Lots of surprises at the American Legion's Law and Order Night

Firefighters, police officers and EMTs were recognized for their service to the Rockville Centre community during the annual Law and Order Night awards presentation hosted by American Legion Post 303.

“It is one of our post’s pinnacle events of the year,” Vice Commander Paul Casazza said. “Our post takes great pleasure in honoring our law enforcement and emergency personnel this evening for their continued dedication to the Rockville Centre community.”

Friends, family, colleagues, elected officials and esteemed guests were in attendance last Friday night as members of the veterans organization presented the honorees with special gifts including plaques, flags, and engraved memorabilia.

Rockville Centre Police Officer Michelle Tetonic was the first honoree to be recognized during Law and Order Night for her impeccable record with the force over the last five years.

“This achievement is a testament to her dedication, hard work and exemplary service to the Rockville Centre community,” Police Commissioner Randy Dodd said.

Tetonic spent three years as an NYPD officer with the 103rd Precinct in Queens and received numerous awards including the Meritorious Police Duty Medal and the Excellent Police Duty Medal.

She left the NYPD in 2017, and after a brief stint with the Suffolk County Police Department, joined the Rockville Centre Police Department in 2018.

Since then she has consistently led the department in traffic tickets and impounds and in 2020 received recognition as “Cop of the Month” for her role in the arrest of a burglary suspect.

“Her commitment to upholding the highest standards of law enforcement and her tireless efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of the Rockville Centre community has not gone unnoticed,” Dodd said. “Her dedication and commitment serve as an inspiration to all of us and we are fortunate to have her in our ranks.”

Following the presentation, Officer Tetonic was presented with a custom-engraved pistol donated by Glock. She also received several proclamations from elected officials from the Village of Rockville Centre, the Town of Hempstead, the New York State Assembly and the United States Congress.

One of the honorees, James McCarthy, was presented with recognition for his more than six decades of work with the Rockville Centre Fire Department.

He was first sworn into the RVC Fire Department on Nov. 20, 1962, and was shortly thereafter, called to serve his country. He served honorably from 1963 to 1965 in the Panama Canal region, and when he returned, resumed his duties with the Fire Department.

McCarthy has been a member of Alert Engine Company No. 2 for many years and has served as treasurer and warden of the company for more than a decade. He also co-chaired the company’s 100th-anniversary committee in 1995.

Tony Rugolo, first assistant chief of the Fire Department, said that over the course of his 61 years of membership, McCarthy has continued to meet the requirements to be in good standing with the department, and continues to serve as chairman of both the audit and membership committees.

“In 2010, the Fire Department Council bestowed the distinguished title of honorary chief to Jim — a rank he wears proudly,” Rugolo said. “It is with deep appreciation and pride that we present James J. McCarthy with this recognition.”

Following the presentation, McCarthy was presented with an engraved axe that was mounted and framed in recognition of his years of service to the department and the community.

The EMT award was presented as a surprise to Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray for his years of service and dedication as a member of Floodlight Rescue Company No. 1.

Murray joined the Rockville Centre Fire Department in December 1972, continuing his long-standing family tradition of service to the community. Upon joining, he worked hard to become a New York-certified emergency medical technician and a firefighter.

“He became a valued and respected member of Floodlight, maintaining one of the highest call volumes — often several hundred calls per year,” Chief Rugolo said. “For many years, Mayor Murray was one of our most active daytime chauffeurs and continues to be one of our top chauffeurs.”

Murray currently holds the position of Mayor of Rockville Centre, a title that he has continued to serve under since he was first elected in 2011. In addition to his dedication to the village and its fire department, he has proudly represented the community as the past president of the New York State Conference of Mayors and past president of the Friends of Mercy.

The final award of the evening was also a surprise presented to Congressman Anthony D’Esposito, a former NYPD Police Detective, volunteer fire chief, and former Hempstead Town Councilman who is currently representing New York’s fourth congressional district on Capitol Hill.

For his years of service to the community and work as both a firefighter and police officer, American Legion Post 303 presented him with a special axe-mounted plaque including the Legion seal, Congressional seal, and NY-4 emblem.

In addition to the awards ceremony, the post invited Ken Andorfer and Nicolas Vergara Barrios, two students that they recently sponsored to attend the prestigious American Legion Boys State.

Following the awards presentations, the members of Post 303 also presented retired Police Commissioner James Vafaedes with an engraved Derringer pistol donated by Bond Arms. And as a special thank you for their years of support to make Law and Order Night the event that it is, members of Post 303 and the RVCPD presented Joey Hedberg of Bond Arms with some apparel and merchandise.