Patrolman Frank Grozio

Frank Grozio

Patrolman Frank Grozio contracted influenza while transporting a local non-registrant for the Selective Service Act of 1917 to Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Patrolman Grozio became ill upon his return home and was attended to at his house till he died of complications of Influenza. He was the first death related to influenza in Nanticoke.

Patrolman Grozio served with the Nanticoke City Police Department for eight months. He was survived by his mother, three brothers, and four sisters.

Effects of Spanish Flu on Law Enforcement

From 1918 to early 1919, the Spanish Flu pandemic infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population—and killed approximately 675,000 Americans. Many officers contracted this virus due to the requirements of their job.

The names of every officer who died in the line of duty from the Spanish Flu will likely never be known, but ODMP researchers continue to uncover new cases as part of our mission to never forget the fallen.

Please click here to view ODMP's Spanish Flu memorial listing all known fallen officers from the pandemic.