Philip M Butera

Caught Between Philip M Butera

CAUGHT BETWEEN

Police and firefighters have been reduced. Racial tension is peaking.

Murders, robberies, and arson are on the rise. Moral decay and financial ruin are cresting.

New York City is a cesspool in mid-1970.

Crime is front-page news daily, so why does the killing of a mafia henchman by an Italian cop arouse so much concern?

The Feds come to town; the Mafia puts out a contract, politicians lie, and the police blame the "system" for any incompetence.

The question remains, was the shooting excellent police work or premeditated murder?






Most stories have twists and turns; this story is all twists and turns.




Every person and organization involved just wanted this case to disappear. The police didn't want to investigate the shooting; the truth was inconsequential.

The Mafia issued a contract on the shooter's life, but they hated the heat.

The Feds wanted complete control and promised they would make it all go away. The case became a gnarled knot that kept getting tighter yet looser at the same time.

The chief investigator would find extensive evidence to both exonerate and condemn the officer who did the shooting. He also discovered a ruthless and corrupt "system." Like unpeeling an onion, in the end, questions remained.

What is relevant, what is not, and does truth matter?

"Caught Between" is based on an actual incident, though names and places are changed.