← Back to search
Cover of The Pros and The Con

The Pros and The Con

The true story of two NY City detectives that became legends under the street names of backstage and soft-shoes

During the 70’s, the city of New York was plagued by street con artists committing swindles with losses exceeding a million dollars. The Queens confidence team consisting of NY City Detectives Ted Farce known as Backstage and Andy Camera known as Soft-Shoes, was formed to combat these crimes. At first, their focus was the borough of Queens and later encompassed the entire city of New York. This is the true story of how Ted and Andy’s ingenuity and creativity helped reduce the number of crimes dramatically. The street names were created and used as a psychological tool to instill fear into the criminals that they will be found and prosecuted. Their reputation spread to other states, creating a legacy that still exists today. Major cases were solved with the help of their confidential informant Judith. She furnished critical, valuable information on wanted criminals. This information led to their arrests for multiple swindles after years on the run. Our Informant contacted Detective Ted Farace, Backstage, after 50 years and was instrumental in motivating him to write this true story.

Genres

CrimeBiography

ISBN

9798897783540

Format

Print / Hardback

Contributor

Ted Farace

Author

Detective Ted Farace went by his street name “Backstage” for his behind-the-scenes mastery of complex cases. He joined the NYPD as a police officer. His tenacious skill and commitment were soon recognized with promotions to Detective Third Grade and later to Detective Second Grade. Following his retirement in 1987, Detective Farace embarked on a new chapter, taking on a key role as a director of security in the corporate sector, where he ensured the protection of assets and personnel with the same vigilance and dedication he displayed on the streets of New York. He now resides in Las Vegas owning and managing a security guard training academy. He also owns and manages a non-profit organization that installs American flags on homes as a gesture of patriotism.