The Real Miami Vice

In connection with the new Colin Farrell / Jamie Foxx movie, the L.A. Times interviewed a real-life veteran of Miami’s vice, intelligence and narcotics squad. Interestingly, it seems the situations on the TV show weren’t that far off the mark.

L.A. Times:

Latimes.com: So you really went undercover and everything?

DW: We really were under cover. I had a fictitious name, fictitious drivers license. But I wasn’t like the flashy colors from the Don Johnson era. I was more of a surfer dude in Miami and Vince gave the impression he was Italian mafia. He was the money guy, I was the dude on the street that would start the deal. I would buy little amounts, and then Vince would bring in the money. We were always partners.

Latimes.com: Did you have to use a lot of guns?

DW: We had a lot of guns. Vince and I carried Walthers — Walther PPKs — these little guns that only had seven bullets. And as back up we had high-standard 22-magnum two-shot Derringers. They only had two rounds — one for them, one for us if we got caught.

One heroin deal we did in the middle of the projects, Vince left with the girl who set it up, but I had to stay in the house with another girl. I went to the bathroom and when I came back the room was full of like a football team — eight guys in the room and they all weighed 300 pounds. I was like 150 at this time. So I was there by myself with the Derringer and these eight guys. I figured I could shoot the window out and run for it if it started to get rough, but those little Derringers couldn’t hit anything. I started making up all kinds of stories, just to keep them talking. Then finally Vince showed up with the dope and we left.

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Courtesy Universal Pictures