Ex-MLB Pitcher Turns Police Officer: Port Authority Graduates 114th Class

The Port Authority Police Department added 80 officers to its ranks on Friday - including a former Major League Baseball pitcher - with the graduation of the department’s 114th Police Academy class.

According to Port Authority officials, 30 percent of this year’s class is made up of officers who come from African-American, Hispanic or Asian descent.

Among the graduates was Staten Island’s Anthony Varvaro, who pitched for five years of Major League Baseball with the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox before retiring after a season-ending knee injury last year.

Also graduating was Nicholas Farfalla, a third-generation officer whose father and grandfather both served in the Port Authority Police Department.

The recent academy class includes 46 New Yorkers, 33 New Jersey residents and one officer relocating from Florida. The diverse group also had nine recruits with prior military service.

The cadets joining the department completed a rigorous, 26-week training program, culminating in Friday's two-hour graduation ceremony at the Dunn Sports Center in Elizabeth, officials said.

Port Authority Chief Security Officer Thomas Belfiore congratulated the new officers and praised their accomplishments during the six-month academy training session.

“This diverse group of recruits has demonstrated exceptional diligence and professionalism during their rigorous training,” Belfiore said. “They have the tools to protect the many millions of customers who use and pass through our transportation facilities every day.”

PAPD officers are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the agency's land, sea, air and rail facilities, which include three major airports, four bi-state bridges and two tunnels, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the PATH rail system, the regional ports in New York and New Jersey and the 16-acre World Trade Center site.

Photo: Port Authority of NY/NJ

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