KINGSTON, R.I. — November 18, 2004 — Robert Leuci has led a life that reads like a crime novel. His involvement in New York City corruption in the 1960s and 1970s, and his turnaround is the basis of his autobiography, All the Centurions: A New York City Cop Remembers His Years on the Street, 1961-1981. He will be speaking about his book and his experiences as a police officer in New York as part of the Forensic Science Seminar Series offered by the University of Rhode Island.
The discussion will take place on Friday, Nov. 19, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 124 of Pastore Hall on the Kingston campus. The lecture is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served prior to the start of the discussion.
In the book, Leuci details how he went from an honest narcotics officer to years as a corrupt cop accepting bribes for thousands of dollars in cash and favors. Finally fed up with the corruption of fellow cops, lawyers, and judges, he agreed to cooperate with the Knapp Investigation and wear a wire to record conversations and testify against his coworkers. His story has been the basis for the novel Prince of the City by Robert Daley, and made into a 1981 film of the same name starring Treat Williams and Jerry Orbach.
Since retiring from the force in 1981, he has gone on to a successful career as a crime fiction author. He has published seven popular novels including, Captain Butterfly, Odessa Beach, and Blaze. When the Saunderstown native is not writing and lecturing, he teaches political science and English courses for the University.
The Forensic Science Seminar Series is a semester-long program offered by the University of Rhode Island Forensic Science Partnership. The series, which is in its fifth year, lasts through Dec. 10.