TOM BUCCIO — THE MAYOR OF BRIDGEPORT

In his newly assigned position in the Special Services Division of the Bridgeport Police Department, Billy Chase interfaced on a number of cases with federal law enforcement officials, Billy was a cop in Bridgeport where advanced training was as common as a crime-less day. How does an undercover with no formalized training get started? In Billy’s case it was go where you know best – the streets. Billy reconnected with the comings and goings of the streets of his youth back to inner city playgrounds where he once shot hoops into the strip bars and taverns that warehouse information about drug dealers, junkies, and prostitutes. Most of Billy’s contacts thought he had gone overseas to play ball, this wasn’t the age of social media or cell phones, you could disappear or create a story that no one could check online.  It is rare to have audio from 30 years ago, but the interview with Billy was very telling, the names of the drug crews, and the Feds, it wasn’t like Billy worked one case, he was almost a schizophrenic undercover, bouncing from drug dealers to junkies, soaking up information, in a city becoming consumed with crack, I am astonished that Billy could even keep all these names straight… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices