The office is responsible for the prosecution of felony violations of narcotics laws within New York City.

[3] The office was created by Attorney General of New York Louis J. Lefkowitz under the governorship of Nelson Rockefeller.

[4] The position of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York is notable in several ways: One of the better known cases associated with the Special Narcotics Prosecutor is that of Frank Lucas, which was fictionalized in the movie American Gangster.

As a prosecuting attorney office, the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor has its own Investigations Division, and works closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies including:[11] The Bronx(Bronx County)Darcel Clark Brooklyn(Kings County)Eric Gonzalez Manhattan(New York County)Alvin Bragg Queens(Queens County)Melinda Katz Staten Island(Richmond County)Michael McMahon Special Narcotics ProsecutorBridget G. Brennan U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New YorkMatthew Podolsky (acting)

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New YorkCarolyn Pokorny (acting)