Key facts
- Author discovered a family connection to the murder case that inspired the film 'Cruising'.
- The film 'Cruising' is a 1980 gay crime thriller starring Al Pacino.
- The movie is based on a real-life crime from the 1970s.
The author shares a personal narrative about discovering a familial link to the real-life murder that served as the inspiration for William Friedkin's 1980 film 'Cruising'. The author recalls their initial viewing of the movie, expressing surprise that such a film was produced in the 1970s. 'Cruising' features Al Pacino as a police officer who infiltrates the gay leather bar scene of New York City as part of an undercover investigation into a series of murders.