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Badge of the Assassin - A true story of one of themost intense manhunts in police history
A blood-chilling true-crime account from former district attorney and New York Times bestselling author Robert K. Tanenbaum BADGE OF THE ASSASSIN They were just doing their jobs -- serving and protecting -- when the unimaginable Officers Waverly Jones and Joseph Piagentini became moving targets, ambushed from behind at a Manhattan housing project. Jones lay dead in a pool of his own blood, and Piagentini lived long enough to beg for his life -- before he was riddled with twenty-two bullet holes by members of a deadly hit squad hell-bent on taking out the men and women of law enforcement. Masterfully building suspense on every page, Robert K. Tanenbaum reconstructs the vicious murders of Jones and Piagentini and the manhunt for the suspects, and brings to life his courtroom prosecution of the killers -- revealing the triumphs and failures of America's legal system.
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First published May 15, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 2, 2024
Well-Written, Highly Detailed 1970s True-Crime Story Told By the Prosecutor
In these days of aggressive progressivism, ANTIFA mobs, Pro-Palestine Woke Protests, Defund the Police/BLM.ORG radical activism, and Leftist Political and Social Anarchy, it is easy to forget that we've been down this path before. In the 60s and 70s, radical leftist domestic terrorists with names like the Weather Underground and Symbionese Liberation Army were blowing up buildings, robbing banks, and shooting police officers. An extreme group of radicalized Black Panthers took that social movement to the next level in establishing the Black Liberation Army (BLA) to engage in the same kind of domestic terrorist behavior. The BLA's primary objective was the assassination of police officers and they were most active in California and the New York City Metro area.
Badge of the Assassin is the story of the 1971 execution style killing of NYPD Officers Waverly Jones and Joseph Piagentini and subsequent investigation and trial. About half the book is focused on the two trials of the suspects, one of which ended in a mistrial, and the second in a successful prosecution. I won't name names here, I guess to avoid being a spoiler review, but the case is a matter of historical record. It was also the subject of a 1985 made for television movie.
Badge of the Assassin is co-authored by Robert K. Tanenbaum and Philip Rosenberg. Tanenbaum was the NYC Assistant District Attorney who prosecuted the case. Badge of the Assassin established him as a professional writer and Tannenbaum would go on to become a best-selling novelist and mayor of Beverly Hills.
The investigation and manhunt for the killers is an intriguing story. A classic true-crime mystery. The book takes a notorious turn from an objective POV to a first-person POV in part two which covers the first trial. This is the point where Robert Tanenbaum took over the prosecution so the courtroom scenes and legal details are from his perspective. This is slightly problematic because he is surely giving you his take on the case, his agenda as opposed to a more objective journalistic point of view. This is the book's only real flaw as far as continuity and credibility. But the details are too good to pass up. And if you are interested in legal cases (as I am) you probably will appreciate the extended trial coverage in the book. Having worked in law enforcement investigaitions myself, I love reading about "the process." Suffice to say, Rosenberg keeps the book moving along as I assume he co-authored to keep it on track and as objective as possible.
If you can find this old classic, it's worth reading. I found an old 1979 mass-market paperback edition that was falling to pieces but still readable. It was a nostalgic experience for me as I grew up in the 70s reading stuff like this as a young adolescent. Plus its a great read.
If you like true crime and can find a copy, this book is highly, highly recommended!
In these days of aggressive progressivism, ANTIFA mobs, Pro-Palestine Woke Protests, Defund the Police/BLM.ORG radical activism, and Leftist Political and Social Anarchy, it is easy to forget that we've been down this path before. In the 60s and 70s, radical leftist domestic terrorists with names like the Weather Underground and Symbionese Liberation Army were blowing up buildings, robbing banks, and shooting police officers. An extreme group of radicalized Black Panthers took that social movement to the next level in establishing the Black Liberation Army (BLA) to engage in the same kind of domestic terrorist behavior. The BLA's primary objective was the assassination of police officers and they were most active in California and the New York City Metro area.
Badge of the Assassin is the story of the 1971 execution style killing of NYPD Officers Waverly Jones and Joseph Piagentini and subsequent investigation and trial. About half the book is focused on the two trials of the suspects, one of which ended in a mistrial, and the second in a successful prosecution. I won't name names here, I guess to avoid being a spoiler review, but the case is a matter of historical record. It was also the subject of a 1985 made for television movie.
Badge of the Assassin is co-authored by Robert K. Tanenbaum and Philip Rosenberg. Tanenbaum was the NYC Assistant District Attorney who prosecuted the case. Badge of the Assassin established him as a professional writer and Tannenbaum would go on to become a best-selling novelist and mayor of Beverly Hills.
The investigation and manhunt for the killers is an intriguing story. A classic true-crime mystery. The book takes a notorious turn from an objective POV to a first-person POV in part two which covers the first trial. This is the point where Robert Tanenbaum took over the prosecution so the courtroom scenes and legal details are from his perspective. This is slightly problematic because he is surely giving you his take on the case, his agenda as opposed to a more objective journalistic point of view. This is the book's only real flaw as far as continuity and credibility. But the details are too good to pass up. And if you are interested in legal cases (as I am) you probably will appreciate the extended trial coverage in the book. Having worked in law enforcement investigaitions myself, I love reading about "the process." Suffice to say, Rosenberg keeps the book moving along as I assume he co-authored to keep it on track and as objective as possible.
If you can find this old classic, it's worth reading. I found an old 1979 mass-market paperback edition that was falling to pieces but still readable. It was a nostalgic experience for me as I grew up in the 70s reading stuff like this as a young adolescent. Plus its a great read.
If you like true crime and can find a copy, this book is highly, highly recommended!
February 12, 2023
Done! Enjoyed it. Right to the last page. The satisfaction of a form of righteous justice. A measure of relief and something right done for the grieving widow who has waited four years for her husbands killers to be brought to Justice. The gratitude for the detectives and prosecutors who stay on it, follow the trail, stay up late, make it air tight, don’t let it go… after the drawn out search for witnesses and weapons, laboring to connect the dots and prove beyond the shadow of a doubt… the courage of the jury, the moment a verdict is read… an honest judge… The late 60’s & 70’s had all the racial strife of our day, the militant cop-hating activists reeking havoc in cities across the country… meanwhile a black cop and a white cop were just doing their jobs, teammates, brothers, gunned down in cold blood … Thank you Waverly Jones and Joseph Piagentini, thank you Bill Butler and Robert Tanenbaum… and all those who protect and serve and fight for Justice. 👌🏻👍🏻👊🏻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2018
True Crime
This is a riveting book. It tells the story of the Black Liberation Army's murder of policemen. It is a detailed tale of the murders and the investigation. It also is a story oof the trials. It brings home this awful case and does it well.
This is a riveting book. It tells the story of the Black Liberation Army's murder of policemen. It is a detailed tale of the murders and the investigation. It also is a story oof the trials. It brings home this awful case and does it well.
December 4, 2022
A true story of a horrific murder and the trial that brought the killers to justice
True stories are always the best ... And this one told by the prosecutor who was in the court room!
True stories are always the best ... And this one told by the prosecutor who was in the court room!
April 25, 2023
An amazing true story of a brutal double murder of two police officers in Harlem in 1971. A cross country man-hunt ensues. It is very, very detail orientated which is the only reason I did not give it a higher rating.
June 12, 2024
Interesting. The authors took great care in narrating the events and placing them in context with locations, successes and set backs. I was constantly asking myself, "What next?"
May 2, 2025
Such a great true crime book. Not my typical read but I blew through it. Well written, engaging, inspiring.
June 18, 2018
A blood-chilling true-crime account from former district attorney and "New York Times" bestselling author Robert K. Tanenbaum BADGE OF THE ASSASSIN They were just doing their jobs -- serving and protecting -- when the unimaginable happened: Officers Waverly Jones and Joseph Piagentini became moving targets, ambushed from behind at a Manhattan housing project. Jones lay dead in a pool of his own blood, and Piagentini lived long enough to beg for his life -- before he was riddled with twenty-two bullet holes by members of a deadly hit squad hell-bent on taking out the men and women of law enforcement. Masterfully building suspense on every page, Robert K. Tanenbaum reconstructs the vicious murders of Jones and Piagentini and the manhunt for the suspects, and brings to life his courtroom prosecution of the killers -- revealing the triumphs and failures of America's legal system.
August 12, 2016
True crime non-fictional tale concerning the murder of two police officers in New York City by a radical off-shoot of the BLA (Black Liberation Army), the capture of the persons responsible for the evil deed, and the resulting trial(s).
Well written and fascinating account of a very cold-blooded and heinous crime that stretched from Manhattan to New Orleans, Mississippi and to San Francisco.
Well written and fascinating account of a very cold-blooded and heinous crime that stretched from Manhattan to New Orleans, Mississippi and to San Francisco.
January 26, 2016
Foot Patrol Officers Waverly Jones and Joseph Piagentini of New York City were ambushed and shot in the back then left behind a Manhattan housing project. This book reconstructs the murders and the manhunt that followed. Piece by piece a case is put together against the suspects and we are shown the American legal system at work.
August 2, 2012
Cops's-eye perspective of the Black Liberation Army.
January 2, 2014
Very good book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews