Rotten Mango - Introducing: The Set

Episode Date: June 16, 2023

It’s the crack era. The most violent time in New York City history. The NYPD is fighting a losing battle and instead of protecting the city from drug dealers, some police officers have become them. The Set is the never-before told, first-person documentary of the biggest police corruption scandal in NYPD history and the investigation that uncovered it all. From Audacy Originals and Zak Levitt, the Emmy, Peabody, and NY Press Club Investigative Journalism Award winning creator of Root of Evil, Gangster Capitalism, and Relative Unknown. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let me tell you what I've been hooked on. Okay, I want to introduce you to the new documentary series called The Set, created by Zach Levit. This is the same creator behind the hit podcast, Rude of Evil, Gangster Capitalism. That one's a great one. And relative unknown, the set tells the inside story of the biggest police corruption scandal in New York City history. And there's a whole investigation that uncovered all of it. I'm just going to drop you in the scene.

It is the height of the crack era and the most violent time in New York City's history. But instead of protecting New Yorkers from drug dealers, some police officers became them. When a commission was formed to investigate police misconduct, it discovered Harlem's 30th precinct had been overrun with corruption. But even worse, the NYPD had been turning a blind eye. In total, 33 officers were arrested and even convicted of corruption and the precinct became known as the dirty 30. In the set, we hear never before told story

shared directly by the dirty cops who were convicted, the undercover internal affairs officer who blew the whistle, and the investigators, the prosecutors, the police commissioner who exposed the truth about what happened when the world's largest police department failed to police itself. If you like this preview, be sure to search for the set available now wherever you get your podcast. Um, you know what, if the fucking 30-someone here is, you would think that like you got to get over it, but apparently not. I'm not a bad guy man. I made a mistake and I fucking went down a wrong path and I'm not a bad guy.

But, Zach, I mean, the story should be told. From Odyssey Originals, I'm Zach Levin, the creator of Root of Evil, gangster capitalism, and relative unknown. And this is a story about a time that New York City would like to forget. The injurious times in New York City. The biggest city in America is on the ropes. On the streets of New York, it's called crack, and the deals go down quickly.

It was the most violent year in the city's history, the height of the crack era. There were no opportunities. You got into the game back then, yo, you had no choice. But if you move in Coke, you making money and overflip, baby. Entire neighborhoods have been transformed into open air drug markets.

But for some criminals brazen enough, even the dealers became marks. Was it a common practice to break into apartments which were suspected drug locations? Yes. Why would you break into these apartments? For money, for drugs, whatever was in there. Why aren't you afraid of getting caught at doing this?

No, who's gonna catch us? What a police. We Americans have an endless fascination with police stories. Well, there's a police story being told here in New York that is so shocking, you couldn't make it up. The New York City Police Department was keeping a secret, instead of locking up drug dealers. Some cops were out on the streets competing with them.

I would suit up in my uniform and you're going out and out, fucking patrol. We're going to do tonight. We're going to want some drug dealers and I know how to do it really well. But even worse, the NYPD knew and allowed it to happen. They saw their role as protecting the department, not rooting out corrupt cops. to happen. A special commission was formed to investigate the police department itself, and what it uncovered would shake the city to its foundation. It was a banana republic precinct operating in the city of New York. It was unbelievable.

In New York City tonight, a major scandal for the nation's largest police force. This is the inside story of the biggest police corruption scandal in NYPD history and the investigation that uncovered it all. We told them that we wanted them to wear a wire. They only got them with a few things, and they get them on every side.

And they said, OK. All told for the first time by the people who lived it. Did you consider yourself a rat? 100%. I saved my soul just like everybody else does. I'm not a bad guy man but I can't explain and I love being that dirty motherfucker. Welcome to the set, an Autosy Originals documentary podcast series. Listen and follow on the Autosy app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your shows. Fuck up well, fuck up the bot, mate. Thank you for your involvement.