***SPOILERS*** It was after a number of rub oust of mob policy men or insurance collectors in Spanish Harlem that Let. Theo Kojak, Telly Savalas, came up with this brilliant idea of having a policeman of Puerto Rican decent infiltrate the local Barrio's street gangs and brake the case for the local D.A. Getting former gang banger and now member of the NYPD Officer Enrique Alvarez-played by Tony Diaz in his first and last TV appearance-who was on assignment in far off and almost crime free Staten Island seemed like a good idea but turned into a total disaster by the time this Kojak episode was over.
Alvarez who infiltrated the local Hispanic street gang soon became a part of it in knocking off members of the "Big Al" Gregorio, Raymond Serra, Mob making things far worse then they already were. Alverez also tried to get local merchant Paco Rodriguez, Noberto Kerner, to testify against "Big Al" who was shaking him down for as much as $50.00 a week for years on interest to a $500.00 loan-That the banks refused to give him-to keep his furniture business from going bankrupt. This lead to Rodriguez getting rubbed out by one of "Big Al's" hit-men when he was about to report him to the police.
***SPOILERS*** It's when Alverez and his fellow gang member planned to ice "Big Al" himself in an ambush outside his favorite sea food restaurant in Conley Island that Let. Kojak finally realized that he had gone too far in what turned out to be this failed undercover operation and tried to stop it before it took place. Alverez who at first tried to stop crime became a part of it and ended up paying the ultimate price. But it was Let. Kojak who got the at first innocent Officer Alverez involved in this deadly mess and later, in order to clear things up-dumped him for it that ultimately has to live with his actions.
Alvarez who infiltrated the local Hispanic street gang soon became a part of it in knocking off members of the "Big Al" Gregorio, Raymond Serra, Mob making things far worse then they already were. Alverez also tried to get local merchant Paco Rodriguez, Noberto Kerner, to testify against "Big Al" who was shaking him down for as much as $50.00 a week for years on interest to a $500.00 loan-That the banks refused to give him-to keep his furniture business from going bankrupt. This lead to Rodriguez getting rubbed out by one of "Big Al's" hit-men when he was about to report him to the police.
***SPOILERS*** It's when Alverez and his fellow gang member planned to ice "Big Al" himself in an ambush outside his favorite sea food restaurant in Conley Island that Let. Kojak finally realized that he had gone too far in what turned out to be this failed undercover operation and tried to stop it before it took place. Alverez who at first tried to stop crime became a part of it and ended up paying the ultimate price. But it was Let. Kojak who got the at first innocent Officer Alverez involved in this deadly mess and later, in order to clear things up-dumped him for it that ultimately has to live with his actions.