Billy the Liquor Guy

Billy the Liquor Guy

"Billy the Liquor Guy" is a retired Senior Investigator for New York State's Petroleum, Alcohol, and Tobacco Bureau. Appointed as a U.S. Marshall after 9/11, Billy is best known for his undercover work with untaxed cigarettes and alcohol.

Billy is a graduate of Buffalo St. College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, but his Master's work was done growing up on the streets of Utica, New York, known as Sin City in the 1950s and '60s. His family taught him well, with his grandfather a soldier in the Mafia and ultimately serving two terms in federal prison.

Billy's ability to adapt to the criminal element caught the attention of the New York State Attorney General and the Drug Task Force. This partnership led to one of New York State's largest arrests.

During his 12 years undercover, Billy exposed an unparalleled amount of illegal activity, which included bomb manufacturing, human trafficking rings and the terrorists responsible for scouting out the World Trade Center on September 10th. He dined with bad guys, purchased bombs, and traveled to Tunisia to reclaim an informant. He faced several challenging and life or death situations.

While his upbringing among organized crime taught him how to survive within the criminal element, Billy would go on to struggle with PTSD as a result of being undercover too long, which he still fights to this day. Today, he remains a strong member and supporter of PTSD organizations. His expertise is still called upon in ongoing cases.

Billy the Liquor Guy was interviewed by WUTQ FM. Listen to the interview here.


The Making of Billy The Liquor Guy

The Making of Billy The Liquor Guy

$17.95

Billy The Liquor Guy spent twelve years as an undercover investigator working for New York’s Petroleum, Alcohol, and Tobacco Bureau (PATB), which enforces tax laws for imports into the state. Sounds pretty tame, right? In fact, it was challenging, harrowing, and life-threatening, leading Billy and his team to develop PTSD on the job and for years to come. Much of this is detailed in Billy’s first book, Under Too Long.

The Making of Billy the Liquor Guy fills in the rest of the story. It is a wide-ranging saga of undercover operations, criminal takedowns, and wild successes—as well as internal affairs investigations, betrayals, and serious repercussions stemming from the lack of trust and political game-playing in the bureau.

Not exactly a prequel, The Making of Billy the Liquor Guy gives the backstory behind Under Too Long, introduces familiar characters, and explains who Billy was when he began his career as an undercover operator, as well as what he became as a result of the stress, deception, and treachery he experienced in the PATB.

The Making of Billy the Liquor Guy is a must-read for anyone who wants to know what undercover operations, often romanticized in the media, are truly like, as well as anyone who enjoyed Billy’s first book, Under Too Long.


Under Too Long (Paperback)

Under Too Long (Paperback)

$22.99

In 2007, agents of the New York State Petroleum, Alcohol, and Tobacco Bureau (PATB) seized over half a million dollars in untaxed alcohol, drugs, and guns. This takedown, the largest in New York history, led to 87 arrests, the recovery of an unprecedented quantity of cocaine, crack, and marijuana, and captured the attention of law enforcement agencies all around the world.

Under Too Long is the story of the PATB undercover team that led this investigation, as seen through the eyes of “Billy the Liquor Guy.” Billy’s twelve-year odyssey into the world of undercover operations led him to dine in the homes of the “bad guys, ” buy bombs from a man in Yonkers, travel to Tunisia to find an informant, and be hired as a hit man. But his undercover life took an enormous toll on Billy and his family, almost destroying them both. The only thing he could rely upon to get him through were his confidence, his sense of humor, and his team.

This story combines true life investigation, graphic behind-the-scenes scenarios, and a personal tale about what happens psychologically to an agent when he’s undercover too long.

Under too Long is available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook editions.

Paperback, 5.5x8.5, 311 pages

ISBN: 978-1-947521-17-9