"Uncle Tom"

The motorcycle division of police departments often hold a special place amongst the community they serve. Perhaps it is due to the imposing appearance of the officers that ride them or even the reverberating sound of the exhaust.  Conceivably, the image of the motorcycle cop has been ingrained and modernized on the American psyche as a modern day cowboy. That said, as I watched the Flag Day Parade this year I wondered when did North Bergen start a motorcycle division  The answer lead me to one of North Bergen's most feared, yet beloved police officers. 

Stock Photo

Courtesy of the Camden Police Archives

Thomas Cassidy was born to William and Delia Cassidy, both Irish immigrants, in Hartford, Connecticut on September 27th, 1882. His father passed away around the turn of the 20th century forcing the Cassidy family to move to New York City. There Thomas would work as a cab driver and would often retell stories of run-ins with celebrities that used his services. His career as a cabbie would be short lived as he would join the North Bergen Police Department on April 5th 1917. There Cassidy would work his way up the ranks and build a reputation for himself as one of the toughest cops in town. Cassidy was assigned to patrolling the infamous Little Coney Island Amusement Park. There he garnered the renown for being a no nonsense officer. Cassidy was well known for jumping into fights at the park and ending them rather quickly. He was known amongst those visiting from New York whom looked to raise trouble, and at first sight they'd often leave the park.

North Bergen Police Department circa 1934

Cassidy can be seen 7th man in from the left.

Courtesy of Lenny DiBrango

Cassidy would go onto to serve as North Bergen's first motorcycle officer. It was during his tenure on the iron horse that Cassidy would have a brush with death. As a newly promoted sergeant, Cassidy was responding to a shooting on 32nd Street and Kennedy Boulevard. As he arrived on the scene a man lay wounded on the street. As the assailant ran he began to fire upon Sergeant Cassidy. Cassidy amongst a flurry of bullets pulled his service pistol, chased the man and returned fire. The gunmen would surrender less then a block away. Cassidy would ultimately be promoted to lieutenant in 1939. Former Commissioner Patrick Sullivan once said of Cassidy; "He was the most respected superior in the department." He would follow it with further compliment; "Whenever there was trouble, even when there were bullets flying through the air, he never ordered his men in but led them instead into the rumpus."

Courtesy of the Jersey City Library's

Jersey Journal Archive

Cassidy served the town he called home until 1942 when he officially retired from the police department after 25 years of service. However, Cassidy continued to give back to the town. Cassidy live in town with his wife Cecelia on 76th Street. Unfortunately, the Cassidy family never grew more than the two. Cassidy himself recalled he loved school crossing guard duty. So in the fall of 1947 Cassidy served as a crossing guard and in some sense North Bergen's first school resource officer at Robert Fulton. There students thoughtfully dubbed Cassidy, Uncle Tom. During his time at Robert Fulton, Cassidy was known for his rosy red cheeks, cheerful good mornings and light hearted manner with the students. But most importantly and perhaps most unknown to the students was his dedication and exhibition of affection for the each student that attended Robert Fulton. Cassidy would retired from his post at Robert Fulton at the end of the 1957 school year. He passed away that July, he was truly a hero to the residents of North Bergen.