A gifted kid raised in Brooklyn during the 1960's. Despite opportunities in more academic fields, Michael decided to pursue his dream of working in law enforcement. Once he made it on the NYPD, he realized he had a new dream, which seemed to contradict his original dream, unless you've ever heard anything about the NYPD. Check out episode 234. 

Sources:

How Michael Dowd Became The NYPD's Most Corrupt Cop (allthatsinteresting.com)

Michael Dowd (police officer) - Wikipedia