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Re: [ In the News ] Harry Auriello past away!
Posted By: Marine Jourdan In Response To: Re: [ In the News ] Harry Auriello past away! (Mike Bonacci)
Date: Wednesday, 20 July 2005, at 1:33 p.m.
Today we will be saying goodbye to our dear friend Harry. When I met Harry approx 12 years ago, he helped me when I was new in town and has never stopped being a helpful friend since. We had many things in common in career and education, as well as health issues. As a fellow diabetic, Harry and I would talk about our health, weight gains and losses as well as my undergoing gastric bypass surgery which 90% cured me of diabetes and I begged Harry to have the surgery as it would save his life. He thought very seriously about it, yet his fears of the unknown prevented him doing it. I would have been with him every step of the way, every minute. I would visit with him at Scotty's and ask him what he's been eating and how he was feeling, he would always tell me he was doing well and eating chicken and salads (he knew if he told me otherwise, I'd never let him hear the end of it)... I loved him and cared very much about his health. Yet, I knew that I could only nag so much before he would start getting on my case because I was getting on his.
I don't know how many people he let know about his desires to run for the available Council seat in Cliffside Park with further aspirations to run for Mayor (after all Gerry is bound to retire someday). Harry would have been the greatest Mayor for Cliffside Park. The way he extends his passion to do the right thing and does exactly what he says is what made him so great. Often times, we would talk about fighting the good fight, the difference between right and wrong; standing up for what you believe in, we had that in common and that is one of the reasons why we could talk on many subjects for several hours, which seemed to go by like minutes.
My health caused my to opt out of law enforcement, however, I am a writer and use my education at John Jay College and experiences to write on the subjects of crime drama's and forensics. Harry and I discussed that the lead character in my books of those topic area's (adapted after myself) has a trusted friend, a police detective, who she looks up to like an Uncle (I used to tease Harry and call him Uncle Harry when he would pull the wad of money out of his pocket and tell him "it's allowance time Uncle Harry - he would laugh out loud)... Well, of course, the friend of the lead character in the series is depicted after Harry and together we named him "Harry Agnelli". I think that in lieu of our losing Harry, I am going to create a special dedication to him and change the name of the character to Harry Aurelio, so he will be forever immortalized... The basis of this character is a veteran police detective who has a heart of gold but can also be a grumpy bugger on occassion. As we used to call Harry "Sipowitz" from the beloved character Andy Sipowitz on ABC TV's NYPD Blue played by Dennis Franz. It was always the source of many laughs...
Harry was a great friend and being that I'm a woman, Harry knew that he could have a friendship with me like one of the guys, we were able to talk about anything and many things that he couldn't talk to many about that he knew I would understand only too well... My stroke in 1999 was enough to scare me into handling my health with fine care, if only I could have made him understand that when things happen, they happen unexpectedly and severely - Diabetes is a vicious disease and it will not give you a chance in many cases to undo the damage. If only I could have traded places with him for one day so he could know that having the gastric bypass was the answer, I wouldn't be writing this today and going to Macagna later to say goodbye to my dear friend...
I love you will miss you so much Harry as will so many others... You are unforgettable... And if this town thought the loss of another dear friend Frank Biasco was a big deal, wait and see what your loss proves to be - words cannot describe...
Harry G. Aurelio is and always will be a great man and will continue to be in the memories of the people of Cliffside Park for a long time to come.
In discussing with Buddy Badrow this morning, I sent a fax to Commissioner Bernie Kerik, his office has advised me that he's in town, so with any luck, he will be able to attend the services or send a note to the family. Harry and Bernie (along with Buddy) were friends / colleagues and CPPD frequented the fundraising dinners for the Buzeck family, which Bernie was a leader in putting on annually.
I wanted to write a tribute in length, so others can respond and convery thoughts and feelings in depth as Harry so rightly deserves...
HAROLD G. AURELIO, 53, of Cliffside Park died Monday. Before retiring, he was detective sergeant for the Cliffside Park Police Department and was a member of Policemen's Benevolent Association Local 96, Cliffside Park, and the New Jersey Legion of Honor. He also had co-owned Scotty's Taxi Co., Cliffside Park. He was a member of the Cliffside Park Chamber of Commerce. Arrangements: A.K. Macagna Funeral Home, Cliffside Park.
Marine Jourdan
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