Petrosino Square

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Lt. Joseph Petrosino Plaques

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Artist:	Carter Jones
Dedicated:	11/5/14
Location:	South entrance piers; Kenmare and Lafayette Streets at Cleveland Place
Description:	2 bronze plaques mounted into gate posts
Materials:	Bronze
Dimensions:	West plaque: H: 21 3/4" W: 17 1/2"; East plaque: H: 22" W: 17 1/2"
Foundry:	Elliot Gantz & Co. Fine Art Bronze Sculpture Casting Foundry
Donor:	NYPD Columbia Association & Lt. Det. Joseph Petrosino Association in America, Inc.
Cast:	2013

Inscription

West plaque:
LIEUTENANT JOSEPH PETROSINO /

JOSEPH (GIUSEPPE) PETROSINO (1860-1909) WAS THE FIRST / ITALIAN-AMERICAN LIEUTENANT AND DETECTIVE IN THE NEW YORK / CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT. PETROSINO FORMED THE "ITALIAN / BRANCH," AN ELITE CORPS OF ITALIAN-AMERICAN UNDERCOVER / POLICE THAT COMBATED THE "BLACK HAND" (MANO NERO) CRIME / ORGANIZATION IN AMERICA AND ITALY. AS A RESULT, THOUSANDS OF / ORGANIZED CRIME FIGURES WERE ARRESTED. HE ALSO FOUNDED THE / BOMB AND CANINE SQUADS, THE FIRST UNITS OF THEIR KIND IN THE / UNITED STATES. /

PETROSINO WAS KILLED IN PALERMO, MAKING HIM THE ONLY NEW / YORK CITY POLICER OFFICER TO LOSE HIS LIFE IN THE LINE OF DUTY / OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. UPON HIS DEATH, PRESIDENT / THEODORE ROOSEVELT DECLARED, " PETROSINO WAS A GREAT MAN / AND A GOOD MAN..HE DID NOT KNOW THE NAME OF FEAR." MANY / THOUSANDS OF MOURNERS ATTENDED HIS STATE FUNERAL. /

JOSEPH PETROSINO REMAINS A SYMBOL OF JUSTICE AND SOCIAL / RESPONSIBILITY THROUGHOUT THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE / DEPARTMENT. THE LIEUTENANT DETECTIVE JOSEPH PETROSINO / AWARDS ARE PRESENTED TO OUTSTANDING POLICE OFFICES AND / OTHER DISTINGUISHED INDIVIDUALS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT./

East Plaque:
LIEUTENANT JOSEPH PETROSINO /

BORN 1860, PADULA (SA) ITALY /
DIED 1909, PALERMO, ITALY /
NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT 1885-1909 /
[NYPD Insignia] [ Padula, Italy insignia]

Please note, the NAME field includes a primary designation as well as alternate namingsoften in common or popular usage. The DEDICATED field refers to the most recent dedication, most often, butnot necessarily the original dedication date. If the monument did not have a formal dedication, the yearlisted reflects the date of installation.

For more information, please contact Art & Antiquities at (212) 360-8163.