Loved ones bid farewell to cop, vet of two wars
Former Milltown police officer, county investigator died Sept. 2
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

Ciro F. Sinagra

MILLTOWN - Ciro Sinagra was a man who went out of his way to help people, 10,000 miles out of his way, to be exact.

The veteran of law enforcement and military service took a solo ride in 1995 on his motorcycle around the perimeter of the country to raise money for children who were terminally ill. For Sinagra, such selfless acts were second nature, his loved ones said.

"He was a provider to his family, his community and his country," Milltown Police Chief Raymond Geipel said on Saturday during a memorial ceremony for his best friend of 30 years.

Sinagra, 58, died Sept. 2 of a heart attack as he was riding his bicycle near his home in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. He moved there from Milltown with his wife, Silke, in 2000. At the time of his death, he worked as a patrolman for the Wolfeboro Police Department.

A veteran of both the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars, Sinagra served for 22 years in the military, with both the U.S. Coast Guard and the Marines.

"[He was] the epitome of our Coast Guard core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty. You just couldn't ask for a better guy," said Coast Guard Master Chief Petty Officer Bill Dikun, who served with Sinagra.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Sinagra, whose tour of duty during Operation Desert Storm was with the Coast Guard, was activated by the Coast Guard Reserve to help at ground zero.

Sinagra grew up in North Brunswick, but as an adult lived in Milltown, where he served as a police officer from 1972-83.

Geipel shared fond memories of his first partner on the job.

"There was Starsky and Hutch, Ponch and Jon, and Ciro and Ray," Geipel said.

Sinagra later worked as an investigator for the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office for 11 years.

While Sinagra led a remarkable life in terms of his generosity and accomplishments, his loved ones also remember his fun, often mischievous ways.

Geipel told those at Saturday's memorial service about a call that came into the Milltown Police Department many years ago, before either of the men were officers. A citizen had been alarmed to see a man brandishing a gun at a local gas station. The man turned out to be Sinagra, proudly showing off his new gun and saying that he would become a police officer in the town some day.

An event that helped lead to his role as a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam provided another look into Sinagra's personality. While stationed at a Marine base as a military policeman, he spotted a sand bucket with a sign that

read, "empty clip here." Following the

instruction to the letter, Sinagra fired the contents of his gun into the bucket, his brother Joe said. His superiors took note of his affinity for shooting, and picked him for the job.

"He's kind of a legend. Whether you knew him for 30 seconds or 30 years, he was the kind of guy you remembered," Dikun said.

Known for his natural affinity for helping others, Sinagra touched the lives of many. He used his numerous tractors and his dump truck to help out neighbors, and even strangers, friends said.

The motorcycle enthusiast's trek around the country marked the beginning of the Child Life Program, run by the Policeman's Benevolent Association and Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office. The program raises funds for children with terminal illnesses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

Sinagra's colleagues from the military and police forces took part in the memorial ceremony to honor their friend. The service, held at the American Legion on John F. Kennedy Drive, Milltown, was the second for friends and family to pay their respects. The initial service was Sept. 6 in Wolfeboro.

In addition to his wife Silke, Sinagra is survived by his mother and father Ciro and Rosina, of Tennessee; a daughter Dawn; two sisters, Mary Fama, of Milltown, and Julie Beerli, of Andrews, N.C.; a brother, Joe, of Helmetta, and two grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the

American Cancer Society or a local police association.

Following Saturday's military style service, friends and family gathered to trade stories and recall the man who was a friend, colleague and loved one to so many.

"I thank the Lord that he gave me Ciro. It was an honor to be his wife," Silke said after the service.