the wall enforced by the cops' top brass. Here, with all its compromises, is the city of New York. Here, in all his humanity, is an unforgettable hero, battling for his honor and survival. Here is a remarkable story that ranks with the great police classics.
From The Brass Wall:
The instant Armanti set foot in Café D'Oro, he could feel the strands of the investigation beginning to unravel. A half-dozen of the café's usual suspects sat nervously around the poker table, but there was no card game going or music playing, just edginess heating up the place. Carlo Cuzzi, wanted by the police in at least one double murder, stood with his burly arms crossed-not exactly a harbinger of peace.
"Up against the wall, Vin," Cuzzi demanded. "I've got to search you."
Fear flooded through Armanti's body in a fast, hot wave. His first instinct was to laugh the whole thing off, scoff and order a drink. But the look on Cuzzi's face told him that this was not cocktail time.
Less than an hour earlier Armanti had been fully wired-tape recorder strapped to one ankle, cord winding up to the microphone near his chest. A search would have earned him three quick shots to the back of the head. But the weather was so muggy that Armanti had ignored his backup team and removed the gear before hitting the café. What he hadn't removed, however, was the radio transmitter inside his box of Newport Light cigarettes.
Anonymous
Posted July 27, 2005
It amazes me that a father and son could team up and lie like they did. You took an oath, Wrynn's tell the truth, the truth will set you free!!!
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Posted August 13, 2004
Sometimes gripping, sometimes unbelievable, this novel never really gets to the fever-pitch of a well-written thriller. It's a good read, well-written, just not the most entertaining book out there--David K's hype machine really builds this up to be more than it is.
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Posted May 19, 2004
Very good but not great! 'Born to Steal' and 'Take down: The fall of the last Mafia Empire are way better'!
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Posted December 15, 2003
This is an easy to read, fairly interesting book (I got through it on a flight to London). While there are a few scenes which stretch the boundries of believability, reading about how inept the NYPD really is vindicated what a lot of New Yorkers have always felt.
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Posted November 26, 2003
¿The Brass Wall¿ may not be a masterpiece of a classical literature; but it certainly deserves recognition as modern version of a battle between good and evil. Vincent Armanti, a regular undercover detective with an exceptional sense of justice, represents the righteous part of a story. Fearless determined and selfless he is ready to sacrifice his peace of mind and much more in order to find the truth in a corrupted world of NYPD. During the seven years of conquering the brass wall of indifference, Armanti made friends among enemies and found enemies among friends ¿simply because he wanted to do his job¿ and capture the perpetrators of a crime. He gave up on a lot of things but never lost his professional pride and honesty. This story gives us belief that true heroes still exist even in long lost its respect profession. I reluctantly bought this book; stories which portray tough guys in action don¿t usually catch my attention. But since it was recommended to me by a person who thinks that reading is a criminal waste of time I decided that it could be worth a try. And when the eyes of a store clerk brightened with excitement after I mentioned the title and he described the location of the book as though he knew the way there with his eyes closed I assumed that it might be popular among earthmen too. The moment I brought this book home and opened the first page, I regretted my decision and cursed the person who led me to this. Reading this page-turner occupied most if not whole portion of my free time. Now when I finished it, I know it will take me a while before I initiate reading another piece of literature, there is still too much to digest and too many questions to be answered. It might even be the first book I¿ll read again. It is incredible how the author puts you inside the story. The way David Kocieniewski writes I felt like I was at the scenes of crimes and in the offices of the bureaucrats. I laughed when Vincent was finding witty ways out of edgy situations and cried when he felt pain of defeat and joy of victory. After all isn¿t it what the good book is all about?
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Posted December 30, 2003
I borrowed this book from my sister only after reading the reviews on B&N.com. I wanted to read for myself what all the fuss was about. After reading the book, I'm still wondering. The book is pretty well written, although at times clearly beyond the realm of non-fiction. I'm still left wondering whether the author or publisher use the on-line review fora to promote the book beyond where it would end up if left to its own merit - namely the 90% off rack?
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Posted November 7, 2003
its about time someone in the department had the nerve to speak out against all the politics that go on behind closed doors, while we as citizens often become a part of their distorted web. so why is it that the FBI AGENT doesnt testify at the hearing? sounds to me as if the fbi agent in the book IS ACTING LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED, which only leads us to believe that the answer is YES armanti did sleep with her lol. for the record i dont like cop books, however i read this one twice in a matter of one week.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 27, 2003
I don't read cop books, mostly because I've never been particularly interested in the behind the scenes grit and grime of PD subcultures. Up until reading The Brass Wall, my experience with this genre was limited to late night re-runs of NYPD Blue, with story lines that, to me, lack a certain authenticity and characters who always seem unconvincing and cartoonish. I must confess that I probably wouldn't have found The Brass Wall if it were not for my boyfriend, who gave it to me as required reading. Suffice it to say, I'm grateful for his recommendation. I must also confess that, while this story is undoubtedly a page-turner, it took me a while to finish this book. And while the narrative is clearly riveting enough to inspire readers to finish this book in one sitting, I preferred to savor the story scene by scene at an admitted snail's pace ( which confused and irritated my beau, a rapacious reader who was eager to discuss the book in detail!). In any case, my slow and deliberate reading of this book leads me to dispel the myth that cop books don't usually appeal to the ladies. Au contraire: There is a certain machismo and pronounced bravado associated with Armanti's world and psyche that is particularly engaging for the female reader. But, on a deeper and perhaps even universal level, there is an honest --- and true !--- story about man's fierce and courageous battle for justice and survival. Moreover, the author has an astounding ability to weave such an intricate and animated web of character's that I marveled at the sheer magnitude of investigative work required to tell Armanti's story.I was doubly impressed that a guy with the name Kocieniewski could so accurately depict the often unspoken social subtitles of Italian-American culture. Maybe Mr. Kocieniewski has an Italian mother. Five stars. Read it, girls. You'll be waiting for the sequel.
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Posted October 29, 2003
This was a fantastic book! I couldn't put it down. David Kocieniewski is a very skilled writer, who really made this story and all of the characters in it come alive. He really captures the feel of the New York streets and the players. His warm, ironic, and humorous style make the book a thriller to read. It's obvious how much he cares about this story and its' star character, and how much he put into this book to to get it just right. Most importantly, he really makes you care about the true hero of this story, 'Vincent Armanti', Undercover Detective #4126, who risked his life every day to protect his fellow citizens and make this city a better and safer place. You'll find yourself shocked and amazed at the betrayal of this fine, heroic man by some of his 'superiors' at the NYPD, and will find yourself pulling for him to stay safe, stay alive, and find justice. A great read for anyone who cares about the majority of the hard-working, honest cops out there who risks their lives for us every day, for anyone who cares about our safety and the safety of our children, who cares about New York, and who cares about justice. Also a must-read for those who love true-crime stories, police stories, or organized crime stories. You'll love this book!
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Posted December 19, 2003
A pretty well-written, easy read. The narrative at times is difficult to follow and at times a bit far-fetched, but the story is an interesting one. There were times when I wondered whether I was reading a book or the proposal for a television series.
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Posted October 6, 2003
Make no mistake about it. This story is told from the perspective of one cop who had a limited role in the investigation into the arson fire and murder of a NYC Fire Lieutenant. The premise of the book has little or nothing to do with the investigation into the arson and murder. Much of this tale is exaggeration and hyperbole and there are a litany of factual inacurracies. I find it distasteful that Armanti chose to use the tragic death of a Fire Lieutenant as the backdrop for his melodrama.
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Posted October 13, 2003
i grew up in the nieghborhood refered to in this book and was a regular in Sebastians bar before,during ,and after all this stuff took place.some aspects of this book are true in some sense but for the most part it mostly trumped up nonsense in an obvious attempt to promote the books sales! i know all the people talked about in this book and to think of all these guys as vicious mob enforcers and killers is a farce as well as a total mockery. although i got a kick out of reading about all these guys i grew up with ,(most of who i still know and talk to ),to read about them in this fasion had myself and everyone else from 'da neck',(which incidentally ive never heard this nieghborhood refered to despite 35 years living here),practically rolling on the floor in laughter!! a good book,but should really be listed in the fiction,comedy,or even better, this misguided,misinformed,and misleading masquarade of journalism should be listed under 'fantasy'!!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 21, 2003
I don't read cop books, mostly because I've never been particularly interested in the behind the scenes grit and grime of PD subcultures. Up until reading The Brass Wall, my experience with this genre was limited to late night re-runs of NYPD Blue, with story lines that lack a certain authenticity and characters who always seem unconvincing and cartoonish. I must confess that I probably wouldn't have found The Brass Wall if it were not for my boyfriend, who gave it to me as required reading. Suffice it to say, I'm grateful for his recommendation. I must also confess that, while this story is undoubtedly a page-turner, it took me a while to finish this book. And while the narrative is clearly riveting enough to inspire readers to finish this book in one sitting, I preferred to savor the story scene by scene at an admitted snail's pace ( which confused and irritated my beau, a rapacious reader who was eager to discuss the book in detail!). In any case, my slow and deliberate reading of this book leads me to dispel the myth that cop books don't appeal to women. Au contraire: There is a certain machismo and pronounced bravado associated with Armanti's world and psyche that is particularly appealing to the female reader. But, on a deeper and perhaps even universal level, there is an honest --- and true !--- story about man's fierce and courageous battle for justice and survival. Moreover, the author has an astounding ability to weave such an intricate and animated web of characters that I marveled at the sheer magnitude of investigative work that must have been required to tell Armanti's story. I was doubly impressed that a guy with the name Kocieniewski could so accurately depict the often unspoken social subtitles of Italian-American culture. Maybe Mr. Kocieniewski has an Italian mother. Five stars. Read it, girls. You'll be waiting for the sequel.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Overview
In the tradition of Serpico and Prince of the City, a brilliantly reported true story of power and betrayal in the NYPD set against the worlds of the Mafia and big-city politics
In 1993, Vincent Armanti, Undercover Detective #4126, agreed to infiltrate the branch of the Lucchese family responsible for the homicide of a beloved fireman. Already a legend for successfully posing as a hit man and arms smuggler, Armanti transformed himself into Vinnie "Blue Eyes" Penisi-a veteran ...