Circle of Six
The True Story of New York's Most Notorious Cop Killer and the Cop Who Risked Everything to Catch Him
“The mosque case of 1972 is the most famous case amongst the rank and file of the NYPD and Circle of Six holds no punches.” —Joe “Donnie Brasco” Pistone, former FBI special agent
Circle of Six is the true story of what is perhaps the most notorious case in the history of the New York Police Department. It details Randy Jurgensen’s determined effort to bring to justice the murderer of patrolman Phillip Cardillo, who was shot and killed inside Harlem’s Mosque No. 7 in 1972, in the midst of an all-out assault on the NYPD from the Black Liberation Army. The New York of this era was a place not unlike the Wild West, in which cops and criminals had shoot outs on a daily basis.
Despite the mayhem on the streets and the Machiavellian corridors of Mayor Lindsay’s City Hall, Detective Jurgensen single-handedly took on the Black Liberation Army, the Nation of Islam, NYPD brass, and City Hall, capturing Cardillo’s killer, Lewis 17X Dupree. He broke the case with an unlikely accomplice, Foster 2X Thomas, a member of the Nation of Islam who became Jurgensen’s witness. The relationship they formed during the time before trial gave each of the two men a greater perspective of the two sides in the street war and changed them forever. In the end, Dupree was acquitted of the murder but served a number of years for other charges. The murder case is still officially unsolved. In 2006, the NYPD reopened the case, and it is once again an active investigation with full media attention.
The book has received acclaim from former New York City Police commissioners Ray Kelly and William Bratton.
A highly decorated veteran, Randy Jurgensen joined the NYPD in 1958. Among other highlights of his career, he arrested Lenny Bruce and broke what became known as the Bag Murders, later to become a movie called "Cruising". He earned over 40 citations, medals and numerous plaques. He has appeared in 30+ films and television shows and has produced several movies.
Robert Cea retired in his early thirties from the NYPD receiving over 140 decorations. He was awarded 'Cop of the Month' eight times, including his near fatal capture of the "Flatbush Rapist" detailed in his critically acclaimed memoir, No Lights No Sirens. Since retiring he splits his time between LA and New York writing and developing projects in tv/film.
