Giuseppe "Joseph" Petrosino

New York City Police Department — New York, NY

Felonious

End of Watch March 12, 1909

Age 48

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

Badge 285

The Vigil Panel 23 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 1,236

Incident

Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino was assassinated by the Italian mafia in Sicily, Italy while conducting an investigation. Lieutenant Petrosino founded the agency's Italian Squad, which was responsible for investigating the Italian mafia in New York City and was responsible for decreasing Italian mafia crime by fifty percent. He was sent to Italy in an attempt to infiltrate the mob and collect evidence that would shut them down for good. The mafia received a tip that he was a police officer and killed him. More than 250,000 citizens attended his funeral. A trial was held in connection with Lieutenant Petrosino's murder; a local crime boss had been arrested by Lieutenant Petrosino years before for involvement in a New York murder, then deported, but was brought to trial for participation in Lieutenant Petrosino's death. The suspect was acquitted because of an alibi but claimed afterward that he had killed Lieutenant Petrosino. The suspect was imprisoned years later on another murder charge and died in prison in 1943. In addition to the crime boss, who is believed to have masterminded Lieutenant Petrosino's killing, there were two other suspects believed to have been the actual triggermen, one was arrested but released for lack of evidence and died years later in a mental hospital; the other committed suicide in 1969. Lieutenant Petrosino had been with the New York City Police Department for 25 years. He was survived by his wife and infant daughter. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, Queens County, New York.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and infant daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NY-D6AA3AEE
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

25 years. You could have gone home.
Lieutenant Petrosino gave the New York City Police Department 25 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Petrosino.

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

Agency

Department New York City Police Department

Location New York, NY

Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 12, 1909

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

Age 48

Badge Number 285

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to life; deceased

Lieutenant Giuseppe "Joseph" Petrosino is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In NY, 754 of 2,147 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 35.1% of this state's fallen. That is 19.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At New York City Police Department, 382 of 1237 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 30.9% of this agency's fallen.

New York City Police Department

382

of 1,237 officers

30.9% Felonious

NY — Statewide

754

of 2,147 officers

35.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious