Salvatore Notaro was making a comfortable living as a wine and liquor distributor. Thomas White was earning a nice paycheck as a private investigator, concentrating on corporate theft.
But the two Weehawken residents recently sacrificed those salaries for the right to earn $22,000 over the next five months.
The reason? They’re both doing what they’ve always wanted to do – becoming a Weehawken police officer. Notaro and White were recently sworn in as the newest members of the Weehawken police department, a hiring that will eventually bring the police department to its full capacity of 56 active officers when the two complete the Essex County Police Academy in Cedar Grove in June.
Also, Kaye Brancaccio, who was sworn in with three other recruits last June but had to withdraw from the Passaic County Police Academy due to an injury, has now rejoined the force. She will attend the Essex County academy with Notaro and White.
When Brancaccio completes her training, the 24-year-old will become only the third female police officer on the Weehawken force, joining Lt. Veronica Flood-Helwig and Lt. Debbie McGorty.
According to Deputy Police Chief Robert DelPriore, the new recruits were sent to the Essex County academy because it offers a shorter training period than other local police academies, a 19-week session as opposed to 25 weeks.
“It’s the first time we’ve used Essex County in a long time,” DelPriore said. “Because it is a quicker academy, we’ll be able to get these officers back and have them ready for regular patrol in June.”
Notaro, 31, and White, 25, both took the police test in 1999, but were not among the top four candidates when the township last hired new officers last June. But with pending retirements, plus the withdrawal of a former recruit from the police academy, the township was able to hire the two new officers.
Ironically, White’s younger brother, James, was among the last officers hired and will complete the Passaic County academy Feb. 1. He will be placed on regular patrol beginning Feb. 4.
Last June, Thomas White sat in the township council chambers and watched as his brother took the oath. “It was a little tough for me, being that he was the little brother and he was getting in before me,” White said. “I was very proud of him. Don’t get me wrong. But the little brother had seniority on me. We took the test at the same time and he scored at the top of the list. I just had to wait my turn.”
Notaro took the test twice previously, in 1997 and then in 1999. When he wasn’t selected at the last hiring period, he thought that the chance to become a police officer might have passed him by.
“I came close the second time,” Notaro said. “I understood that is the way it goes. I was set to take the test again. It’s like the lottery. You have to keep playing to win it.”
Notaro said that he has many friends on the police force and they encouraged him to take the test.
“I guess that’s all I needed, the motivation to take the test,” said Notaro, a Hoboken native who now calls Weehawken home with his wife, Carmela, and son, Gianni. “I always wanted to become a police officer.”
As did White, who went from Weehawken High to Alvernia College in Reading, Pa., in order to get a degree in criminal justice.
“It’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” White said. “Becoming a police officer has been a life-long ambition. I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
The two recruits have already begun the grueling training period at the academy.
“It’s always fun waking up at 4:30 a.m.,” Notaro said. “The first week has been okay. We’re working hard and learning. I’m really ready to dedicate myself to this right now. It’s definitely a career opportunity for me and it’s something that will open many doors for me.”
For White, it’s a chance to work with the family. He is a cousin to Lt. Debbie McGorty and of course, has his little brother ready to become a patrolman in a few weeks.
“I think it will be interesting if I can get a chance to work with my brother,” White said. “I don’t know about the rules involving family, but if I get the chance to work with him, I think it would be great.”
Three weeks in-house
DelPriore said that the two recruits completed three weeks of interdepartmental training before heading to the Essex County academy.
“Each department has their own inner workings,” DelPriore said. “The police academy has very generic police training, so they needed to learn our standard operating procedure to become acquainted with everything before they attended the academy.”
Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner was pleased to swear in the new officers.
“It brings the department back up to full strength, a far cry from the days when we only had about 40 to 44 officers,” Turner said. “We will be able to continue our tremendous effort to reduce crime throughout the township. Our crime figures (50 percent drop in overall crime, 55 percent drop in violent crime) are the lowest since the 1970s. We have to keep the police force up, keep thinking of innovative ways to use the force and keep the trend constant.”