Peter Maas

Peter Maas (June 27, 1929 – August 23, 2001) was an American journalist and author. He was born in New York City and attended Duke University. Maas had Dutch and Irish ancestry.

He was the biographer of Frank Serpico, a New York City Police officer who testified against police corruption. He is also the author of the number one ''New York Times'' bestseller, ''Underboss'', about the life and times of Sammy "The Bull" Gravano.

His other notable bestsellers include ''The Valachi Papers'', ''Manhunt'', and ''In a Child's Name'', recipient of the 1991 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime book. ''The Valachi Papers'', which told the story of Mafia turncoat Joseph Valachi, is widely considered to be a seminal work, as it spawned an entire genre of books written by or about former Mafiosi.

Maas died in New York City, aged 72, on August 23, 2001. He made a brief cameo as himself in an episode of ''Homicide: Life on the Street''. Provided by Wikipedia