October 16, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 163 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H8151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
   RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF LIEUTENANT DETECTIVE GIUSEPPE 
                           ``JOE'' PETROSINO

  (Mr. SUOZZI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SUOZZI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and 
legacy of Lieutenant Detective Giuseppe ``Joe'' Petrosino, who, 110 
years ago, was assassinated in Sicily while investigating organized 
crime. He was the first NYPD officer killed overseas in the line of 
duty.
  Born in Padula, Italy, in 1860, Petrosino arrived in America as a 
teenager. In 1883, he joined the NYPD and became the first Italian-
language speaker in the department's history. Lieutenant Petrosino was 
a passionate crusader against organized crime, and he eventually rose 
to lead the Italian Squad, an elite group of officers tasked with 
taking down organized crime groups in the city.
  While on a special mission to infiltrate the Italian Mafia in Sicily, 
Lieutenant Petrosino was assassinated. His memory still lives on. 
Today, the Lieutenant Petrosino associates in New York, Padula, and 
Sicily continue to preserve his values and dedication to the NYPD.
  We welcome the delegates of the Lt. Det. Joseph Petrosino Association 
in America to the Capitol and thank them for all they do to sustain his 
memory of this New York City police detective and great American.
  Fighting crime requires the sacrifice of an untold number of men and 
women in blue. We thank them and their families for putting themselves 
in harm's way on our behalf.

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