Tribute to Police Officer Daniel Joseph “DJ” Romano

By Journalist Ms. Jones

HAMPTONBURGH – On Saturday, February 5th, The Country Club at Otterkill held a Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament Fundraiser for the family of 32-year old, Town of Newburgh Police Officer Daniel Joseph “DJ” Romano. DJ was a regular player at Otterkill Golf & County Club. He passed away on Friday, January 28th.

“When I found out what happened… we’re a family… So, I figured that we needed to do something for him and his family… So, whatever we can do to help out,” said Christopher Donato, one of the organizers of the fundraiser who is a member of The Country Club at Otterkill and also a police officer who works with DJ’s brother James “Jimmy” Romano in the NYPD. “[The Poker Tournament] was normally just to get everyone together just to play and have fun… every month or every other month, but when we found out about the tragedy… we just said we’ll donate everything.”

DJ passed away due to a snowmobile accident at Old Forge.

“They were up snowmobiling. He loves snowmobiling… He was up there with his wife… and it was just an accident, went head on with the tree,” said Jimmy.

DJ followed in his brother Jimmy’s footsteps and became a police officer. He was posthumously promoted to detective.

“He worked for us for three years… We rode together. We did details together… His goal in police work was to be a detective and usually that takes several years. Not just because you have to have time, because you need the knowledge. You need the experience. But DJ got that very quick. He was very smart. He excelled in his job. He knew what he was doing. [He] wasn’t afraid to ask questions… He was a phenomenal police officer… Whether it was him helping some older lady just check on her house or get her in her car or he was taking an illegal gun off the street or he was doing CPR on somebody successfully… DJ had so many times where he was truly the hero,” said Officer John Rader, DJ’s “partner” who hasn’t been back to work since DJ’s death. “We had a good relationship… We hung out outside of work. Our families are close. His kids were my kids. My kids were his kids… To go to work without him is going to be tough… I haven’t even had a chance to comprehend what happened or accept what happened… I got the biggest loss I’ve ever suffered in my life.”

DJ was a star athlete at Newburgh Free Academy and at SUNY Cortland and continued to give back beyond graduation.

“He was captain for the football program… His senior year, we had him playing basically everywhere… He played running back. He played wide receiver. He kick returned. He punt returned. He played defensive back. We had him moving all over the place…He was very versatile as a player, very athletic… could do pretty much anything on the field… could run the ball… could catch the ball… could throw the ball… you couldn’t stop him from catching the ball either. He was just a well-rounded football kid… He went on to Cortland and had tons of awards. He lead them in interceptions,” said Bill Bianco, Head Coach at NFA, who was DJ’s Assistant Coach at NFA from ’06 to ’08 who reminisced of how DJ would also give back to the community by talking to athletes. “Recently, we were in the state playoffs and DJ…and… [Officer] Adam [Geyer], our Town of Newburgh police officers…. came… and… escorted us to Middletown… It was nice to see former players… that are now law enforcement come back and… be around the program.”

DJ changed the way some kids view police officers.

“Some of those kids’ best interactions with a police officer were those games that he drove us out and he sat and talked to kids for hours and gave any help and advice he could being that he was such a good player… That was some kids’ best interaction with the law,” said Matt Geyer, Assistant Coach at NFA, who played football with DJ at NFA. Students from the current team have shed many tears over the loss of DJ. He was honored at NFA by lighting up the scoreboard with his football number and playing the song “Go DJ” by Lil Wayne.
DJ was a loving husband and father.

“As a father-in-law, DJ was what every father wants. He checked every box. He did everything correct. When he got engaged with my daughter, he asked me to go out first and did everything to the tee… I was gonna play a game with him… when he asked me to marry my daughter and I couldn’t because of the sincerity in his eyes, that was huge. And I told him I’d be honored for him to be my son-in-law. And I watched him grow from a boyfriend to a husband to the best father you can imagine,” said Albie Schaut, DJ’s father-in-law. “My daughter’s… having a tough time. She lost the love of her life. These two kids were in love. They loved each other. They loved their family. They loved the children. They just built the house… DJ… worked overtime. He worked as much as he could to build the castle for… his wife and his daughters.”

DJ leaves behind his wife of almost three years, Kaitlyn Romano, and two beautiful daughters, Adrianna (age 2), and Alina (age 1).

“I set up a GoFundMe for them… Never in my wildest dreams did I think that it would take off the way it has… It [is] over $250,000,” said Jimmy whose original goal was only $1,000. “Single mother with two kids… it can only go so far.”

To donate to the GoFundMe, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/nu82u-romano-family?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer

Journalist Ms. Jones