BPD Remembers: The men and women of the Boston Police Department remember Lieutenant Detective Joseph L. A. Cavagnaro who died in the line of duty 94 years ago. On Tuesday, November 17, 1931, Lieutenant Detective Cavagnaro was conducting a homicide investigation in New York State when the vehicle he was traveling in was forced off the road, causing a crash that would take his life and seriously injure a local investigator who was driving at the time of the incident. It is believed that the vehicle that caused the crash was being operated by criminals with ties to the original homicide in Boston.
Lieutenant Detective Cavagnaro was 54-years-old at the time of his death and had served the department for 27 years. He left behind a grieving wife and four daughters.
Lieutenant Cavagnaro was laid to rest at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Mattapan. His name is located on the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C. on, Panel 22, West line 17. His name is also forever engraved on the Hero Wall at Boston Police Headquarters and the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial at the State House in Boston.
A Hero Sign has been placed in his honor near the site of the old Boston Police Headquarters on Berklee Street in Back Bay. The sign is to forever honor the memory of a man who gave his life in service to his city. If you ever find yourself in the area and you happen to see his Hero Sign, kindly take a moment to honor and acknowledge the service and sacrifice of a brave man who died protecting and serving his city.
