{"id":38760,"date":"2025-11-13T21:49:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T21:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/38760\/"},"modified":"2025-11-13T21:49:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T21:49:08","slug":"staten-island-nypd-fixture-who-mentored-generations-of-cops-retired-as-longest-serving-officer-dies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/38760\/","title":{"rendered":"Staten Island NYPD fixture who mentored generations of cops, retired as longest-serving officer, dies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"AXKNMG5QSFAMXM2ZMPKQ576BII\">STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Anthony \u201cTony\u201d DiPalma, who retired as the longest-serving uniformed officer in the NYPD after an extraordinary 44-year career, died on Nov. 7. He was 74.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"RBDNI6HXJJEE5K6VZVKP6L3OVQ\">His dedication to family, colleagues and community made him a beloved figure to those who knew him as well as a mentor to generations of cops.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"OQAD3365QFFMHCHQIVDYONBZSM\">Born on Jan. 8, 1951, in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to Francesco and Theresa DiPalma, DiPalma dedicated his life to service. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"O6BGHWMXDFHADGOU7L3QQHYATA\">In 1969, the then-18-year-old DiPalma found his calling when he walked into Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn and took the entrance exam to be a New York City police officer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.silive.com\/news\/2013\/10\/for_staten_islands_lt_anthony.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">he said in a 2013 interview with the Advance\/SILive.com.<\/a> <\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Lt. Anthony DiPalma\" class=\"article__image-content\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6CAPI7MQXJEL5CJRSBFLCIWJGA.JPG\"  \/>Sgt. Michael Alfiere, left, gives Lt. Anthony DiPalma an award from the NYPD Columbia Association as Lt. John Peruffo, right, looks on during the ceremony.Staten Island Advance<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"VL3BGB7E3VGVJJ4TN2DIZ5EY7E\">During his career, he watched New York City and the NYPD shift and transform over the decades, working through the eras of anti-corruption commissions, through the heroin epidemic in the 1970s and the crack epidemic in the 1990s, and through the onslaught of prescription drug abuse on Staten Island.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"APB4MY2INFCZXIBVAVFX6X7I7I\">In the 1990s, he witnessed the consolidation of the transit, housing and city police into a single department. He saw the inception of the statistics-focused CompStat program, and the rise and fall of the city\u2019s stop-and-frisk tactics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"FEEN3FGALNCZFIY26Z3CO5X7JE\">He even met his wife, Robin, on the job, when he went to help a disabled motorist. The couple went on to spend 40 years of marriage together.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"MKDM7GGBAFAUXH6IILXJFTTDQI\">DiPalma moved to Staten Island in July 1996 as a lieutenant in the 120th Precinct, based in St. George. Two years later, he joined the South Shore\u2019s 123rd Precinct, first as the special operations lieutenant, and then the \u201cthird platoon\u201d commander of the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift, according to Advance\/SILive.com archives.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Lt. Anthony DiPalma\" class=\"article__image-content\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LD2UTNOKRVAEBAO4XOM52KY6TA.JPG\"  \/>After a 2013 ceremony at the 123rd Precinct stationhouse honoring Lt. Anthony DiPalma on the occasion of his final day at work, the new retiree and his wife Robin get into a vintage police car to be escorted home.Staten Island Advance<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"2W5P2VQVFJDWTHQ3RLKQ6I6UMU\">When DiPalma<a href=\"https:\/\/www.silive.com\/news\/2013\/10\/longtime_nypd_officer_and_stat.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.silive.com\/news\/2013\/10\/longtime_nypd_officer_and_stat.html\"> retired as a lieutenant from the NYPD<\/a> in 2013, he was the most senior uniformed member of the NYPD.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"LXOKXLX3SNHLPA5H4WPXWBYJKM\">\u201cWe mourn the passing of retired Lieutenant Anthony DiPalma. With 44 years on the job, he was the longest-serving uniformed member of the service,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NYPD1stDep\/status\/1988748471617134672?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow\" title=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NYPD1stDep\/status\/1988748471617134672?s=20\">said Staten Islander and NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella on X, formerly known as Twitter.<\/a> \u201cHe looked out for our cops, mentored generations, and served with heart. Our condolences to his family and colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"SEL3HAGXQZFVLGBHLH5JSGESGY\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dignitymemorial.com\/obituaries\/staten-island-ny\/anthony-dipalma-12600844\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.dignitymemorial.com\/obituaries\/staten-island-ny\/anthony-dipalma-12600844\">According to his online obituary<\/a>, DiPalma continued to serve others through his work with Lieutenants Benevolent Association and the New York City Road Runners.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"C42OXHBDWZHZ5GF2IZRHEMN4OY\">DiPalma\u2019s greatest joy, beyond his lengthy career, was his family. He was a loving father and grandfather, as well as a dedicated husband, cherished brother, uncle, cousin, and loyal friend to many, the obituary said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"TFCRGCMEOBAHJERNXXBQMWQCFQ\">DiPalma enjoyed golfing, watching the Jets, playing the guitar, singing and fishing with his friends.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"OUY6JLFGQ5AS3DXDMX77JOP37I\">\u201cHe will be remembered for his warmth, humor, and the deep love he shared with everyone fortunate enough to know him,\u201d the tribute said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"3KH5I3XM7RCABOVDUHZYCVGTBU\">DiPalma\u2019s visitation services were handled by Casey-McCallum- Rice Funeral Home in Great Kills. His funeral Mass was held Wednesday at Holy Child R.C. Church in Annadale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"YEYY7ZJ3G5B3TM7T3HORVSFF6I\">In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital, the family requested in his obituary.<\/p>\n<p>If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.advancelocal.com\/advancelocalUserAgreement\/user-agreement.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.advancelocal.com\/advancelocalUserAgreement\/privacy-policy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Anthony \u201cTony\u201d DiPalma, who retired as the longest-serving uniformed officer in the NYPD after&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38761,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-38760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38760"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38760\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}