Joseph L. A. Cavagnaro

Boston Police Department — Roxbury Crossing, MA

Felonious

End of Watch November 17, 1931

Age 57

Tour of Duty 27 yrs

The Vigil Panel 63 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 105

Incident

Lieutenant Cavagnaro was killed when the vehicle he was riding in was forced off of the road in New York State during a murder investigation. He was riding with a local investigator from the district attorney's office when the incident happened. It is suspected that the drivers of the other car were gangsters with ties to the original murder in Boston. The investigator was seriously injured.

Survivors

Lieutenant Cavagnaro had been with the agency for 27 years and was survived by his wife and four daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-D2329F68
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Joseph. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

27 years. You could have gone home.
Lieutenant Cavagnaro gave the Boston Police Department 27 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Roxbury Crossing community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Cavagnaro.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Boston Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Roxbury Crossing, Suffolk County, MA

Platform Identity bpd.suffolk.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 17, 1931

Tour of Duty 27 yrs

Age 57

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile

Lieutenant Joseph L. A. Cavagnaro is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In MA, 199 of 469 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.4% of this state's fallen. That is 42.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Boston Police Department, 45 of 106 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.5% of this agency's fallen.

Boston Police Department

of 106 officers

42.5% Felonious

MA — Statewide

199

of 469 officers

42.4% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious