Jack Garcia served as a salad-dodging undercover agent for 24
of his 26 years in the FBI.
In that time, he took down gangsters, drug traffickers and crooked cops — often
all at once.
But his most memorable role came
as wannabe mobster Jack Falcone.
As Falcone, Garcia won the trust of Gambino family capo, Greg de Palma, and became the second
FBI Agent ever (after “Donnie Brasco”) to be proposed for membership
of the
Mafia. He tells about his risky exploits.
Tell us about the bloke. What’s
a Mafia boss like?
Greg de Palma is a very colourful
gangster. He became a “Made
Man in the 1970s. Greg is a sponge. He can suck the life out of you. Guys like him have this ability to detect weaknesses in people and exploit them to the highest level. He could turn on the charm one second, then stick an icepick in
your head the next.
What was it like testifying in front
of Greg de Palma after all that?
You could see he wanted to jump up and choke me. Then the judge says, “You’re excused, Agent Garcia.” And as I’m walking by, Greg says, “You cocksucker.”
I wouldn’t say I felt sorry for him because the guy was pure evil.
But there was no
family there to support him. The Mob he’d given his life for had abandoned him.
Do you still look over your shoulder these days?
I don’t go back to some restaurants because there’s a target on my back. I’ve met a lot of people along the way
who didn’t go to jail.
All it takes is for one guy to recognise you. If they come after me, there are 13,000 FBI agents
— that’s my crew. They might have 1000 guys, but I’ve got 12,000 more
in my corner.
Bikie Betrayal
William Queen was an undercover agent with the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) when he infiltrated white-power groups Aryan Nations
and the Ku Klux Klan. His next assignment was joining the San Fernando Valley chapter of the Mongols motorcycle gang.
After hanging in biker bars and ingratiating himself with the violent gang, Queen managed to become a full member. The ATF agent constantly feared exposure — a gang member even accused him of being a cop. Despite this, he bonded with his Mongol brothers. When his mother died, he found more compassion from his
bikie mates than his fellow narcs.
Queen’s 28 months in the gang led to raids across four states.
All up, 54 gang members were arrested and convicted.
The notoriety of Queen’s book
—
Under and Alone: The True Story
of the Undercover Agent Who Infiltrated America’s Most Violent Outlaw Motorcycle Gang — was good news for the gang. Many members are now keen to play roles in the movie, which Mel Gibson’s production company has picked up the rights for.
“They’re
bigger than ever,” Queen told the
Washington Post. “This thing has been like a recruitment tool.”
What do you think about undercover cops writing books about their experiences? Enter your comments below.
