The DEA Honor Roll
Official Line of Duty Deaths
Thomas F. Weiner, Jr.
Rank: Detective
Shield Number:
Command:
Date of Death: 05/03/2003
Cause of Death: Pancreatic Cancer
Active Det. Thomas Weiner, Jr., renowned for his expertise in combating graffiti, died May 3, 2003 while fighting pancreatic cancer. The 43-year-old Detective joined the Transit Police in 1985, and along with partner Jerry Dassaro, became known by train vandals as “Tom and Jerry,” a dynamic duo who were decidedly not mousy about nabbing those who defaced and destroyed City property. The team became experts at deciphering gang messages and graffiti tags. After the Transit Police merged with the NYPD, Weiner served in the 48 Squad, Transit District Operations, the Transit Bureau’s Vandalism Task Force, and the Detective Bureau’s Transit Special Investigations Unit. He moved to the Internal Affairs Bureau in 1998, and was assigned to the Medical Division at the time of his death. During his 18 years on the force, he made 226 arrests, and was recognized for Excellent Police Duty. In his Transit Police days, he won that Department’s Medal for Merit. He was approved as an official NYPD line of duty death related to the attacks of September 11, 2001 in November of 2013. He is survived by his widow and two children, and his sister Dolores, also a veteran of the job for 22 years. She retired as a second grade Detective in 2006.