After nearly three decades in federal law enforcement during one of the most turbulent eras in New York history, Rockville Centre resident and former FBI agent Neil Moran has chronicled his life and career in a new memoir that blends personal reflection with his recollections of landmark criminal investigations.
Moran’s book, “Stories,” released Jan. 5 by Barringer Publishing, traces his journey from growing up in the Bronx, the grandson of Irish immigrants, to a long FBI career centered in New York City, followed by a second professional life in the private sector. Rather than serving as a traditional chronological account, the memoir is structured as a series of vignettes that move between high-profile cases, family life and the personal values that guided his work.
“I wanted to write something honest — not just about the cases, but about what it meant to live that life,” Moran said.
Moran, 76, joined the FBI in 1971 and was sworn in as a special agent in 1975, beginning a career that coincided with the height of organized crime activity in New York City. His assignments placed him at the center of major investigations, including the 1978 Lufthansa heist — then the largest cash and jewelry robbery in U.S. history, which later inspired the movie “Goodfellas” — the disappearance of Etan Patz, and an undercover auto insurance fraud investigation in which Moran posed as a tow truck driver.
The book also includes lighter moments, such as chance encounters with an Olympic gold medalist, a former NASA astronaut and a former first lady, as well as personal anecdotes from family trips to Ireland.
Following his retirement from the FBI in 2000, Moran transitioned into fraud investigation work in the private sector, eventually starting his own consulting business. He did not take up writing, however, until later, when he enrolled in a creative writing workshop at the Rockville Centre and Oceanside libraries.
Those workshops were led by Barbara Novack, a writer-in-residence at Molloy University and the author of five poetry collections and a novel. Moran initially shared short essays about his childhood, family and law enforcement career — pieces Novack quickly recognized as part of a larger story.
“His life is so interesting, and his work experience so fascinating,” she said. “I told him he really needed to put them together in a book.”
As Moran continued attending the workshops, his writing sharpened and became more deliberate, according to Novack. The group’s collaborative environment, she said, allowed him to refine his voice while preserving the authenticity of his experiences.
“Over time, his writing became extremely focused and evocative,” she said. “The stories are tight, energetic and very compelling.”
The completed manuscript eventually reached Jeff Schlesinger, founder and owner of Florida-based Barringer Publishing, who said that Moran’s storytelling stood out immediately despite his lack of previous writing experience.
“Some people are just natural storytellers, and Neil is one of them,” Schlesinger said.
Schlesinger, a former New York resident, said that the historical significance of the era Moran writes about adds another layer of appeal for readers familiar with the city’s past. Many of the cases Moran writes about unfolded during a time when organized crime dominated headlines and shaped public perception of New York.
“I remembered reading about many of these cases when they happened,” Schlesinger said. “Knowing he was actually there makes the book especially compelling.”
Moran, a Rockville Centre resident for more than 30 years, said his goal was not to sensationalize his career or glorify violence, but to preserve an accurate and personal account of a demanding profession. He added that he hoped the book would resonate not only with true-crime readers, but also with those interested in public service, history and personal perseverance.
“We didn’t do the job for recognition or money,” Moran said. “We did it because we believed in the work and the people we worked with.”
For Moran, “Stories,” which is now available on Amazon, represents both a personal reflection and a historical record — capturing a volatile era in New York and the lives shaped by public service.
“This book was really about remembering — and sharing — a time that mattered,” he said.
