PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK BENEDUCEAbout 20 retirees from the 106th Precinct were honored at Russo’s on the Bay recently. “There’s no way they can ever replace cops like these,” said a police source. Seated: Retired Police Officers Steven Gentile; Michael Lechnyk; Marueen Cerati; Christine Goddard; George Lujack; Sue Costleigh; Edward Trentini; Retired Sergeants Paul Siegel and Tommy Cea and Retired Lieutenant Richard Bettenhauser. Standing: Police Officers Frank Reina and John Maderik; Retired Police Officers Janine Luken; James Frezza; Emilio Fusco; Timothy Hynes; Michael Banks; Debra Cotty; Darryl Dow; Paul Arden and Errol Gant, Captain Joseph Courtesis and Police Officer Brian Salmon.
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The 106th Precinct held a retirement party recently to honor and bid adieu to a score of police officers, a sergeant and a lieutenant who have retired over the last two years.
At the event, on Thursday, March 27 at Russo’s on the Bay, the group was feted by their compatriots, including: Police Officers Frank Reina; Brian “Fish” Salmon and John Maderik.
Maderik is the son of a legendary cop, also John Maderik, who returned to active duty after losing a leg when the motorcycle he was driving was struck head-on by a car whose driver had fallen asleep at the wheel.
Among the retirees is Police Officer Maureen Cerati, who grew up in Richmond Hill, and made something of a miracle comeback of her own.
The mother of three was gravely injured while placing flares at the scene of a car wreck on the Belt Parkway on August 1, 2005.
The driver of the 1991 Infiniti, which was pockmarked with bullet holes, fled but was subsequently identified.
A daughter, granddaughter and niece of New York City cops, Cerati was awarded the Purple Shield for her injuries, which included a broken ankle and collarbone as well as a collapsed lung.
After a long convalescence and course of physical therapy, Cerati made it to her retirement party without the aid of a cane.
“There’s no way they can ever replace cops like these,” said a police source, “and they aren’t - we have 21 percent fewer officers than in 2001.”
The source pointed to retired Police Officer Darryl Dow as an example.
“Dow used to patrol John Adams High School by himself,” the source recounted, adding, “He was an old-time cop and nobody messed with him.” The source speculated that it would take nine officers to have the same peace-keeping effect as the burly retiree.
Precinct commander Captain Joseph Courtesis, who had served a previous tour of duty as the Executive Officer of the 106th, praised all who were leaving the service to their well-earned retirements.
Courtesis had been serving in Brooklyn, before returning to his “old house” as the commanding officer recently.
Retired PO Thomas Weber was unable to attend, as he was with his family in Florida.
