Making Jack Falcone by JOAQUIN “JACK” GARCIA & MICHAEL LEVIN

Author:JOAQUIN “JACK” GARCIA & MICHAEL LEVIN
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket Star Books
Published: 2008-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

INTERLUDE TWO

Atlantic City—Friends in High Places

While working Royal Charm out of the Atlantic City field office of the FBI, I ran into Jim Eckel and Ed Corrigan, two agents I have known for many years. FBI offices are divided up into squads based on the violations that are most prevalent in a particular area. I was working out of the organized crime squad, and they were working out of the public corruption squad.

“What are you doing here?” Jim asked, surprised to see me.

“Working on Royal Charm,” I replied.

“I just had an idea!” he exclaimed, excited. “Got a minute? Let’s go into the conference room!”

“What’s your schedule like, big guy?” they asked.

“Oh, I’ve got a full plate,” I said, seeing where this was going.

“We know,” Jim said, “but maybe you’ve got a few minutes to hear a story.”

“I’ve always got time to hear a good story,” and they certainly had one for me.

“We’ve got a guy in construction, a great cooperating witness,” Jim began, “a very, very good source. A black male. He knows this other contractor who’s a hustler here in Atlantic City—he’s out there doing this and that and the other thing. We know this other guy pays off city council members and politicians. We thought about using a black undercover agent to get to know this guy. But we started thinking about you instead. Suppose you were some kind of Miami/New York–based Cuban drug dealer looking for ways to legitimize your money?”

“How would this work?” I asked, intrigued.

“You’ll befriend him and after some time passes you’ll create a business with him, and maybe he’ll take you into his confidence,” Jim said. “Together, you’ll pay off politicians to procure contracts in Atlantic City. He just got his minority contractor’s license so we know he’s going to be rocking and rolling.”

The states and the federal government have programs that permit members of minority groups to receive special preferences in the awarding of government contracts. In order to receive such preferences, the company must receive government certification that it is indeed minority-owned. Our guy had just gotten that certification.

I always have a hard time saying no.

“Listen,” I said. “For you, Jim, I’ll do it. I’ll have to sneak it in, though. I’ve got an undercover meeting on Royal Charm tonight.”

“How about tomorrow?” they asked.

“Okay,” I said, and suddenly I had a new case with which to contend, on top of all my other cases.

The following morning, I met the cooperating witness, a real nice guy, who instantly took a liking to me. We agreed to meet the next morning to have breakfast, so he could introduce me to the bad guy, whom we’ll call Speed. I would be introduced as Manny, a retired Cuban drug dealer with a lot of cash to launder. In the scenario we concocted, I was not connected with the Mob, but instead moved a lot of dope in New York and Florida. Now that I had retired from the dope trade, I was looking to make some investments and possibly create a business in Atlantic City that would legitimize me.

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