NPDF TEAM

Joseph Occhipinti is a native New Yorker where his desire to be involved in community service led him to a career in law enforcement. He graduated from Brooklyn College after attending night classes that earned him a Bachelor of Arts degree.

In January 1969, Joe joined the United States Army Reserves where he served as a Military Policeman in the 812 M.P. Company at Fort Hamilton, New York and was honorably discharged six years later.
In March 1972, Joe joined the U.S. Department of the Treasury as a Customs Patrol Officer where he was assigned to investigate international drug trafficking and organized crime in the New York City tristate area. In less than five years, Joe compiled one of the highest felony arrest and contraband seizure records in Customs service history.

In 1974, Joe became the elected President of the Federal Agents’ Police Benevolent Association where, for eighteen years, he developed that fledgling association into one of the largest federal police organizations in the tristate area. He was credited with the introduction and passage of a New York-New Jersey law that granted peace officer status to federal agents.

In 1976, Joe transferred to the Immigration & Naturalization Service and became one of the country’s foremost experts on ethnic organized crime and international smuggling. In 1979 he worked deep undercover, infiltrating a major Dominican drug cartel that led to one of the largest cocaine seizures in U.S. history. In 1983, Joe became the youngest agent to be promoted to Chief of the New York City Anti-Smuggling Unit. In 1990, Joe retired on disability that was attributed to his five-year undercover work infiltrating a major drug cartel.

In 1995, Joseph Occhipinti established with his wife, Angela the National Police Defense Foundation (NPDF) where he now serves as its volunteer Executive Director. The NPDF has grown to be one of the largest police foundations in the United States that has extended internationally to twelve foreign countries.

The NPDF membership exceeds over 205,000 members and supporters worldwide. The basic mission statement of the National Police Defense Foundation is to “Protect & Support” the efforts of law enforcement. This is being accomplished through the important medical and legal support services provided the national law enforcement community, as well as several NPDF law enforcement programs involving public safety and child safety

It was Joe’s foresight that he established the congressionally recognized “Safe Cop” program that posts rewards for public information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who shoots a member law enforcement officer. This successful reward program is credited for bringing many cop killers nationwide to justice.

Joe also established the internationally renowned “Operation Kids”, program which has (1) distributed over 250,000 free fingerprint/DNA kits to parents (2) posted rewards for missing children (3) established “Project Pedophile” (4) funded many youth athletic events and other related charitable endeavors for children (5) granted over 50 scholarships to college bound students and (6) arranged life-saving operations and medical treatment to critically and severely handicapped children.

Joe’s has been recognized internationally as a humanitarian due to his lifesaving efforts on “Operation Kids” and for his efforts which resulted in saving the lives of dozens of critically ill children worldwide. These successes have been profiled on the “CBS Early Show” and recognized by key elected officials, state legislatures and foreign governments. The more noteworthy humanitarian awards included the Italian “Comitato Della Croce” Award, Ecuadorian “Sol de Oro” Award, United Nations sports organizational award, a historic private meeting with Pope Francis and the 2016 Rotary Club Gift of Life International Humanitarian Award, among others.

Over the past two decades, Joe Occhipinti has been the recipient of numerous international, legislative and Police Association Awards for his many accomplishments with the NPDF. These distinguished awards were presented by the New York State Shields, Columbia Association, American Society for Public Administration, New York Detectives Crime Clinic, New York State Police Chiefs Benevolent Association, Ministers of Harlem, USA, among others. Additionally, he was recognized via Congressional Proclamation by Members of Congress, the New Jersey and New York General Assemblies and Senate, Mayor of New York City, the Governments of Ecuador, Peru and Dominican Republic.

In May 2005, Joe Occhipinti was commissioned as an Honorary “Colonel Aide De Camp” by the Governor of Tennessee and in December 2006 received a Special Achievement Award from the Governor of North Carolina. Today, Joe Occhipinti is considered one of the most decorated federal agents in United States history, credited with three U.S. Attorney General Awards and 78 official commendations for meritorious service and valor. He served on several executive boards and is a proud member of the New Jersey Policemen’s Benevolent Association, Fraternal Order of Police, Federal Law Enforcement Association (FLEOA) New York City Police Department Honor Legion, New Jersey Police Honor Legion, among others.

Joe Occhipinti resides in New Jersey with his wife, Angela of 41 years and three daughters where he continues to volunteer as the Executive Director for the National Police Defense Foundation.

Michael J. Palladino was elected President of the Detectives’ Endowment Association, Inc. (DEA) in June 2004. He was re-elected unopposed in 2008, again in 2012, and again in 2016.  He spearheads contract negotiations and all dealings with the City, Chairs the union’s Health Benefits Funds, as well as Chairs the Trustees of the DEA’s Annuity Fund.  He is also a Trustee of the $38-billion New York City Police Pension Fund.

Born and raised in The Bronx, Palladino joined the NYPD in 1979.  He earned his gold shield through the Narcotics Division in January of 1987, and was promoted to second grade Detective in 1995 while assigned to the 52nd Precinct Detective Squad in The Bronx.

He first became involved in union activity when he was voted Delegate from the 52 Squad in 1992.  Two years later he was elected DEA Bronx Welfare Officer, and then elected in 1996 to the position of Bronx Trustee.  In 1998, he was elevated to union Secretary, handling member arbitration hearings and litigations and serving as Chairman of the DEA’s Strategic Planning Committee.  In June of 2002, he was appointed Vice President of the union.

Palladino graduated from Fordham University with a B.S. degree in 1980.  He has also studied at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and earned professional certificates from the Harvard Trade Union School at Harvard University, the Wharton School of Money Management at the University of Pennsylvania, and attended the Dale Carnegie School of Public Speaking in New York City.

Michael has five children — Michael, Jr., Francesca, Joseph, Alessandra, and Ava — and is married to fellow detective Theresa.

Among Palladino’s many and varied functions as DEA President, he leads the union’s political agenda on a local, State, and national level.  The Union has had many legislative successes during Palladino’s tenure, including: the NYS World Trade Center Death Benefit bill (the Zadroga bill), which awards line of duty death benefits to first responders who succumb to their 9/11-related illnesses or injuries; the WTC 3/4s Disability Bill; the creation of the Mt. Sinai Medical Monitoring and Screening Program; the 9/11 Extender bills, the Variable Supplement guarantee; the Veterans’ Buy Back bill, and the bill that guarantees an Officer’s pension after 20 years.

In July of 2010, and again in 2013 and 2016, Palladino was elected President of the New York State Association of PBAs, an Albany-based lobbying group for Police Officers throughout the State of New York.  The Association represents approximately 48,000 Officers of all ranks.  Palladino previously served on the organization’s Executive Board.

From August of 2003 until February of 2012, Palladino also served as the elected Executive Vice President of the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), a consortium of American police unions.  Based in Washington, DC, NAPO represents 240,000 law enforcement officers nationwide.

Mike Barry is a native of New Jersey who grew up in Hudson County. Educated at a Catholic elementary school, he graduated from Memorial High School in West New York in 1974. With family in both the NYPD and Pennsylvania State Police, Mike wished to follow the family tradition by entering law enforcement. In June of 1979 Mike joined the West New York, NJ Police Department where he served for 6 ½ years in uniformed patrol, plain clothes, and as a Detective in the Juvenile Aid Bureau. During that time Mike received commendations and awards including the Citation Star for Bravery and Valor under fire. During this time, he attended Bergen Community College, majoring in Police Science.

In 1986 Mike had an opportunity to join a large, New York metro area police department. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police offered opportunities that the WNY PD did not, so Mike began a 34-year career there where he rose to the rank of Sergeant. Mike finished Bergen Community College and began to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. As a patrol officer at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Mike and his fellow offers were credited with the arrest of Michael Leigh Wilson, a Pasco County, Florida native who committed murder in Newport Richey, Florida then fled to NYC while armed. Based on a tip that Wilson was headed for the Port Authority Bus terminal, Mike and his fellow officers staked out an area and arrested Michael Wilson as he got off the Greyhound Bus. Willson was still carrying the loaded revolver he stole from the victim he murdered. Michael Leigh Wilson is incarcerated for life in a Florida state prison.

In 1998 Mike chose an assignment as a highway patrol officer at George Washington where he won many awards and citations for meritorious service, valor, and Excellent Police Duty for helping to rescue suicidal people. It was during this time that Mike joined the NPDF and became the NPDF’s Delegate to the Port Authority Police. Mike was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2008 then transferred to Kennedy International Airport.

After a fulfilling year as a patrol supervisor at Kennedy Airport, Mike accepted a transfer to PATH where he had an opportunity to work as a supervisor overseeing patrol, plain clothes and the Counter Terrorism Initiative that involved the deployment of heavy weapons to combat the threat of terrorism in transportation facilities. After five years at PATH Mike was transferred to the GWB in 2014 where, as a patrol Sergeant, a rash of suicides caught his attention and that of his officers. Together they developed a highly effective response which resulted in the saving of literally hundreds of people who tried to commit suicide.

In February 2019 Mike received the Officer of the Year Award from the New Jersey Crisis Intervention Team. “Due to Sergeant Barry’s compassion, willingness to listen, and his ongoing dedication and strategies to save lives and intervene in times of crisis, he is awarded the CIT-NJ Officer of the Year Award,” said Edward Dobleman, the New Jersey State CIT director.”

Mike proudly accepted the award on behalf of his officers who saved over 285 lives.

On February 28^th, 2020, after 41 years of Police service, Mike retired from the Port Authority Police to begin a career with the National Police Defense Foundation as the Director of Programs and Services. He lives in Bergen County, New Jersey with his wife Yolanda, and two German Shepherds.

On February 16, 1983, Norma Delgado arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport together with her three children, Amadeo, Norma, and Susan. Her husband Maximiliano had arrived four months earlier, and was already working in a factory. For Mrs. Delgado this was the beginning of her “AMERICAN DREAM”.

Mrs. Delgado is a native from Peru, “THE ANCIENT INCAS LAND” where MACCHU PICCHU is located. She was 29 years old when she came to the United States, and did not speak English. Mrs. Delgado was scared of the change, but she was determined to succeed. Since it was difficult to find a job, she started delivering newspapers in a neighborhood close to her house with her nine years old son and husband. Although things weren’t going well, Mrs. Delgado did not dismay on her efforts to succeed. She decided to go back to school, and enrolled herself in the Bronx Community College Nursing program. She studied really hard, while cleaning apartments in Manhattan and caring for her family. Mrs. Delgado was later hired by a cleaning company in Manhattan. Even though the pay was better, this was not enough for her. She continued to further herself, until she was employed by the Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx.

Mrs. Delgado met NPDF Director Joseph Occhipinti around 1984, while as a federal agent was looking for a perpetrator in the building that she was living with her family. Mr. Occhipinti became a good friend to her family, and advised Mrs. Delgado to pursue a career in Law Enforcement.

One day during a college job fair, Mrs. Delgado filled out an application to become a Correction Officer. She passed the exam, and started working for the New York Department of Corrections on February 16, 1989, exactly 6 years after she arrived in the United States. Corrections Officer Delgado continued to work there for 16 years.

On April 29, 2000, C.O. Delgado received the National Police Defense Foundation Special Achievement Award for her humanitarian and lifesaving efforts for baby Emily Mendoza. C.O. Delgado also was awarded the “Roberto Clemente Award” from the New York City Department of Corrections Hispanic Society for her humanitarian actions and devoted services. Mrs. Delgado is currently the Administrator of the Operation Kids program for the National Police Defense Foundation. In August of 2012, Mrs. Delgado traveled to Ecuador to assist Ecuadoran Police Corporal Angelica Borja in obtaining a visa to travel to the United States in order to receive a prosthetic leg. Corporal Borja was injured in the line of duty and her leg was amputated. Mrs. Delgado accompanied Police Corporal Borja to Oklahoma City and oversaw Corporal Borja’s rehabilitation and wellbeing for six weeks. In April 2013, Mrs. Delgado will be assisting another Ecuadoran Police Corporal, Corporal Nancy Choto who was also injured in the line of duty, by traveling to Oklahoma City to oversee her medical treatment to receive a prosthetic leg and rehabilitation services. Mrs. Delgado carries out these missions with the highest level of integrity and empathy.

Now, after 30 years in United States, Mrs. Delgado is a Retired Corrections Officer and a proud grandmother of four grandchildren Temetri, Destiny, Brittyn and Londen. She resides in Long Island, New York with her loving supportive husband.