Litchfield-Morris Rotary Thanks Casino Investigators Jerry Longo & Jeff DeClerck for Presentation on Louis The Coin Case

Post-luncheon / Jeff and Jerry Show at Forman School: Jeff DeClerck, Jerry Longo

Litchfield-Morris Rotary President Ron Swanson opened the meeting and greeted various guests

Photos OK for reprint, WITH CREDIT 'JOHN SALATTO photos,
courtesy of The Cool Justice Report'

LARGEST COUNTERFEITING CASE IN HISTORY OF US SECRET SERVICE
--
Introduction
[for Louis The Coin's memoir 'You Thought It Was More']

By JERRY LONGO

I first heard of Louis Colavecchio in my former life as a Connecticut State Police Detective Sergeant. Assigned to the State Police Casino Unit, one of the duties was keeping intelligence flowing between law enforcement agencies throughout the country and my own regarding criminal activity in the casino industry.

A routine call from a colleague with the New Jersey State Police started me on a two-year-long case involving dozens of casinos, half a dozen states and a lot of overtime. He told me a story of counterfeit slot machine tokens, the suspect and a Connecticut connection.

When the case was wrapped up by numerous jurisdictions, I saw a face I had seen many times before. This was a very unique crime involving an even more unique individual, Louis The Coin Colavecchio.

Louis grew up Italian as I did. He loves to eat. So do I. at some point in our younger days, we both made choices about which road to take.

Louis loved developing a scam described to me by a U.S. Secret Service agent as the largest counterfeiting case in their department’s history. I loved having a hand in solving it.

Louis came up with a brilliant plan. We The Cops did, too. I do not condone his criminal behavior, but I understand it; he was very creative, an artist. I assisted in some small way with him going to jail and he served his time ... After spending time together after the case closed, we have developed a friendship. That’s OK with me. I am no longer a trooper, having retired in 2003. He’s retired, too, right?

Connecticut State Police Detective Sergeant (Retired) Jerry Longo is now a senior investigator for a major casino. As a trooper, he was assigned to several barracks and the Bureau of Investigations. He received five medals, one for Valor, two for life saving and two for meritorious service. His commendations included one for arresting 125 drunk driving suspects in one year.

BACKGROUND