The DEA Honor Roll
Official Line of Duty Deaths
Joseph A. Picciano
Rank: Detective
Shield Number:
Command:
Date of Death: 02/15/1971
Cause of Death: Shot - By Prisoner
On February 15, 1971, at approximately 4:40 a.m. in the second floor Squad Room of the 41st Precinct in The Bronx, Det. Joseph Picciano, age 33, was shot to death by a prisoner — Antonio Allemano — who was in the process of being fingerprinted at the Simpson Street stationhouse. Allemano grabbed Picciano’s gun and struggled with the Detective. When the firearm fell to the floor, the perp grabbed it and squeezed off two shots, hitting Picciano in the chest and stomach. He then sprayed the room with the rest of the bullets.
Allemano was immediately shot to death by Det. William Lally, who heard the noise from across the hall and rushed into the fray. Two other Detectives — Joe Marrero and Richard Ware – took cover during the scuffle and shouted to Picciano when they saw the gun drop. Picciano was rushed to Jacobi Hospital where he was declared dead.
The perp had an arrest record with at least three different aliases. His priors included assault in San Juan, burglary and larceny in Cleveland, and in New York City he was endangering the welfare of a child when he tried, but failed, to kidnap a 13-year-old boy.
Picciano lived with his wife and three young children in Maspeth, had been on the force for 11 years, joining in 1960, and first assigned to the Narcotics Bureau. He was promoted to Detective in June of 1969.
On Friday, February 19, 1971, he was mourned at a funeral at St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church in Maspeth. In attendance were New York City Mayor John Lindsay, the Police Commissioner Patrick V. Murphy, and other dignitaries among the more than 4,000 mourners.