MICHAEL F. VECCHIONE

Immediately following his 1973 graduation from Hofstra University Law School, Michael F. Vecchione commenced his exceptional career in public service by joining the Kings County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney.  During the ensuing seven years, he supervised, investigated, and prosecuted numerous major felony crimes, including almost 100 homicides.  Mr. Vecchione’s administrative ability and his willingness to train new assistants resulted in his promotion to Deputy Chief of the Sex Crimes Bureau. 

In 1980, Mr. Vecchione was appointed Director of the Advocate’s Office of the New York City Police Department.  In that highly sensitive position, Mr. Vecchione supervised a large staff of attorneys as he fulfilled his mandate to investigate and bring to administrative trial more than 1,000 disciplinary matters.  While Mr. Vecchione was in private practice from 1982 through 1991, his commitment to public service remained paramount.  He served as an Administrative Law Judge with four New York City agencies.  Then, in 1987, Mr. Vecchione was named a mayoral appointee to the Civilian Complaint Review Board.  During his four-year term, Mr. Vecchione employed his unique insights into criminal investigative techniques and police procedure as he examined complaints brought by citizens against members of the New York City Police Department.

In 1992, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes asked Mr. Vecchione to return and serve as Chief of the Homicide Bureau at a critical time during the City’s effort to reduce violent crimes.  Mr. Vecchione met the challenge and worked closely with the hierarchy of the New York City Police Department.  Then, in 1994, Mr. Vecchione became Chief of the Trial Division, responsible for supervising several hundred assistants and staff members who investigated and prosecuted most crimes committed in Brooklyn.  During his tenure in these demanding positions, D.A. Hynes asked Mr. Vecchione to lead the successful prosecutions of several high-profile crimes, including the 1999 murder of social work student Amy Watkins.

From 2001 to December 2013, Mr. Vecchione served both as a principal advisor to the District Attorney and as Chief of the Rackets Division.  The Rackets Division encompasses several major bureaus and units and is one of the nation’s largest investigative units of its kind.  Targeting a broad range of complex and sensitive crimes, the Rackets Division focuses on organized crime, official corruption, human trafficking, money laundering, and fraud in all of its many forms.  As throughout his career, Mr. Vecchione’s role was not limited to administration.  In the arena of official corruption alone, he investigated, prosecuted, and secured the felony convictions of Clarence Norman, Jr., the former assemblyman and chairman of the Kings County Democratic Party, and Supreme Court Justices Victor Barron and Gerald Garson.

In 2007 the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, honored Mr. Vecchione with the prestigious Thomas E. Dewey Medal in recognition of his achievements during the 23 years that he had served to that point as an Assistant District Attorney in Kings County.

Throughout his career, Mr. Vecchione has pursued his unstinting commitment to the next generations of lawyers and law enforcement officers.  Mr. Vecchione has devoted countless hours to teaching and advising junior assistant district attorneys.  He has lectured and trained at the New York City Police Academy and served as legal advisor to homicide detectives.  Mr. Vecchione has served as an adjunct professor of law at Hofstra University School of Law, an adjunct professor and coach of the Moot Court Honor Society at Brooklyn Law School, and an adjunct professor at St. John’s University School of Law as well as at St. John’s University College of Professional Studies.

As a result of his extensive experience in the investigation and prosecution of major crimes, Mr. Vecchione’s advice and assistance has also been sought by a number of news, documentary, and entertainment enterprises.  For example, Mr. Vecchione has made numerous appearances on local New York City television and radio to discuss criminal cases and issues, including the following:

·                 American Greed ‒ The Body Snatcher: Michael Mastromarino [CNBC], discussing the investigation and prosecution by Mr. Vecchione and his staff of the participants in a criminal enterprise involving the theft of body parts from over 1,000 human cadavers.

·                 The Marvin Scott Show [WPIX]: discussing organized crime

·                 Good Day New York [FOX], discussing Human Trafficking

·                 Body Snatchers of New York [BBC & Bearkatt Productions for CNBC], an award-winning documentary on the Michael Mastromarino case

·                 My Life is a Lifetime Movie [LIFETIME], the story of the wife of Michael Mastromarino

·                 48 Hours ‒ “Justice for Sale” [CBS], the investigation, prosecution and conviction of former Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Gerald Garson by Mr. Vecchione and members of his staff

·                 Brooklyn DA” [CBS], a documentary on the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, including the Racket’s Division

·                 Mobsters ‒ Mafia Cops: Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa [Biography Channel]

·                 Mobsters ‒ The Grim Reaper: Greg Scarpa [Biography Channel]

In yet another aspect of his varied career, Mr. Vecchione has served as a technical advisor on:

-        “We Own the Night,” a motion picture directed by James Gray about the Russian Mob in New York City, starring Robert Duvall, Mark Wahlberg, and others.

-        Television Series Boardwalk Empire [3rd season] created by Terrance Winter

-        Television Series Undercover Mother due to air in the Spring of 2023

Finally, Mr. Vecchione co-authored the well-received non-fiction book, Friends of the Family,” an inside look at the Mafia Cops case, which was released in 2009 by HarperCollins Publishers. He has co-authored a second book, Crooked Brooklyn, Taking Down Crooked Judges, Dirty Politicians, Killers and Body Snatchers, a chronicle of his years as the Chief of Rackets in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. It was released in the November 2015 by St. Martin’s Press. His third book of which he is a co-author, Behind the Murder Curtain, Special Agent Bruce Sackman Hunts Doctors and Nurses Who Kill Our Veterans, was released in September 2018 by Post Hill Press. His fourth book, “Homicide is My Business-Luigi the Zip, A Hitman’s Quest for Honor” was  released on October 20, 2022. His latest book, Fallen Angel-A True Crime Fantasy will be released on January 26, 2023.In addition, he co-authored two Amazon Kindle Singles, Hand of the Killer released in the spring of 2015 and Murder on the Bridge, From the Files of Mike V. released in the summer of 2016.