Ciano was "go-to guy" for fellow cops

With a solid 240 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame, a swagger in his stride and a reputation for knowing how to handle himself, Suffolk police officer Glen Ciano loomed large in the Second Precinct.

"He was a tough guy, but he carried himself as a professional. People would take one look at him and know he meant business," said Fred Leyboldt, 42, Ciano's friend and fellow patrolman on the midnight shift for the last eight years. "When we'd walk into a room, complaints would cease."

But far beyond his imposing physical presence, Ciano's reputation in the department was as a mentor and guide, the "go-to guy" for fellow cops as they navigated careers and their personal lives.

Officer Dave Pendola, 38, credited Ciano with helping him choose his career. "When you're a young guy, you can go a lot of wrong directions . . . and then you see this guy who is a straight shooter, he's got your respect, so you follow his lead," Pendola said. "He played that role for a lot of people."

Ciano, 45, died Sunday when his patrol car was struck by a suspected drunken driver. He was the first officer to die since 2004 and the 22nd Suffolk police officer to die in the line of duty.

Ciano's own father was a retired city police officer who was killed by an unlicensed driver more than 20 years ago.

At a somber gathering outside a Central Islip courtroom yesterday where the accused drunken driver was being arraigned, veteran and rookie officers described Ciano as tirelessly supportive of his fellow officers, both as a senior patrolman in his precinct and as their union delegate.

"I know it's a cliche to say it, but it's really true with Glen: He was a cop's cop," said Leyboldt. "Whatever was going on, he always looked after his guys."

"You went to him with any problem and he'd always give you a straight answer," said Pendola, of Commack. "He didn't blow smoke."

Suffolk Police Commissioner Richard Dormer called Ciano a "very respected officer," and promised "to do everything we can for Glen's family."

Away from work, Ciano was an avid golfer and motorcyclist. Second Precinct Officer Pat Martin, 44, said Ciano rode often to Montauk, in charity events or to the city on his bike, often with friends or his wife, Susan, on the back.

Following in his father's footsteps, Ciano was a New York City cop for three years before joining the Suffolk police in 1986. As his squad's union delegate, he would also keep officers abreast of contractual issues and offered professional guidance.

Sgt. David Bloom, Ciano's supervisor, said Ciano didn't seek the limelight, but "was someone you knew was doing what needed to be done."

"Glen did the often mundane and unglamorous tasks that go with being a uniformed police officer day in and day out like so many other police officers and always did them to the best of his abilities," Bloom said.

Yesterday, fellow officers readied their dress uniforms as Ciano's family made funeral arrangements and relived a far-too similar family loss. Ciano's father, James, joined the New York Police Department in 1963 and retired from the 109th Precinct in Queens in 1982. He was killed in 1987 when he was struck by an unlicensed, uninsured driver while riding his motorcycle in Bay Shore.

Maria Donato, owner of Mondello Italian-American Bakery, where Glen Ciano's wife works, called them "the most wonderful family."

"Glen used to visit Susan in the mornings and grab a cup of coffee," she said. "They always looked so happy together."

Staff writers Rocco Parascandola and Anthony Voelpel contributed to this story.