Greenwich Avenue Block Party a Success in Many Ways.

There was a family party on Greenwich Avenue today. The party, which was held on the closed-off foot of Greenwich Avenue, was to raise funds for the family of stricken Greenwich police officer Antonio Rivera and was organized by the GPD Silver Shield Association.

Besides Officer Rivera’s immediate and extended family, he was joined by his police family, and the greater Greenwich “family.” The event ran from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and in the course of the 5 hours a total of between 1,500 and 2,000 people came, according to Silver Shield leaders. One police estimate was that at the height of the event about 1,000 people were there to support Tony Rivera.

The cover charge for the event was $10, and three local restaurants, That Away Café, McDuff’s Tavern, and Sundown Saloon, provided food and beverages, the proceeds of which went to help Officer Rivera. The Silver Shield also held a raffle and sold t-shirts to raise funds for the officer’s family. Music was provided by “The Short Bus.”

Officer Rivera has been a Greenwich Police Officer since 1989.  His health has declined dramatically during the past year, forcing his early retirement.  Officer Rivera is nearly completely blind and his kidneys have begun to fail.  He is married and the father of two children. His nickname, the Gentle Giant, reflects his size and demeanor. A star baseball player in his youth, Officer Rivera was once coached by Tom Keegan, the retired GPD lieutenant who fundraises for the Silver Shield and who was the main mover behind today’s successful event.

Elected officials, including Peter Tesei, Fred Camillo, Michael Bodson, Natalie Queen, Lin Lavery, and Steve Walko were there, as were candidates such as Dave Theis and Tod Laudonia. Local television and radio personalities were present, including Fox News Legal Analyst Lis Wiehl, TV news contributor, and local radio host Mickey Sherman, and Greenwich Matters host Sam Romeo.

Scores of Greenwich Finest were on hand, as well as police brass and rank and file officers from police agencies around the tri-state area. The Westchester Police Emerald Bag Pipe band marched up the Avenue and serenaded a deeply moved Officer Rivera and his family. The eyes of many welled – including ordinarily steel-nerved veteran officers.

NYPD Deputy Inspector Joe Gallucci, who made a special point to attend, despite having just finished a shift at the New York Anti-Terrorism Unit which started at 3 a.m. summed it up well, “It was a good time – but unfortunately for not so good reasons. All the support in the world won’t restore Officer Rivera.”

The event was a success on many levels, though. It was a successful fundraising event for a worthy cause. Beyond that, it brought together the police and the community. One Greenwich officer said the show of support gave him a sense of community.  Other officers were talking about making this an annual event, to raise a charitable “war chest” for future officers in need.

Events such as these are known in police parlance as a “10-13″ party. The code “10-13” is the universal police code for an officer in need of assistance.   When police hear that dreaded code on their radio, they drop everything and rush to the scene.  Likewise, the police – and today the citizens of our Greenwich, came to the aid of Tony Rivera and his family.