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HISTORY OF SURVIVORS OF THE SHIELD
Survivors of the Shield was officially founded and incorporated in 1988 to provide, promote and support a program for the mutual assistance of the spouses and children of New York City Police Officers who have lost their lives in the performance of their duty.
SOS is a unique organization that came together through the efforts of three police widows:
Mary Beth O'Neill, (P.O. Thomas Ruotolo), Kathleen Murray, (P.O. Brian Murray), and Susan McCormack , (P.O. Joseph P. McCormack). The concept for our name came from Mary Beth O'Neill and lent itself to a meaningful acronymn:SOS... the universal call of distress.
Two years prior to its formation, meetings between these three women produced the concept for this special self-support group. Questionnaires were mailed to the families in order to determine the social, economic and emotional needs of police survivors. Our project was met with grateful enthusiasm. Police widows, Lana Galapo, ( P.O. Joe Galapo) and Lori Gunn, (Detective William Gunn) , were instrumental in our formation and through their contacts we were able to present our needs to then Governor Mario Cuomo.
Governor Cuomo was most receptive to our suggestions and immediately put together a benefits package that has greatly enhanced and benefited the families of all law enforcement officers and firefighters who have died in the line of duty throughout New York State. This legislative package was aptly entitled Care for our Police and Survivors (COPS). In 1989, several bills were introduced and quickly signed into law by Governor Cuomo. These bills provided a New York State Memorial Scholarship for both spouses and children; payment for funeral expenses and psychological counseling by the Crime Victims Board; a lifetime guarantee of our
line-of-duty pension award and health benefits to spouses; and continued pension and health benefits for children who are attending college, in the event the surviving spouse/parent should die before the child finishes college. At our reques, our special Survivor of the Shield license plate was also granted by the governor. Likewise, both the Police Memorial in Albany (1991) and the NYPD monument in Battery Park City (1997) were also proposed by Governor Mario Cuomo.
Former President Phil Caruso of the Patrolman's Benevolent Association generously supported and endorsed SOS and enabled us to set the groundwork for our much needed organization. Past PBA Presidents Lou Matarazzo and James Savage and current President Patrick Lynch have continued to support us in our endeavors. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani opened the eyes of New Yorkers to our cause and wholeheartedly endorsed our mission not only to support our families but to always honor the fallen heroes of the NYPD. Former NYPD Deputy Commissioners Joseph Dunne and Patrick Kellerher assisted us in gaining departmental recognition.
New York businessman and Holocaust survivor Abe Friedman became a friend and benefactor. NYPD Police Surgeon Dr. Gregory Fried became a staunch spokesman for us. As a police surgeon, he had too often been present at the aftermath of police woundings and deaths and had come to personally know and befriend Lana Galapo, Lori Gunn and paralyzed Police Officer Steven McDonald. Frank Ferreyra, retired NYPD lieutenant and president of the New York State Fraternal Order of Police has also worked on behalf. Retired NYPD Captain Ed Reuss (NYCOP.com) has become our mentor in more recent days.
All of these people and others too numerous to mention stepped forward to be of assistance. They are part and parcel of the history of Survivors of the Shield and to whom we owe our gratitude.
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