Page 47 - March 2018 FOP Newsletter

Commander Bauer
Honoring
our men and women who protect us ev- ery day,” said Christensen, whose group included several members of the Interna- tional Union of Elevator Constructors Lo- cal 2. “We wanted to make sure they had some hot coffee and rolls to keep them going because it’s going to be a long day.”
McCann summed up his emotions by simply saying: “Gut-wrenching. It just hurts, big time.”
Those emotions, although prominent among many, gave way to pride and amazement at the outpouring of back- the-badge acts from the neighbors in this law enforcement community. Sam Ricobene has lived in the area his entire life and works at Ricobene’s Pizza on 26th Street, which he said is frequented by cops about a mile north.
“In this neighborhood, we do support police. They’re our friends, not our en- emies, like some areas consider them,” Ricobene said while scanning the street filled with squads from “places I’ve never even heard of.”
Ricobene has friends who are Police Officers, so Bauer’s death struck him on a personal level.
“I think about my friends right away,
Members of International Union of Elevator Con- structors Local 2 provided coffee and donuts for Police Officers who attended Commander Bau- er’s funeral.
the people I grew up with who are in this job. It’s scary, everything about it,” he shared.
Back at 37th and Emerald, Esposito held her seven-month-old son as the miles-long procession of police vehicles departed the church en route to the cem- etery in Alsip where Bauer was laid to rest. With close relationships to police of her own, Esposito wouldn’t think of being anywhere else.
“Especially in times like it’s been
around here lately with so much difficul- ty for the Chicago Police Department. It’s to let the Bauer family know, and the rest of Chicago know, we’re behind them,” she explained. “And the support won’t go away.”d
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MARCH 2018 47