Glen Head road renamed after NYPD detective who died of 9/11 cancer

A Glen Head roadway was dedicated Friday to New York City Police Department Det. Joseph Paolillo, who died of cancer after working at Ground Zero trying to find the remains on his firefighter brother and other first responders killed on 9/11.

On the corner of Sheppard Street and Glen Head Road, family and friends looked on as a sign reading "NYPD Detective Joseph Paolillo Way" was unveiled near the home he shared with his family.

“Det. Joseph Paolillo will always be remembered as an unwavering first responder who never hesitated to act, even if the situation was dangerous and life-threatening,” Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino told an audience of a few dozen.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who talked about losing a nephew during 9/11, thanked Paolillo for his efforts. “He will be here forever, and people will ride by, and they will think about his service to our community,” he said.

Paolillo, who was born in Brooklyn but resided in Glen Head for 21 years, died in 2019 at 55. He was married to Josephine and had three sons — John, 21, Raymond, 20, and Martin, 24. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack, Paolillo searched Ground Zero for remains of victims, including his brother, John, who worked in the Fire Department of the City of New York.

Joseph Paolillo had moved to Glen Head to be closer to his brother who lived a few blocks away, officials said. He enjoyed music and taking walks with his family.

Josephine, his wife, recalled her husband as a man who loved living on Long Island and as someone who took the time to listen. Even though she is glad to have street dedicated to her husband, she said she would rather have him at home.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t miss my husband,” she said.  

Raymond Paolillo, one of the detective’s sons, said it is a great honor to see the street dedicated.

“He was my hero and he always taught me to do the right thing,” he said, later adding: “He taught me how to be better.”

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Education: Howard University 

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.

Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation;  New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting;  Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.