The Private Eye

When a Chicago prostitute tried to blackmail a wealthy businessman in Tulsa, Okla., not long ago -- demanding $100,000 in exchange for some embarrassing snapshots--the man hired local private detective Gary Glanz instead of paying the hush money.

It was a wise move. Mr. Glanz, a flamboyant ex-policeman with a reputation for quick results, had the client lure the blackmailing woman to Tulsa (he told her he wanted to discuss the deal) and, after she arrived, the detective spiked her drink. Then, during the night as she slept, Mr. Glanz duplicated her apartment key, flew to Chicago and destroyed the photographs. After 36 hours' work, the businessman's reputation was secure.

So says Gary Glanz, and there's no reason to doubt him. In fact, according to Mr. Glanz and those who have observed him at work, such cases are routine--although his exploits sometimes strain the credulity of witnesses. "It's hard to believe he's for real," says one policeman who has known him for years.

Indeed, Gary Glanz seems to have stepped out of the pages of a detective novel. He spends his days and nights solving crimes, foiling extortionists and outwitting thieves. "He's a fantastic guy," says Dennis Morris, a Tulsa police detective, discussing a recent case in which Mr. Glanz helped apprehend a team of safecrackers. "Without Gary's help, there's no way the case could have been solved completely. We would have been bogged down in red tape."