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James Pavese, longtime Suffolk police officer, dies

BY BILL BLEYER | bill.bleyer@newsday.com

December 30, 2008

James Pavese reveled in being a cop and the meticulous legwork that resulted in apprehending a suspect.

Pavese, 76, who died Saturday at home in Kings Park after a long illness, applied that shoe leather for 36 years as a state trooper and officer for the Smithtown and Suffolk police departments.

"He was one of the best police officers I ever met," said former Suffolk District Attorney Patrick Henry. "He was totally dedicated, loyal and very persistent. If he was out to find somebody to arrest him, he found his man. I can tell you I've seen fugitives, when they found out that Jim Pavese was looking for them, turned themselves in."

Born in New York City, he spent most of his life in the Kings Park area. He joined the Marines and saw combat in Korea. After the war, he worked briefly as an aide at the Kings Park Psychiatric Center.

He became a state trooper in 1955 and a year later joined the Smithtown police. In 1960, when the county police department was created, Pavese became a member of its Highway Patrol Unit. He was promoted to detective several years later and was assigned to the Fourth Squad in Smithtown and later the Criminal Intelligence Squad, Homicide Squad and the Suffolk County district attorney's office. He retired in 1991.

"He was an exceptionally nice guy who was a very, very interesting man," said former Suffolk police commissioner Robert Creighton, who knew Pavese for four decades and served as his boss.

Henry said "he enjoyed police work. He enjoyed the camaraderie. He was a law-abiding type person. He was a very fine family man, too." The avid photographer and hockey fan handed down his passions to his children: two of his sons became police officers and the third a professional hockey player.

Pavese is survived by his wife of 47 years, Bella. He is also survived by his sons James, who played for the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League; Peter, a retired New York City police officer; and Richard, an NYPD detective, all of Kings Park; and seven grandchildren.

A funeral service is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. today at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Kings Park, followed by burial at Calverton National Cemetery.