You have just a few more days to make a Bay Ridge cop a bona-fide “All Star.”
Police Officer Susan Porcello, of the 68th Precinct, is one of eight finalists in the “America’s Most Wanted” all-star balloting, which honors first responders who have changed people’s lives through their heroism.
Porcello is the only woman in the online voting, which ends on Tuesday, May 4.
Here’s why she deserves your vote: Last July, Porcello was dispatched to Gasper Musso’s Marine Avenue home after a 911 call reported him ill from an overdose of his medication.
Paramedics arrived and began treatment on the diabetic Musso, but Porcello focussed on the man’s emotional wounds.
Learning that he had no family or friends, Porcello stood by her new “grandpa,” visiting him regularly and helping him connect to other area seniors. Later, Porcello helped get him an apartment in a senior citizen facility.
Most important, she was right there when the 84-year-old died in November, ensuring that his final wish of being buried next to his mother was honored.
She used her own money to pay for a funeral at St. Patrick’s Church befitting a World War II vet — who fought in the Marianas Islands in 1944.
“No way was I going to let this brave old Marine … get buried in Potter’s Field,” she told Daily News.
Porcello arranged for a Marine Corps color guard, and even paid for a wake at McLaughlin’s on Third Avenue.
“She went above and beyond,” said Deputy Inspector Eric Rodriguez, her commanding officer at the 68th Precinct. “We’re always saying that the community is an extension of our family and she proved it.
“For her to take this step not only gave an area resident the respect and dignity he deserved, but gave a lot of the veterans hope that they’re not being forgotten,” Rodriguez concluded.
Porcello’s act of compassion caught the eye of “America’s Most Wanted,” which nominated her as an “All-Star” candidate. Producers said that she is trailing in the voting — ironically because New Yorkers haven’t stuffed the ballot box for its favorite daughter.
There’s still time, Brooklyn. Visit www.amw.com.
