By:Anthony Rifilato
The second floor of the Knitting Factory, normally a place where rock bands are celebrated, hosted a special event the evening of Feb. 27: a benefit for two fallen New York City Police Detectives, James V. Nemorin, of Baldwin, and Rodney J. Andrews, of Brooklyn, who were killed in the line of duty during an undercover gun deal gone sour a year ago.
Their photos and story, mounted on one of the columns in the center of the room, made the point of the event quite clear: The night was more than about music. With more than 150 people in attendance, from fellow cadets at the police academy to distant acquaintances, the event was certainly proof that the detectives' deaths were not forgotten.
The event was organized by Proof -- one band member is a Manhattan assistant district attorney -- and the ticket and entrance fees went to the Detectives Endowment Association's "March 10 Undercover Fund," a college scholarship fund for the slain detectives' five children.
"We want to show these kids that their fathers' co-workers and others will never forget them," said Victor Cipullo, treasurer of the Detectives Endowment Association's Widows and Children's Fund. "Their fathers made the ultimate sacrifice."
Baldwin neighbors show support
It was one year ago this week that Nemorin's and Andrews' faces became ubiquitous, beamed on every television screen and shown on the front pages of the major newspapers. By now, their tragically heroic story is well known. Nemorin, 36, and Andrews, 34, belonged to the elite Firearms Investigation Unit. They were killed last March 10 during an undercover illegal-gun-buying operation in Staten Island after they had lost contact with their backup and what is believed to have been an attempted robbery. More than 10,000 police officers attended each of their funerals, and the two men were memorialized across the state.
Within 48 hours, all of the perpetrators of the crime were in custody, and the Staten Island District Attorney's Office is seeking the death penalty for the alleged shooter, Ronell Wilson.
Their murders, which made them the first officers killed in the line of duty since Sept. 11, 2001, shocked not only the police department, but the small community of Baldwin, which Nemorin and his wife, Rose-Andre, and their three children -- Stephan, 8, Rudolphe, 6, and baby girl Sarah -- had proudly begun to call home just over a year before his death.
"He was a very personable young man," said Nemorin's next-door neighbor, Robert Briel, a retired New York City police officer who has become close with the family. Nemorin's boys visit Briel's home often to play with his dog, Crypto.
Nemorin, a native of Haiti who moved to New York when he was 21, had always wanted to be a police officer. He is often described as a devoted family man who, though treading dangerous terrain as a detective, would often call home while on the job and speak affectionately to his wife and children. He was also an impeccable dresser and beloved son and sibling, nicknamed the "Haitian Sensation," and "Little Darling," who was excited about his new home on Hayes Street, relishing the suburban milieu by making regular trips to Home Depot and working on the house.
Over the past year, Briel explained, the tight-knit community on Hayes Street has come to the Nemorin family's aid, bringing food over and helping with the kids. He said that the family has been resilient in light of such a tragic loss.
"[Rose-Andre] has a lot of friends in the neighborhood," Briel said. "They've been very good and gone the extra mile."
Briel explained that Nemorin's wife is still in mourning, and that the family continues to struggle with his death, although she is keeping her husband's dream alive by remaining in Baldwin. "She wants to keep [the house] because James loved it so much," said Briel.
He added that trying to comprehend their father's death has been confusing for Nemorin's children, though they seem to be persevering. Like their father, the kids are sharp dressers, Briel said, and the boys are active at Meadow Elementary School and will soon join the Baldwin Little League.
"They're a very strong family," said Briel. "The kids are very outgoing. They're great kids."
A college education for five kids
Soon after Nemorin's and Andrews' deaths, the DEA established the March 10 Undercover Fund, which has held a number of events to raise money. Less than two months after the tragedy, the DEA sponsored a weekend softball tournament that raised $25,000 for the detectives' families. A softball charity game in their memory will be held next month at Cunningham Park in Queens, with the proceeds going to the DEA's Widows and Children's Fund.
The DEA also reached out to police departments across the country, and in addition those donations, Cipullo said there have been numerous independent fund-raisers ranging from golf outings and Girl Scouts selling cookies to last month's benefit at the Knitting Factory.
"We had this one kid selling herbs, like thyme and rosemary, on the street," Cipullo said. "We've received money from people all over the country."
Cipullo estimates that the DEA needs to raise at least $60,000 for each of the five children in order to provide them with an adequate college education. So far, the DEA has raised $279,000 for the college fund. That may seem like a lot, but as the children grow older, Cipullo said, the cost of a college education is expected to grow. Still, they are closer to achieving their goal, and Cipullo said he hopes that people continue to donate to the fund and to the children of two heroic individuals.
"We're working towards that goal of $60,000 each," he said. "We know that these kids are going to have money for college. They may not have fathers, but they have extended family in the NYPD."
