Patrolman Joseph Mariconda, New York City Police Department, New York

Patrolman Joseph Mariconda

New York City Police Department, New York

End of Watch Sunday, March 1, 1970

Joseph Mariconda

Patrolman Joseph Mariconda and Patrolman Patrick Harrington were killed in a helicopter accident while on duty. The helicopter in which they were conducting traffic patrol in suddenly lost power and crashed into a house at 82-22 262nd Street, in Queens.

Patrolman Mariconda had served with the New York City Police Department for 18 months and was assigned to the Aviation Unit. Before joining the NYPD, he had served as a helicopter pilot for the United States Army during the Vietnam War and had been shot down twice during his tour of duty.

Bio

Age 26
Tour 1 year, 6 months
Badge 27835
Military Veteran

Incident Details

Cause Aircraft accident

Most Recent Reflection

View all 11 Reflections

I never realized this page existed until now, many years after I first me Joe. I was on convalescent leave from Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC in mid-1969, recovering from wounds suffered in Vietnam while piloting a helicopter for the 1st CAV Division. I had my left foot shot off from a .51 cal round while airborne. I was living in Brooklyn and decided to visit the NYPD Helicopter Unit, and met Joe that very day. We became friends from the start, a friendship which would not last very long unfortunately. But through Joe I made numerous and long lasting friends in the unit; married twice my two best men were from the unit!

Michael Pignataro
Port Authority NYNJ Helicopter Pilot, from 1982 to 2004.

February 23, 2018