Sanit officer wins Medal of Honor

On May 15, Sanitation Police Officer Gerard Rotolo responded to a Sanitation supervisor’s calls for help on Atlantic Avenue. The supervisor, Pasquale Ammirati, was being hit repeatedly on the head with his own radio after ticketing the assailant’s illegally parked car.
When Rotolo reached the supervisor, he was bleeding profusely from the back of his head. Rotolo administered first aid until Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived.
“He was beaten pretty extensively,” said Rotolo, who has been with the Sanitation Department (DSNY) for nearly six years and has been a Sanitation Police Officer since last September.
Later, Rotolo, joined by Lieutenant Hector Marrero, began investigating the incident. The pair interviewed witnesses and tracked down the assailant to his home just a few blocks away and apprehended him when he returned to the scene of the crime.
It was Rotolo’s third felony arrest.
The suspect was later charged with robbery, assault and obstructing governmental administration.
For his act of bravery, Rotolo - along with eight others, including Marrero - was awarded a Medal of Honor by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Commissioner John J. Doherty in a ceremony held on June 8.
“It was a humbling experience for me to be there,” said Rotolo, who hopes to become a supervisor. “Ammirati called me to thank me. He’s recovering. It was very rewarding to apprehend the suspect.”
“Besides the Herculean job that ‘New York’s Strongest’ do every day keeping New York safe, clean and moving, whenever fellow New Yorkers are in need, they can count on the members of the DSNY to come to their aid,” Bloomberg said of the honorees.
The landmark ceremony also saw the promotion of the fist two women in DSNY history to the rank of Deputy Chief - Renee Bandison and Shari Pardini - and the swearing-in of 300 new Sanitation Workers.
Additionally, more than 75 other workers were promoted to the ranks of General Superintendent, Sanitation Supervisor and Sanitation Police Lieutenant and Police Officer.
“I am extremely proud of this Department and its more than 75-years of tradition,” said Commissioner Doherty. “The job that the 300 newest members of our Department assume and the added responsibilities of our new supervisory personnel ensures Sanitation’s place as an efficient and effective city agency. Often the members of the DSNY are the eyes and ears of the communities we serve, responding to cries for help and summoning assistance. We do a gritty, dirty and vital job with dedication and commitment, and with compassion and courage.”