In 1980s Brooklyn, the most dangerous gangsters were New York City cops.
For Michael Dowd, being a police officer wasn’t a calling, it was just a job— and, assigned to the 75th Precinct in crime-ridden East New York, not an easy or lucrative one. Seizing the opportunity to profit, he stole money from drug dealers, eventually recruiting his partner into an expanding criminal ring. Their 1992 arrest exposed widespread corruption in the NYPD. Weaving together Dowd’s revelatory testimony from the investigation, dramatic surveillance footage and interviews with the primary players, “The Seven Five” tells his incendiary tale.
New York City Mayor David Dinkins recognized the need to put together an independent commission to investigate the extent of police corruption within the agency. He appointed a former judge, Milton Mollen, to head the panel, to determine whether Dowd’s activities represented an isolated incident or if such corruption was pervasive across the department.
The culmination of the commission’s investigation was a series of publicly-televised hearings, broadcast live in September 1993 on the city’s NY1 cable news channel. Commission members questioned some 25 former police officers about their activities — including Michael Dowd — who cooperated in a bid for leniency.
“The Seven Five” is not a documentary about social injustice or one which is designed to leave viewers in tears, says producer Eli Holzman. “We didn’t set out to do that. But, as New Yorkers, we love the story of these unique New York characters. It’s a story about complex characters. It’s very easy to judge people and judge someone who’s done something bad or wrong – sitting in judgment doesn’t take much effort. It’s our hope that the audience pauses and thinks a little bit about the nature of temptation, because we’re all capable of lapses in judgment.”
“A stellar crime flick,” raves The Village Voice. “Enthralling, harrowing and compelling!”
“Riveting! A must-see!” says the New York Post. “As cool and crazed and tough as the big bad city itself!”