The Real Greatest Show on Earth - Interview with Sgt. Bert “Maverick” Gonzalez

True Crimecast

Stove Leg Media

True Crime, Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 10 November 2025

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We sat down with Sergeant (Ret.) Bert "Maverick" Gonzalez to discuss his compelling new book, The Real Greatest Show on Earth. After dedicating 37 years to the Miami-Dade Police Department, serving in roles from narcotics to crime scene investigations and training over 25,000 officers, Gonzalez offers an unprecedented look behind the badge. Gonzalez pulls no punches, describing his book as the "nitty-gritty reality" of police work, far removed from TV sensationalism or murder mysteries. The Real Greatest Show on Earth explores the full spectrum of a cop's career: The Terror and Tragedy: He reveals the nightmares and haunting experiences officers face daily, seeing things "no one should ever see." The Humor and Humanity: Gonzalez also shares the rare, humorous, and deeply human moments on the street—those times when officers are genuinely thanked or encounter situations "no genius of a comedic mind could ever imagine." Discover the world through the eyes of a Bronze Medal of Valor recipient and highly respected national police instructor, who shows the "good, the bad, and the ugly" of life under the "circus tent" of law enforcement. Interested in hearing more about Sgt. Gonzalez's remarkable career and his perspective on policing, politics, and life? You can buy his book now, or find him on his podcast, Sgt. Maverick – The Podcast. Website: https://www.sgtmaverick.comBook: https://www.amazon.com/Real-Greatest-Show-Earth/dp/B0CMFYRD4B

Transcript

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0:00.0	Stoveleg Media, igniting conversation. This is true crime cast.
0:27.2	Jamie here with a special interview with Bert Maverick Gonzalez, a police officer who's done a ton of training, really an authority on all things safety.
0:39.9	So we're going to talk to him today and look forward to this conversation.
0:44.4	We are thrilled today to be joined by Bert Maverick Gonzalez, who is a 37-year veteran with the
0:53.6	Miami-Dade Police Department.
0:55.6	Not only has he done patrol, he's also worked in narcotics, airport, port security,
1:00.9	crime scene investigation, and he became a national leader in a lot of training after 9-11.
1:06.5	He's trained over 25,000 officers in a variety of areas, which we'll get into today, a recipient of
1:13.0	the Bronze Medal of Valor, and two life-saving awards. He has earned over 60 commendations
1:19.2	throughout his career. He's also the author of The Real Greatest Show on Earth by Bert Maverick
1:26.2	Sargent Maverick Gonzalez.
1:29.2	Bert, thanks for hanging out with us and coming on and talk to us today.
1:33.7	Thank you, Jamie, for having me.
1:35.2	I appreciate it.
1:36.3	Yeah, we talked some before we went on the air and I had been emailing back and forth as well
1:41.8	about what to dive into because the breadth of your
1:46.7	experience is so vast.
1:49.8	I guess to start off, how did you get interested in law enforcement to begin with?
1:56.6	Well, after I moved to Miami, my family came down from Southern New York State in 79.
2:01.9	I was a senior in high school, so I stayed to finish my senior year, and then I started college
2:07.8	in western Connecticut State. Shortly after that, I followed my family to Miami.
2:16.5	And then it turned out that my parents' direct backyard neighbor was a sergeant with Metro Day police.
	...

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