“I’ve known Ralph Friedman for almost forty years, since the first day he walked into Big Joe’s Tattoo Shop. He looked more like a biker than a cop. We were on opposite sides of the fence, but we always respected each other! He’s the toughest Jew I know, who has more tattoos than I do.”
—Chuck Zito, actor/stuntman/bodyguard and former Hells Angel
“Fugeddabutitt! If I knew about Detective Ralph Friedman when I was raising hell in New York during the ’70s and ’80s, I may have dialed back my lifestyle. Friedman’s memoir is a rapid-fire page-turner, told with compassion and gut-wrenching reality. It’s a walk through the South Bronx in an era that some people would like to forget.”
—Gianni Russo, actor, The Godfather
“Friedman used his fists, guns, and other available weapons to arrest, wound, and sometimes kill suspects, winning a host of medals for valor in the process.… His restlessness for action never abated, to the point where he placed himself in personal peril multiple times. A swashbuckling book that is likely to elicit extreme reactions of applause or disapproval depending on the reader’s personal opinions about law enforcement.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“The toughest crime fighter in the history of NYC didn’t leap tall buildings or drive a Batmobile. He was a real-life, tough-as-nails detective, the closest thing to a caped crusader New York ever had. Meet Ralph Friedman, Super-Cop.”
—Steven Jay Griffel, bestselling author of the David Grossman series
“It was a different job and a turbulent time, and Ralph Friedman defined the word Detective. Street Warrior should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the real world of street policing. Read this book and be awed. An amazing story told by a legendary NYPD detective.”
—Joseph D. Pistone, author of Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia
“The explosive, riveting, and incredible street action of a legendary crime fighter—who is also the most highly decorated NYPD detective in New York City history.”
—Captain Tom Walker (Ret.), author of Fort Apache
“All the violence, crime, and chaos of 1970s New York City instantly come to life in this gripping detective story. Street Warrior is a true-crime rarity. This gritty firsthand account of an unstoppable NYPD cop will have you rooting for the good guys the whole time!”
—Pat Dixon, host of NYC Crime Report
“This book is as fearless as the cop who wrote it and the cops he worked with. Readers will be grateful such men exist. It should be required reading for judges, mayors, and their police chiefs who handcuff our police.”
—Charles Brandt, bestselling author of I Heard You Paint Houses
“Detective Friedman took me to a place in New York that I had only heard of, either from the newspapers or television news. He told the real story. Great book, a cop’s cop and truly a hero.”
—Bill Katzing, U.S. Department of Justice (Ret.)
“I enjoyed these true-to-life New York experiences. Funny and gritty, this book is a great example of why we respect those honorable men in blue.”
—Aida Turturro, actress, The Sopranos
“Street Warrior brings to life the axiom ‘truth is stranger than fiction.’ If I read this book as a novel, I would have put it down as incredulous partway through. But I have known Ralph Friedman for thirty years and was aware of the legendary status of this superman of a cop longer than that. Any one chapter of this cannot-put-down book would represent the pinnacle of most top cops’ careers. A must-read, it will change the way you view policing forever.”
—Captain Douglas Greenwood, NYPD (Ret.)
“I loved this book. Could not put it down. Mr. Friedman’s exploits were an adrenaline rush with many comic moments sprinkled in between. It gives you a newfound respect for the incredibly difficult job police officers face every day, but even more so back in the ’70s. Cannot wait for the movie!”
—James Biberi, actor, Drive, Analyze That