Oral history interview with Peter Santangelo, 1982

Biographical Note

Peter Santangelo was born on January 16, 1948 in Middletown, Connecticut. He attended school through the twelfth grade, then joined the Navy. He was first stationed in Adak, Alaska, then in Okinawa, Japan. He got married in June of 1968, and was discharged from the Navy in 1970. After leaving the Navy, Santangelo moved back to Connecticut, and joined the Clinton Police Department as an undercover cop to bust drug dealers. He first worked alongside the South Central Region Crime Squad in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. He bought marijuana, heroin, speed, acid, and pills from drug dealers while undercover. He was reassigned to the Eastern Regional Crime Squad after a few months, and worked in New London, Norwich, and Storrs Connecticut. After a year and a half of undercover police work, Santangelo transitioned to being a patrol cop. He resigned from the police force in 1979. Peter Santangelo was interviewed for the project that led to the book Addicts Who Survived

Scope and Contents

In this interview, Peter Santangelo discusses his career as a police officer in Connecticut, as well as his time serving in the Navy. He discusses how he first witnessed drugs through the Navy when he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan in the late 1960s. He describes how the affect of his friend and fellow soldier changed as he became increasingly involved with drugs. He describes approaching the Clinton Police Department with no experience, and proposing that he work as an undercover cop to catch drug dealers. He discusses working with the South Central Region Crime Squad and the Eastern Regional Crime Squad. He describes his training to be an undercover cop, including how he dressed, how he spoke, and how he put track marks on his arm to blend in. He describes a typical drug user in Old Saybrook in the early in 1970s in terms of age, sex, and family background. He describes in detail his first time purchasing drugs undercover. He discusses his bust of a prominent heroin dealer named Big Lucky. He discusses working in many different cities in Connecticut including New London, Norwich, and Storrs. He discusses his transition from being an undercover cop to a patrol cop after a year and a half of undercover work

Subjects

• Courtwright, David T., 1952- interviewer.
• Crime--Connecticut.
• Drug control--United States--History--20th century.
• Drug dealers--United States.
• Drug traffic--United States--History--20th century.
• Interviews.
• Oral histories (literary works)
• Police--Interviews.
• Santangelo, Peter--Interviews.

Access Conditions

Copyright by David Courtwright