Dan Mahoney was born and raised in New York City. After serving with the Marine Corps in Vietnam, he followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and joined the New York City Police Department. He served in patrol and detective commands and retired as a captain in 1989. Along the way he attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice and graduated as class valedictorian in 1977. He is the author of Detective First Grade and Edge of the City. The father of three children, he lives in Manhattan with his wife, Yvette, who is a New York City Police Officer.