This NYPD hero is retiring his wheels.
Legendary NYPD freeway sergeant James Gatto took his final journey on his hog Thursday after greater than 40 years as a bike cop who escorted lots of of dignitaries by the streets of New York Metropolis.
The 62-year-old was celebrated with a conventional NYPD “walkout” ceremony on the 122nd Precinct in Staten Island — the place household, associates and colleagues cheered as he took one final journey on his trusty bike.
“At a younger age, I all the time regarded as much as legislation enforcement,” Gatto informed The Publish on his remaining day in uniform.
“As I grew to become a New York Metropolis police officer … the individuals I labored with had been in World Struggle II, I labored with Korean Struggle veterans, Vietnam veterans. I labored with individuals who had a love for the nation, a love for town, public service. I felt a calling to that,” he continued.
“When individuals say, ‘Why do you be part of the police division?’ I can let you know this, it’s not for the cash.”
Gatto escorted lots of of VIPs throughout his tenure — together with eight presidents and three popes — however essentially the most satisfying job he was ever tasked with was main the households of NYPD officers who had fallen within the line of responsibility to the funeral.
The retired officer and his colleagues felt a robust duty to go the additional mile and produce consolation to the grieving family members on the toughest day of their lives.
“They may all the time keep in mind the escort and the way they had been handled by the NYPD, particularly the freeway patrol,” Gatto stated of the households.
“That was the place I acquired a great feeling as a result of it’s approach the households are handled. It’s the way you take care of their grief. The households are grieving and issues which can be stated issues which can be carried out that individuals don’t actually find out about how households really feel that gave me essentially the most pleasure out of my escorts.”
Gatto had loads of enjoyable recollections, as nicely — he most regarded ahead to working the New York Metropolis Marathon yearly and using within the midst of the overwhelming pleasure of the runners and their dense cheer squads.
The son of a mechanic, Gatto was elated to meld his ardour for public service along with his love for bikes.
As a teenager, he rode mini-bikes after which grime bikes till he was sufficiently old to deal with road bikes.
“Once I got here into the police division and I stated, ‘Wow have a look at these guys on a bike!’” Gatto recalled.
“I didn’t know what Freeway Patrol was about. All I knew was that that they had bikes. They had been Harley-Davidsons and I may journey them and receives a commission for them. If I receives a commission to journey the motorbike, I’m in!”
Gatto joined NYPD’s Freeway 2 in south Brooklyn in 1987, and retired this week from Freeway 5 in Staten Island.
His two sons adopted in his footsteps — one in every of whom can be a sergeant for the freeway patrol and the opposite is a theft detective in Staten Island.
Gatto is leaving the road of responsibility behind to serve on the Sergeants’ Benevolent Affiliation board, persevering with his ardour and lifelong name to function an officer of the legislation.
“I really like my job and I really like what I do. If there wasn’t a legislation, it’s a legislation to retire by your 63rd birthday — I’m gonna be 63 on October 11 — I’d nonetheless be doing it,” he stated.
