Page 23 - May 2018 FOP Magazine

Portraits by Peter Bucks
Tributes to officers from the CPD Officer, Lodge 7 member and renowned artist
Welcome to the family
n BY AMBER RAMUNDO
The words of wisdom that Carlo Rubino received on the day he graduated from the po- lice academy have stuck with him for all 14 years that he’s worked for the Chicago Police Department.
It was after the swearing-in ceremony on April 24, 2004 when Rubino was approached by a man who struck up a con- versation with him.
“Are you related to anyone within the department?” the man asked, trying to get to know the new officer.
When Rubino responded that he actually didn’t have any family in Chicago, the indi- vidual replied: “Well, now you have 11,000 brothers and sisters here.”
The statement meant a lot to the New Yorker, who moved to Chicago in 2001 with his wife to pursue a job working for Brinks Corporate. It wasn’t until the 9/11 terror attacks hit his home- town that he decided to become a law enforcement officer like his grandfather and brother, who had both worked for NYPD.
Rubino certainly felt a new
and distinct connection with his
sibling after deciding to switch
career paths to protect and
serve, especially since his broth-
er responded to the scene of the terror attacks.
“There was a level of understanding,” Rubino noted. “We got a stronger bond because of the job. We were able to look at life through a similar perspective.”
it had to offer.
“It’s ours,” Rubino said of the
benefits and principles of the FOP. “It’s a lot of retirees who attend the meetings, but I felt it was important for my em- ployment and for my brothers and sisters, basically. Someone needs to go and see what’s going on.”
Years of being one of the youngest members at the monthly FOP meetings has now paid off in the 19th District, where Rubino was appointed unit rep in 2017.
“I’ve been involved with the FOP since I got on the job,” he noted. “At this point, if someone has a question, I typically have the answer. I like that responsi- bility.”
When he isn’t busy being a resource for other officers, Rubi- no enjoys getting some playing time on the ice with the Police Hockey Club. Rubino’s time par- ticipating in the first responder league for the entirety of his ca- reer in law enforcement has also played a pivotal role in strength- ening his fraternal bond while continuing a childhood hobby.
Whether it be the team men- tality he finds in the rink or the family bonds he holds on the job, Rubino now considers him- self a true Chicagoan. Over the
14 years that he’s been a CPD officer, Rubino has found a comfortable balance between serving the city he’s grown to call home and traveling the world to fulfill his passion
for adventure, especially scuba diving.
He’s also discovered a benefit to working in the 019,
where he is always able to show around family members and old friends from Xavier High School, his alma mater, who always schedule a visit to Wrigley Field while passing through Chicago.
Rubino is happy to have continued friendships with fellow ca- det graduates from the Jesuit military school in New York, as well as those with whom he attended Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania. Many of them went on to join law enforcement as well. But there’s no denying that Chicago is now the place Rubino calls home, and he’s proud to do so.
“I’m honored to have been hired as a Chicago PD officer,” he as- sured. “The fraternity and having all of the brothers and sisters is all I’ve needed.” d
But even though Rubino was walking the same beat as
some of his close family members, it didn’t make up for the
fact that he lived at a distance. So when Rubino was urged to view the CPD as family, it opened his eyes to the blue brother- and sis- terhood of which he was now a part. Members of the CPD and his wife have since proven to be all the kin he needed to make Chicago his home.
“I liked the brotherhood, fraternity and camaraderie,” he shared. “I didn’t know anybody else out there. The police became my fam- ily.”
After starting the job in the 008, it didn’t take Rubio long to de- cide that he wanted to get involved. He figured that if the CPD was going to be his main social circle, he might as well get to know what
CARLO RUBINO Star #3307
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MAY 2018 23