FIRST PAGE: Toma #3 The Affair of the Unhappy Hooker by David Toma and Jack Pearl, Dell, 1976.

TOMA #3 The Affair of the Unhappy Hooker by David Toma & Jack Pearl PB – Monster Books and Items

SYNOPSIS:

The compassionate cop plays the most dangerous role in his life when he plunges into a Mafia empire of warm flesh and cold-blooded killing.

Toma was thief, pimp and murderer. At least that was the part David Toma was asked to play in order to infiltrate a Mafia sex-and-drug operation that exploited teen-aged girls and catered to the illicit appetites of the very ruch and powerful.

Tomas was supposed to change himself into a vicious hood named Augie Mara. At his side would be a beautiful special agent named Nancy Stroud posing as a sensuous slut named Maggie. And it was a sure bet that Toma's first mistake would be his last in a game of life-and-death with the most ruthless mob lords who had ever laughed at the law.

Needless to say, it was a proposition durg-hating Dave Toma couldn't turn down....

PAGE 1:

It's tough being Toma.

Somebody tags me with a label like "The Actor" and right away people think I'm a movie actor like Gene Hackman and Robert Blake plaing at being a cop. I would like to refer those "doubting Thomases" to the official record: In twenty years as a law enforement officer in Newark, New Jersey, pounding a beat, riding in a patrol car, and as a detective attached to the Bureau of Investigation, David Toma has logged over nine thousand arrests and has a conviction rate of ninety-eight percent!

It was late in July, and I had just come off a very tough and ugly case involving dope smuggling and hijacking at the Newark International Airport. I had been worked over by assorted hoods in the course of the past two weeks. Now, for two days I had spent hours soaking the aches and stiffness out of my abused body in a hot tub, as hot as I could stand it.

I would lie back and close my eyes, savoring the sensation of weightlessness and lassitude; a form of disembodiment that was enhanced by the haunting melodies of Swan Lake piped into the bathroom from my stereo. Hot water and good music, after sex they were the most effective relaxants in the world.

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TOMA #3 The Affair of the Unhappy Hooker by David Toma & Jack Pearl PB – Monster Books and Items

FROM WIKI:

David Toma (born 1934) is a former police officer whose undercover work and battles with his superiors became the basis of the television series Toma, which ran on the ABC network from 1973 to 1974.

In 1956—after serving 3 years in the USMC as a drill instructor, and following a brief career as a professional baseball player—Toma joined the Newark Police Department, staying on for 21 years. Initially a patrol officer, Toma moved up to narcotics detective; he was frustrated with minor criminals being frequently arrested, while the big-time criminals who ran the illegal operations were unaffected. Toma started going undercover, often using disguises, in order to better observe major-league crooks. While higher-ups in the department objected to his techniques, he succeeded in amassing a significant record of arrests. He wrote a book based on his 20 years of experiences as a police officer, but was unsuccessful in finding a publisher for the book. His demonstration of quick-change disguises on the Mike Douglas show led to his book being picked up and the development of a television series based on his exploits.

In 1977, producer Bob Roberts and Trans World Attractions developed a film based on his career, with a screenplay written by Frank Scioscia.

For decades after retiring from the police department, Toma lectured high school and college students about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs. He focused on his own personal experiences as a drug addict, which began after his 5-year-old son David Junior died in a choking accident; doctors had prescribed tranquilizers to help Toma cope with his son's death. To date he has lectured thousands of students and continues his efforts to this day.

Toma's books include Toma: The Compassionate Cop, Airport Affair and Turning Your Life Around: David Toma's Guide for Teenagers.

BONUS AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL CLIP:

David Toma - "The Drug Knot" clip (1986) - YouTube

A super-melodramatic, anti-drug moment from the 1986 CBS Schoolbreak Special, "The Drug Knot," featuring David Toma, Dermot Mulroney, Tracy Nelson, and Rance Howard. Directed by Anson "Potsie" Williams and written by David Villaire (best known for penning 62 episodes of Saturday-morning-TV's SMURFS).