A Matter of Honor: One Cop's Lifelong Pursuit of John Gotti and the Mob

Franceschini was a member of the New York Police Department from 1957 to 1991. Serving in a number of elite units, he specialized in fighting the Mafia, and during his final 14 years he headed the squad working under Queens District Attorney John Santucci. Franceschini notes that he was the first to unravel the structure of the local Cosa Nostra, although some of his colleagues mocked him for creating an ``imaginary'' mob empire. He was responsible for sending dozens of gangsters to prison, but the ``very flamboyant, very hands-on'' Gotti, whom his unit had been investigating for years, was finally nailed by the FBI after Franceschini had retired from the force. This dedicated officer's memoir presents a tough-minded, involving, proud view of his career in law enforcement, doing a job he sums up thusly: ``It's like if you shine a flashlight in a rat hole, you won't have a lot of activity. Flick off the light and the place starts to scurry. I spent my professional life shining that light.'' Photos not seen by PW . (Aug.)