Maher began stealing automobiles as a youth. He served 4 years in prison starting at age 17 for the attempted murder of a police officer. Soon after his release in 1974 he became involved in further problems that could have led to a second jail term. Detective Sergeant Jim Doherty asked him to become an informant; he went undercover for Doherty and prevented to robberies and a homicide. He subsequently went undercover again for personal reasons and helped Doherty convict a contract killer for the Mafia. Over the next 20 years he has helped law enforcement personnel solve more than a dozen homicides, has aided in the investigation and conviction of many organized crime figures, and helped stop a major cocaine trafficking operation. Photographs and appended statements by Maher and a prosecutor (Publisher summary modified)