Brian Finke U.S. MARSHALS

DEPUTY US MARSHAL CAMERON EZ: I know you and Brian met in high somebody who knew me when I was a looking at me, like, “Whaaat!” and I looked at this, it’s so great”—but people kept telling WELCH AND PHOTOGRAPHER BRIAN school, but I’m curious how you knew punk kid—it’s such a cool experience. Just them like, “Yeah, we’re on to the next one,” me, “You need to go federal, we need you FINKE WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL TO each other back then. as it’s cool for me to see his talent working and they were like, “Ahhh!” on a federal level.” FBI, DEA. And I was GETHER IN HOUSTON, AND A MUTUAL behind the lens. So Brian goes back to New York, and like trying with all the agencies, but—nothing. FRIENDALSO FROM HIGH SCHOOL, CW: Ohhh, Brian was in that New Wave a month later, he mails me a photo of Jay-Z And it wasn’t that I didn’t have the require- NOW WELCH’S BROTHERINLAW real artsy fartsy crowd in our high school I hear you sometimes like to drive fast and that he’d taken during a photo shoot with ments, but then I got on in 2003 with the PUT THEM BACK IN TOUCH FOR THIS class. [Laughs.] listen to [horror punk band] The Misfi ts? him. He’d told him that there’s a Marshal Marshal Service, and I just truly think it’s PROJECT. WELCH AND I SPOKE ON down in Houston who’s playing his music, and a calling. It was like I was steered into this THE PHONE ONE AFTERNOON AS THE That doesn’t surprise me! The Misfi ts! [Laughs.] it’s kind of his theme song for the next case— agency that’s the oldest agency in our BOOK WAS COMING TOGETHER. country, and I think does the best job in He turned the camera around in the Do you have specifi c playlists? I’m sorry—I This is amazing. the law enforcement realm: literally going hallways, I remember, all the time. Just asked Brian for some anecdotes! and tracking down the bad guys. Some of like that guy, you know, the dude that was —and so I get this photograph in the mail, the cops that we’ve worked are with are going to be this huge photographer one Did he tell you about my Jay-Z? signed, and on the back it says “On to the like, “Man, I want to work for the Marshal day, I guess that’s what we all thought. Next One,—Jay-Z.” To me. So I thought that service.” And I’m like—you can apply! That or like a type of musician, because Haha, he did actually! was probably the neatest gift I’ve received in of the people he hung out with. And I was my law enforcement career. What drew you to law enforcement? into sports, but I was into music, too, and I It’s like fi ghters getting ready to go into The think that’s how we crossed paths. Octagon. They have their songs, and, you Are there any close calls you can talk about? Believe it or not, it was for a girl. She know, then they do their fi ghts, go home, and I were dating in high school, and her I went on one ride-along in New York, but I and train for the next ones. But we go Yeah. In 2007, I received a case on a threat brother and father both were policemen. I otherwise don’t know a lot about the Mar- into a fi ght every day, not knowing if we’re investigation [on a man] who’d been bother- heard stories from them about their daily shal Service, so this might be a little broad, going to come back home. So I like to get ing one of our federal judges. My partner and activities, and it sounded so interesting, but: who are the Marshals, exactly? my mind right, and I start by listening to I went to talk to him, and the guy came bar- because you’re not bogged down behind some music. And depending what case it reling out of his apartment pointing a pistol a desk, knowing that every day you have Well, basically the Marshal Service is the is—[laughing]—that’s the genre I might pick. right at me. Right then. And I’ve been in the the same monotonous crap—ha! And I oldest law enforcement agency in the I don’t know! So yeah, I think he was with military, I’ve been in combat, but it’s not until love being outside, I love meeting new country. It was founded in 1789, when me getting pumped up because this was a you look down the barrel of a gun pointed at people, I love public service. My grandfa- George Washington was in o ce, and real bad dude. We might’ve been listening you that you really put everything in perspec- ther was fi ve-time mayor of Houston, and although obviously a lot’s changed since to The Misfi ts. tive. And it happens all within about a fraction hearing about the people he got to meet 1789, the core mission is still what it was And then with the Jay-Z, there was a of a second. You think of all the things you and things he got to do while he was in back then: the protection of our federal new song that had just come out—“On to haven’t done, all the things you want to do. All o ce, and all the laws that he changed—I judiciary family and anything that falls the Next One.” So we’re in a big, run-down the people you love, the people in your heart. thought, gosh, that’s probably the most re- under the federal court system, including part of Houston, and we’d just caught a You think, “I want to go home, and I don’t warding thing that another person can do, federal protection of the judges through guy, and I’d had that music playing earlier want to die today.” Then, “I am going to go helping another person out. So I was like, to the US attorneys. We also extradite and that day in my vehicle. And I just remem- home, I’m going to win this battle.” And I won “law enforcement, that’s it, I’m hooked.” Forward By Edith Zimmerman move prisoners around the country, run an ber we got him in handcu s, a patrol car that day. But it could have been di erent. It’s also a huge adrenaline rush tracking asset-forfeiture division, and oversee the came, we put him in the back, the patrol It can get scary sometimes. I’ve gone into these guys. Ernest Hemingway said, there’s witness protection program. But probably car left, and the scene was secure and the [door] before on murders, and they don’t no other thrill greater than tracking a man. the most recognized division of the Mar- safe. And my car started playing that song, even want to duke it out, they’ve actually Once you’ve done it you’re never going to shal Service would be our fugitive investi- the windows were open, and people were committed suicide right in front of us. And want to do anything else. And it’s the truth. gation division. That’s what I work on. you immediately think, “Is it worth it? Is this a profession I really want to do?” But then a Which is also what a lot of photos in this few minutes later you’re already looking at “There is no hunting like the book cover. Do you remember the fi rst the next case, on tracking down the next guy. hunting of man, and those who time Brian rode along with you? That’s how addicting it is. And yeah, it’s dan- have hunted armed men gerous, but it’s so rewarding to know that I’m long enough and liked it, never Oh yeah. [Laughs.] If he had hair making di erences in other people’s lives, by care for anything else thereafter.” he probably would have lost it that day! getting this person o the street who really He buckled his seatbelt in, he had his a ected them. assistant Eric with him, there were hugs Like I told my boss before, I’d work for free. and high-fi ves, and I’m asking him about The other thing with this job, is like I didn’t his family, how’s New York. It’s been 20 know what a US Marshal was when I was years, so we’re just catching up on all that a kid. I mean some kids might have, but stu . Some of the people I’ve tracked in my parents got divorced when I was pretty the town we grew up in were people we’d young, and I lived with my mom, so I didn’t grown up with, so I could be like, “Remem- have a lot of chances to do “boy” stu . I ber this guy?” And he’d be like, “What’s he didn’t watch Westerns—I didn’t know about up to?” “I don’t know but I put him in jail!” them. And I think I shared this with Brian, Then Brian said, “But I just really wanna but I joined the military because I knew I know: what do we have fi rst?” There had wanted to be a police o cer. I’m a history been an escape from a Texas prison, and bu —I read a lot of history, now more so than the Texas Rangers had called us to assist when I was in school—but I kind of defaulted them in tracking this guy down. So I told into my fi rst job, in the Army. Because it just him, “Hey, we’re gonna get geared up, we sounded cool when I signed up. But it was think we know where he’s at. I hope you’re the US Cavalry. I was part of this old regiment in for a fun week, because this is all we’re of US military history, and I loved it. The his- doing.” He was excited, and I was excited tory behind it, the brotherhood. And when I to have him with me. To share my job with got out, I loved being a police o cer—“I love