Keep smiling
Trooper Anthony Raspa leaves behind the inspiration to stay positive
n BY JOSHUA SIGMUND
Following only behind Police Unity Tour Founder Pat Montuore who led the final charge, North Brunswick Local 160 Detective Paul Pappas and New Jersey State Trooper Danny Rodrigo – riding for fallen Trooper Anthony Raspa – were among the first to cross the threshold into the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial to cap the three-day“ ride for those who died.” There, waiting to welcome them, Raspa’ s parents, Salvatore and Elizabeth, were still reveling in a recent and unexpected show of solidarity.
“ We were stranding in the grassy area and someone saw my daughter wearing a shirt that had our last name on it,” Elizabeth recalled.“ She said,‘ Oh, my husband is riding for Trooper Raspa, do you know him?’ And my daughter said,‘ Yes, that’ s my brother.’ This is a family from Ohio. I knew it was a strong and beautiful brotherhood, but to see people from all across the country honoring my son, who never even knew him, is an amazing and overwhelming and lovely sentiment.”
Those who came to Washington, D. C. for Police Week in honor of Raspa( all 150-plus of them) can each recall a story or a moment that etched an improbable legacy – that of positivity. And at the Candlelight Vigil, those stories and that message resonated between family members and friends( who might as well be family members) with as much power as the field of lights that washed over the National Mall.
“ I would say( this Candlelight Vigil is) very fitting because one of the things I thought of when I think of Anthony is a light. He was always just a light for life,” emoted Trooper Cassandra Pugh who attended the Academy with Raspa.“ Throughout the Academy, he was always very positive even when they were trying to beat us down. He always found some light; there was something positive he could find in any given situation. So it’ s really nice to come here and light a candle in his memory.”
Rodrigo – another of Raspa’ s classmates separated only by one badge number – also recalled his carefree nature and positive attitude in the Academy,“ even when you’ re under pressure nonstop and everybody’ s always on edge, he’ s the one person who’ s cracking a joke,” he noted.
Along the Unity Tour, in which 40 Troopers including Pugh rode in Raspa’ s honor, Pappas thought of his first-cousin“ a lot,” he said.“ I had a little picture of him on my bike so whenever my legs started to hurt, I just looked down at him and it
got me through it.”
It seems he helped many people get through challenging times; this includes his partner, Trooper Gene Hong, who survived the May 30 accident that killed Raspa.
“ I asked him a lot of questions and he gave me a lot of advice,” Hong remembered.“ He would tell me what to be careful of and what to check for. He would come out of nowhere and be behind me watching me. One time he traveled more than 20 minutes to come back me up on a stop. Another time, I was going to do a property check and he had been on the other side of town and somehow he got there before me. He was everywhere, telling me to be careful.”
Elizabeth Raspa emphasized that her son“ loved helping people – especially kids,” which in turn has inspired an unwavering response from his colleagues when it comes to returning the favor. Whether it’ s at his sister’ s college graduation, or his other sister’ s trip to the hospital following a basketball injury or even just a random day stopping into the Raspa family’ s Highland Park jewelry store, there’ s always at least one Trooper present.
“ He comes across my mind every day,” Rodrigo acknowledged.“ I feel like he made me a better person. He would always want to do the right thing even before I gave my opinion. It feels like losing a family member, but that I also gained a family.”
Agreed Pappas:“ We’ re cousins, but we’ re all kind of like siblings. It’ s a very tight-knit family and Anthony did everything to always make us proud.”
And make them stay positive. Even in the face of Raspa’ s tragic passing, his partner reported the trick he had been taught:
“ Just smile,” Hong declared.“ Anthony always makes me remember that. If you’ re feeling down, look in the mirror and smile.” d
42 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ JUNE 2016