Randy Jurgensen: From NYPD to Hollywood
Randy Jurgensen, a former NYPD detective, has faced off against cop killers, drug dealers, and various criminals. Yet, one of his more personal stories involves a confrontation with his godfather’s older son.
At 92, Jurgensen boasts a remarkable resume, having contributed to over 40 films and TV shows during a span of two decades. His Hollywood career includes roles as a cop in “The French Connection,” a wise character in “Donnie Brasco,” and even a hitman in “The Godfather.”
“I became quite well-known, particularly as the guy who took down Sonny Corleone at the tollbooth,” he shared, reflecting on his journey before receiving recognition from the Detective Fund Association on January 13 in Manhattan. “I shot him to death with a machine gun. That’s my entry into show business.”
The story began in the 1960s when his childhood friend, NYPD Detective Sonny Grosso, invited him to the East River to meet director William Friedkin regarding “The French Connection.”
Friedkin sought Jurgensen’s expertise to help cast Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider as detectives, aiming to infuse realism into the 1971 Oscar-winning film based on the true accounts of detectives Eddie Egan and Grosso.
“My role was to bridge their fictional world with my own reality, and they went along for the ride,” he recounted.
He trained them in techniques like breaking down doors and engaging with “shooting galleries,” essentially molding them into narcotics agents, a process that took weeks.
At one point, Friedkin had Jurgensen take a passenger seat in a Pontiac LeMans to operate a camera during an iconic chase scene.
Knowing the thrilling stunt involved high speeds, Jurgensen suggested the patrolman watching the shoot take a break for a drink. “I casually mentioned how good the coffee was, and before I knew it, several officers left their posts,” he said.
When the stunt was ready to begin, he found himself in the muscle car with Friedkin and a stunt driver, feeling acutely aware of the risks. “At that moment, I thought to myself, ‘I might not make it out of here today,'” recalls the decorated veteran who was also a U.S. Army paratrooper during the Korean War.
The car raced at speeds of 100 km/h for 19 blocks along the elevated B/D subway tracks in Brooklyn, leading to that unforgettable six-minute scene where it narrowly missed a city bus and even lost a side mirror.
Despite some claims, Jurgensen confirmed there were no police lights or sirens during the filming. “When we finished, I heard a click, click, click, and felt we were done,” he remembered, to which Friedkin responded, “So what?”
During this process, a friendship blossomed between Jurgensen and Hackman, who portrayed “Popeye” Doyle. “There’s a memorable line where Roy Scheider offers me a cup of coffee and says, ‘Here’s the vino,’ and Hackman retorts, ‘Pour it in your ear,'” he recalled, a phrase that became a running joke in their friendship until Hackman’s passing last year.
Reflecting on a humorous encounter, Jurgensen shared a moment when Hackman mistook him for Grosso during an autograph session. “He just started calling me Sonny. I realized something wasn’t quite right,” he recalled.
Jurgensen still grapples with a haunting case from his past: the murder of Officer Philip Cardillo. On April 20, 1972, Cardillo was lured to a Harlem mosque under false pretenses, where he ultimately fell victim to gunfire from mosque members. Jurgensen noted how mismanagement of the scene left it compromised, never securing crucial evidence.
“I found myself as the only one chasing after the person who shot Phil Cardillo,” he admitted.
With the help of FBI agent Joseph Piston, the case turned when they found their only witness—a mosque member who identified one of the shooters, Louis 17X Dupree. Jurgensen went to great lengths, living with Dupree in a safe house for two years to ensure witness protection, but ultimately, the prosecution failed, resulting in an acquittal.
Jurgensen stated, “That case has shaped much of my perspective,” and is currently working on a documentary called “Reel Cop” with his son-in-law.
In a later case, he went to San Francisco where he arrested patrolmen Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones, who were killed by members of the Black Liberation Army. Financial constraints prevented their return at the time, but a fortunate connection with an airline pilot allowed them to bring back the cop killer.
“We arranged a meeting and I said, ‘Get the bastards on this flight, I’m the captain,'” Jurgensen shared with a hint of pride.
