Detective Lionel P. Fusco is a police detective with the New York City Police Department (NYPD). John Reese has turned him into his own source of information and support within the police department.

BiographyEdit

Detective Fusco was initially attached to the fictional 51st Precinct of the NYPD. At some point, he became involved with a group of corrupt police officers running a ring of theft of drugs from a Mexican drug cartel under the charge of Detective Stills and ADA Diane Hanson, which Reese speculated was out of personal loyalty rather than raw greed. ("Pilot") He has a son ("Cura Te Ipsum"), and an ex-wife ("Judgment"). He has been promoted to the Homicide Task Force of the NYPD. He probably lives in Brooklyn, because he gripes about the commute to work that came with his promotion to task force.

Involvement with Reese and FinchEdit

Detective Fusco first came into contact with John Reese during a meeting with ADA Diane Hansen and her criminal organization. Fusco captured Reese, who was attempting to interdict the conspirators, following which he was ordered to take Reese in the back of his unmarked car to Oyster Bay and murder him and dispose of his body. Reese escaped from the car, took Fusco's sidearm and killed Det. Stills with it in an armed standoff with him. Reese then hid Stills' body in the back of Fusco's car in order to frame him for the murder for the purposes of blackmail. He then ordered Fusco to dispose of Stills' body, and provide him with assistance whenever he required in the future. ("Pilot")

After Fusco attempted to have Reese killed a second time in some dealings with the Mexican drug cartel, Reese blackmailed a superior officer in order to get Fusco transferred to the Homicide Task Force at the 8th Precinct and partnered with Detective Carter. Fusco was then ordered to keep Carter's investigations directed away from Reese and to keep Reese apprised of what Carter is doing. ("Cura Te Ipsum") Both Reese and Finch have had direct contact with Fusco, despite Finch's misgivings about him.

As time went on, Fusco did demonstrate a loyalty to Mr. Reese. Their relationship is comical, their conversations are filled with dry-humor and witty annoyance. When Fusco is caught and taken out to be executed by a corrupt officer while running an errand for Finch, Mr. Reese shows up just in time to save Fusco's life. Fusco shows frustration at being "forced" to stay inside HR at Reese's bidding and speaks of wanting to go down as a "good guy". ("Blue Code")

Fusco comes to Reese's rescue, saving his life and killing a top-dog of HR. ("Matsya Nyaya") He also rescued a drugged Finch before he could be injured. ("Identity Crisis")

Finch was uneasy keeping Fusco and Carter in the dark about each other and their connections in working for Finch and Reese. Carter's suspicions come to a head during a stand-off between Reese and the FBI and she barges into the men's bathroom, apprehending Fusco, holding him at gunpoint and accusing him of being a part of HR. Fusco is forced to spill the beans and tell her that he is working for the "Guy in the suit", AKA Reese. Carter is shocked. Fusco is equally shocked that she too is working for Reese and Finch. ("Firewall") Working together, they are able to rescue Reese during a shootout with HR.

Fusco was later forced back into HR by Officer Simmons, as Simmons blackmails him with his cover up of the murder of Detective Davidson.

Suspicious of Detective Cal Beecher's developing relationship with Carter, he trails him one day, but is discovered by Simmons. Fusco deduces that Beecher is also somehow connected to HR, but has not yet acted on this information.("Shadow Box")

While the rest of the team is busy dealing with Reese's capture by Agent Donnelly, Fusco is forced to single-handedly protect supermodel Karolina Kurkova from Armenian gangsters.("Prisoner's Dilemma")

TriviaEdit

• His social security number is XXX-XX-4793. (Title Sequence)
• Fusco's home address is 160 Morris Ave, Apt. 4F, Bronx, NY 10468. (Season 2 title sequence)
• Fusco has 55 open cases and 8 active cases. (Season 2 title sequence)
• He has no criminal record, although the Machine estimates his violence probability index as high. His level of social networking is low. (Season 2 title sequence)
• In Number Crunch, after making a series of mistakes, another law enforcement officer referred to him as "Detective Fiasco." 
• Fusco is one of only a few who know that Quinn has an affiliation with HR.
• Fusco, Simmons and Quinn are the only named characters not to be in HR's ledger.
• Shield number 7645 ("Witness").