Look and Listen

Biography

The REAL Miami Vice! Michael Berish was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. degree in Psychology, (he also received an A.A. degree in Criminology from Miami-Dade Junior College when he attend the City of Miami's Police Academy), and earned his M.A. degree in Communications from Barry University (in Miami) where he took courses in Production, Directing, Screenplay Writing, etc. In addition to his police stories, which have been published in several national magazines and won several writing awards, Mike has written several non-police related short stories, two screenplays and two plays. ************************************************************************** Mike worked as a patrolman, a detective and as a supervisor on the City of Miami Police Department for twenty-two years; thirteen of which were spent as an undercover detective in the REAL Miami Vice where he worked everything from Narcotics & Vice, Prostitution, Gambling and Pornography, to Dignitary Protection of President Jose Napoleon Duarte (of El Salvador) and Pope John Paul II. Mike became an expert in the field of prosecuting Pornography while in the Vice Squad and made over 1,000 cases, mostly against organized crime syndicates, and never lost one case. He testified in front of the Meese Commission on Obscenity during the Reagan Administration and was subpoenaed by the F.B.I. to testify for them as an expert witness in New Orleans reference an interstate transportation case. He has lectured in front of numerous civic groups, taught weeklong seminars to fellow law enforcement agencies on First Amendment rights, and helped train new Assistant State Attorneys on how to properly conduct Obscenity investigations. His latest book is entitled: REFLECTIONS FROM THE PIT. Bad things happen in "the Pit," a notorious crime-infested ghetto in downtown Miami. REFLECTIONS FROM THE PIT is not just another collection of rehashed police stories with shootouts, car chases, and damsels in distress. These stories contain individual, quirky, off-center personalities and focuses on their basic character flaws, while dealing with social issues of the day: racism, sexism, prejudice, homelessness, segregation, teenage prostitution, police brutality and its senseless violence, crazies abducted by aliens, the murdering of transvestites, the lack of compassion and sympathy by the younger generation for their elders, the stupidity of criminals, the cowardice of police officers, affirmative action, Cuban freedom fighters a.k.a. terrorists, hangings from police cruisers, drug-dealing cops and corruption, bungled police stings, the “don’t get involved” syndrome and the raping of the elderly. These reflections, which cover more than one hundred years of history, give one pause for thought and a peek into the human swamp of life with Berish’s intimate knowledge and experience in “the Pit” serving as fuel for these exciting, intense stories about life as a cop in a tough part of a big city. This book pulls no punches: it shows you the good, the bad and the ugly (warts & all); the dark side of police work, both the humor and the tragedy. When you are done reading it, hopefully, you’ll say to yourself: “I never knew people, much less cops, like this ever existed.” Michael Berish’s website is: www.realmiamivice.com His book is available on-line for $14.95 for paperback and $24.95 for hardcover at: www.amazon.com www.iuniverse.com/bookstore www.barnesandnoble.com www.booksamillion.com www.bordersstores.com Or, you can just got to ANY bookstore in your area & order it from them. ************************************************************************* Testimonials "That fellow (Berish) has a real talent for writing a story. That's excellent work." E. Howard Hunt (American author & C.I.A. spy) Hunt joined the C.I. A. in 1949, became station chief in Mexico City in 1950 where he became life-long friends with William F. Buckley, Jr. Hunt is known to have worked for American intelligence in Cuba (was a key figure in the Bay of Pigs plan to invade Cuba and topple Fidel Castro), France, Italy, Japan, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Guatemala (was known to have been deeply involved in the 1954 overthrow of Guatemala), and Washington DC. He served as the first Chief of Covert Action for the CIA's Domestic Operations Division, shortly after it was set up in 1962. In 1971, he joined President Nixon’s Special Investigations Unit, alias the White House Plumbers. Along with Liddy, Hunt plotted the burglary of Daniel Ellsberg's (who wrote The Pentagon Papers) psychiatrist's office. Hunt organized the bugging of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office building & coordinated the Watergate break-in. Hunt was a proficient writer of spy and hard-boiled genre novels, drawing on his knowledge of CIA operations and techniques; he wrote 63 novels between 1947 & 2007. ************************************************************************* "From the early 1970's through the early 1980's, Mike Berish and I worked obscenity vice cases in the City of Miami where Mike was first a Patrolman and later a Sergeant. He was the consummate 'cop'; none better. He lived the stories he relates in 'Reflections from the Pit,' and it is a wonder he was not himself a fatality or at least seriously damaged. "This book reflects the very 'soul' of honesty as well as the constant corruption involved in working as a beat officer." Bill Kelly Special Agent (Retired) Federal Bureau of Investigation Miami, Fl. ************************************************************************** "Mike Berish's stories in his REFLECTIONS FROM THE PIT stun you by their portrayal of the daily perils a cop faces as he confronts danger, deceit, and distrust in upholding the law in Miami. "Mike spent twenty-two years on the city's police force. His book's powerful fiction vividly illustrates the corruption and fury endlessly stewing in the Pit. It's relentless intensity possesses an authenticity, honesty, and directness that obliterates shallow TV shows." Syd Bradford Editor and Publisher of Enigma Magazine Philadelphia, PA ************************************************************************** Loved it! Roller Coaster Ride! "I have read other great stories by Michael Berish and it was a treat to read this book. This is not just another cops & robbers book; rather, this book, REFLECTIONS FROM THE PIT, is a great collection of the most unusual, weirdest stories about both the cops in Miami and the characters & criminals they meet and deal with on the street. "His uncanny and witty remarks, and his piercing penetrating defiant look at police work and human nature, make reading this book (which is filled with high octane action) an unforgettable adventure. You'll experience a kaleidoscope of emotions that range from the heart-felt to the sublimely incredulous! These stories are truly snapshots into the dark side of police work. It'll an exceptional read and hard to put down, but when you finish, you will say to yourself: 'I never knew people like that, including the cops, ever existed.' "I found a link to some of his other short stories at the bottom of his Home Page on his website at: www.realmiamivice.com" Magda Amor Marketing Consultant Orlando, Fl. **************************************************************************

Inspiration

My thoughts on writing: Michael Berish Author of: REFLECTIONS FROM THE PIT Website at: www.realmiamivice.com ************************************************************************* “The world is full of stories, not atoms.” "I think, use my imagination, and write; therefore, I am." "Every day I'm writing, I'm living. Every other day is just waiting." “It’s a life’s work to see yourself for what you are and even then you might be wrong.” From the novel: “No Country For Old Men.” by Cormac McCarthy (Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for: “The Road.)