Middletown Police Officer Will Be Honored In Blue Mass Thursday

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Middletown Police Detective Lt. Joseph Capriotti will be honored this Thursday at the annual Blue Mass, held every November by the Newark Roman Catholic Archdiocese to memorialize police officers who died in the line of duty.

He and four other police officers — including one who was fatally shot in Maryland while attempting make an arrest — will be honored, plus 10 New Jersey police officers who died of COVID-related illnesses in the past two years.

Capriotti died at the age of 62 in 2019 at his Middletown home. His death is considered to be in the line of duty because he died of World Trade Center-related pancreatic cancer. Born in Staten Island, he was a Middletown resident for most of his life and he was a Middletown police officer for three decades, rising from patrolman to lieutenant, according to his obituary.

Capriotti was known in Middletown as the "keeper of the list." He was the police officer responsible for keeping the list of all the Middletown residents who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Middletown lost a total of 37 residents that day — the most out of any town in Monmouth County, and among the worst-hit towns in the state — and it was Capriotti's job to notify the families of the deceased when their remains were found.

It was a job he did not ask for. And it was a particularly difficult assignment because the remains of some 9/11 victims were never recovered due to the intensity of the towers' collapse.

Or, partial remains would be found and then sometimes more a year later, more remains would be unearthed. This meant Capriotti had to keep returning to the same homes over and over again.

Capriotti "was the one who knocked on doors with the bad news; and, frequently, he had to return to the same home (more than once)," read this 2013 Patch article about Capriotti. "He often spoke of the intense sorrow he felt every time he had to pay a visit to one father who had lost his daughter, for instance, and a widow with a newborn baby. He recalled how tragic it was to watch a man sit in front of the television and blankly stare. And how sad it was to know that a newborn was crying for a dad who would never come home."

Capriotti retired from the Middletown police force in 2011 and was an active volunteer with Holiday Express, the beloved Monmouth County charity that provides toys, food and live music to local families in need around Christmas. He was also heavily involved in Tour de Force, the annual police officer bike ride that honors 9/11 victims and their families.

Known for his quiet demeanor, "Capriotti would merely shake his head and quietly say, 'I'm just doing my job. I just wish there was more I could do to help these victims' families.'"

The Blue Mass will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday at Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart. A liturgy will be given by Newark Archbishop Cardinal Joseph Tobin. All people are welcome, of all faiths. Hundreds of police officers from across the state attend the Blue Mass, as well as color guard units, bagpipers and drummers.

“It is always important for police officers to recognize and understand that they are not alone, that they are part of a very important ‘thin blue line’ that protects society from all that seeks to destroy it,” said Chief Christopher Trucillo of the NJ Transit Police Department, the Blue Mass’ honorary chairman.

Also honored this year:

In addition to Capriotti, this year’s Blue Mass will pay tribute to the following New Jersey police officers who died in the past several years, all considered line-of-duty deaths:

• Senior Correctional Police Officer Daniel Sincavage, who died in an on-duty car crash
• Port Authority Police Officer Anthony Varvaro, a former MLB pitcher who died in a car crash on his way to volunteering at a 9/11 memorial ceremony. MLB Pitcher Turned Cop Killed In Turnpike Crash On Way To 9/11 Event
• Paterson Police Lieutenant Frank Petrelli, who died from 9/11-related health issues.

The Blue Mass will honor Deputy First Class Glenn Hilliard of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland — a former Newark resident — following his death earlier this year. Hilliard was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man wanted on multiple felony warrants. Maryland Deputy Gunned Down Trying To Arrest Fugitive: Sheriff

Also, this year's Blue Mass will honor the following 10 officers who recently died either from or with COVID-19. They are: Bloomfield Detective James Peri; Clifton Sergeant Robert Miller; Lieutenant Matthew Vogel of the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office; Perth Amboy Lieutenant David Formeza; Sergeant Matthew Horton of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office; Daniel Krupa of the New Jersey Department of Corrections; Paterson Captain John Phelan; Robert McCormack of the NJDOC; Dwayne Gibbs of the NJDOC; and Lakewood Police Captain Joseph Goertz.

Following the mass, a luncheon sponsored by law enforcement will be held at the Branch Brook Park Roller Rink in Newark. Tickets may be purchased at the door or by contacting Vincent Nardone and William Schievella at 1-800-427-7651 or bluemass@embarqmail.com