"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.