Item: SARGE!: Cases of a Chicago Police Detective Sergeant in the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s
Rating: 4
Author: Gina

Sarge! by John DiMaggio

Cases of a Chicago Police Detective Sergeant in the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s

SARGE!: Cases of a Chicago Police Detective Sergeant in the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s by John DiMaggio
Published by Crossroad Press on October 30, 2018
Genres: Autobiography, Crime, Detective/Sleuth, Essays, Memoir, Non-fiction, True Crime
Format: Audiobook, eBook, Paperback
Pages: 372

SARGE!” is a fascinating memoir by the late Chicago Police Detective Sergeant John A. DiMaggio, one of the most decorated officers on the force during a career that spanned the years 1957 to 1991. Among his awards are two Superintendent’s Awards of Valor, Mayor Richard J. Daley’s Praiseworthy Acknowledgment Plaque for Exceptional Act of Bravery Involving Risk of Life, a Presidential Citation of Appreciation, the Illinois Police Association Award of Valor, and many more.

Upon his retirement in 1991, DiMaggio wrote a fascinating account of his work as a cop. The manuscript languished among his personal effects until after his death in 2008, after which his family decided to resurrect it, spruce it up, and submit it for publication.

It turns out that he was an excellent word craftsman and storyteller; in fact, he was no stranger to writing—for many years he wrote the “Ask Sarge” column for the Mystery Writers of America Midwest Chapter newsletter.

Told in a conversational, “regular guy” voice in episodic fashion, “SARGE!” reveals to the reader what it was really like to be a cop. The manuscript in many ways takes the form of a prose treatment of a weekly television police drama. A large selection of PHOTOS is included. DiMaggio takes the reader back to the decades such as the turbulent 1960s, when the police department was making a painful transition from “old school” to modernization. The author describes firsthand the legendary riots that occurred in Chicago after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. He illustrates the integration of minorities into the department and how that played out. He also goes into famous cases of corruption and the politics of navigating such a large department.

One of the “set pieces” of the book is the story of how DiMaggio, as part of the “Three Musketeers”—a trio that included two detectives who were close friends—investigated a series terrifying slasher attacks on women that occurred in the city in the mid-70s. The case became one of the police department’s most memorable. Among the other cases detailed in the book include how DiMaggio found himself entering the home of a crazed young man holding hostages with a shotgun; the investigation of the discovery of a headless corpse; the take-down of the Chicago “Mad Bomber”; how an anonymous audio tape provided clues to the identities of armed robbers; and the manhunt for a cop killer.

A portion of all proceeds will be donated to The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation and The Chicago Police Foundation.

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Source: Received from the author or publisher for review.

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My thoughts on Sarge! by John DiMaggio

Sarge! is more than a police procedural; it’s a narration of actual cases as recollected by John Dimaggio. The manuscript was published posthumously by his family. I am reviewing the audiobook.

The stories cover the mundane to the famous cases from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The narrator recites these crimes in a matter of fact voice, which seems like it could belong to the author. When you have seen everything this police officer has seen, it would be challenging to sound too emotional. The voice and cadence put me in mind of Sargent Joe Friday of Dragnet fame.

As these are true stories, you can naturally expect some to be quite gruesome, but humorous tales offset the worst. The listener needs to be aware of course language, graphic violence, and adult themes presented in real-world scenarios.

If you enjoy true-crime tales, this book will suit your reading/listening tastes. The cases presented are from the 60s through the 80s, covering a changing the guard between old-school Chicago police and more modern procedures. Just as our lives went through tremendous cultural upheaval during this time, so did the Chicago police department. Sarge! documents them well.