Sledgehammer Beck

Sledgehammer Beck shines the light into the murky corners of one of the darkest periods in Australian law enforcement history. Merv Beck

was born to be an extraordinary policeman and from the outset he proved his mettle. But he was never more severely tested than when

the NSW Government led by Neville Wran tasked him with closing the illegal casinos and bookmakers which were the lifeblood of Sydney's

burgeoning organised crime syndicates.

Sledgehammer Beck provides startling insights into many of the mysteries and scandals that have beset New South Wales since the

mid-1970s, up to and including the contemporary crises over money laundering in poker machines and plush, billion-dollar casinos.

About Author:

Fia Cumming was a federal political correspondent in Canberra for 20 years. Because of her willingness to investigated major issues she was approached 

around 2002 by former NSW police officer, Mervyn Beck. 

Beck asked her to write his story and she agreed, not realising how big an undertaking this would prove. 

As time has passed and many of the key players have passed away, the biggest obstacle to telling the full story has been removed.