Gunrunner entered the market as the #1 New Release in the Psychology & Christianity and #1 in Law Enforcement Biographies categories on Amazon.
Gunrunner is a true crime book centered on a real-life Boston area detective, Mario Oliveira, who embarks on a series of interconnected gang crimes that leads to his own murder. It's during death that he learns his most important lesson. He's still here to tell you about it.
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Gunrunner contains elements of faith, true crime, life, death, redemption, resiliency, and spirituality.
This true story has twists and turns in every chapter!
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"Gunrunner is not a piece of fiction but a gripping rollercoaster account of extraordinary real people. Punctuated by illustrations of bravery, resilience, faith, despair, and the human spirit's power, each chapter builds deliberately upon the last, steering the reader towards a dramatic crescendo on that ill-fated evening of November 2nd, 2010."
—Michael Cabral, Chief of Police (Ret.) Somerville, Massachusetts Police Department
Meet the Authors
MARIO OLIVEIRA
Detective Mario Oliveira is retired from the Somerville Police Department where he served proudly for 17 years. On November 2, 2010, while assigned to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Boston Field office as a Task Force Agent, Detective Oliveira was shot six times at point blank range while serving a Federal arrest warrant.
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During his time in the Mass General Hospital Emergency Trauma Bay, Detective Oliveira had an amazing experience with the afterlife. He was visited by his late Grandmother who had died over 25 years ago. Detective Oliveira’s grandmother provided him with Hope & Faith that he would pull through despite dying three times that evening. It was Detective Oliveira’s Faith in God and Hope that gave him the will to fight for his life.
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The injuries sustained during this incident along with several subsequent medical complications forced Detective/TFO Oliveira to retire. Since being retired, Detective/TFO Mario Oliveira has dedicated his time to educating and assisting Police departments & law enforcement officers and their families on the inherent dangers of police work and how to cope with the tragedy of being seriously or fatally injured in the line of duty.
Detective Oliveira is currently the President & Director of training & education for the New England Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.). He is also a Co-founder and President of Violently Injured Police Officers Assoc. (both are 501c3 non-profit organizations) in Massachusetts.
Det. Mario Oliveira is currently employed with New England State Police Information Network (NESPIN) as the Eastern Massachusetts Metro/Boston area Law Enforcement Coordinator.
In 2019, Detective Oliveira received an Honorary Bachelor of Arts Degree from Fisher College which was one of his proudest moments of his life. Detective Oliveira is married to his wife Christine and they have three beautiful boys, ages Andrew -13, Tyler- 9 and Luke-4.
KEITH KNOTEK
Keith R. Knotek is a retired American law enforcement official who served as Commander of the San Jacinto Police Department and as a sergeant with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in California before retiring from law enforcement in 2015. He is also a veteran of the California State Guard.
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Knotek grew up in Huntington Beach, California, where he graduated from Marina High School. He later received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership. He is a graduate of the 2003 session of the FBI-LEEDA Regional Command College; the California Police Executive Development Course; and the California Supervisory Leadership Institute.
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Knotek's experiences in law enforcement inspired him to write a non-fiction, autobiographical manuscript entitled From Sorrow to Amazing Grace: One Cop’s Journey, that was turned into a movie called One Cop's Journey. Keith is open about his struggle with post-traumatic stress and how he overcame it through his Christian faith and a holistic approach to resilience.
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Keith works with veterans and first-responders who suffer from PTS, and speaks to various organizations about wellness.
NEWS
Like It Matters Radio with Mr. Black
Criminal Justice Evolution Podcast: Retired LEO’s Keith Knotek and Mario Oliveria and Their Stories
The night I was killed in the line of duty, but survived!
Profiles In Courage – Shot 6 Times And Barely Survived – Retired Detective Mario Oliveira
Law Enforcement Today: It’s A Miracle He Survived, Shot 6 Times In The Line of Duty and Died 3 Times During Surgery.
There is hope for officers violently wounded out of their career
REVIEWS
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
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Gunrunner: The Mario Oliveira Story is a work of non-fiction in the true-crime subgenre. It is aimed at mature readers and was penned by author team Mario Oliveira and Keith Knotek. The book follows Boston Detective Mario Oliveira as his investigation into a string of gang-related crimes results in his own tragedy. As he fights for his life after receiving six gunshot wounds, Mario flashes back over his investigation into arms dealer Matt Kramer and his partnership with ex-gang member Leon, which saw the pair enjoy major successes before the criminal elements they were pursuing decided to fight back.
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This book depicts an incredible journey of an inspiring individual as their commitment to the ideals of law enforcement and community service sends them on an incredible journey to fight back against gang violence, which ends in a tragedy that nearly tears his life apart. Mario Oliveira’s journey after the attack that came so close to claiming his life is inspiring, and the prose employed by Oliveira and Keith Knotek in this book manages to walk the fine line between authentically depicting a traumatic experience and inspiring hope in the aftermath. The way the book charts Mario’s experiences before, during, and after the attack is simply sublime as he constantly fights to survive and do what is right for his city. Overall, Gunrunner is a book that will challenge readers with the harsh life and death reality for those on the front lines of law enforcement, but it is also an insight into an extraordinary member of the police and the fraternity that exists between those who have pledged to protect and serve.
© 2022 Burning Bulb Publishing. All rights reserved. Burning Bulb Publishing is the official publisher of GUNRUNNER: The Mario Olivera Story.