Late Cop’s Sons Help Islanders Open Season

Austin and Joseph Tuozzolo, center, sons of late NYPD Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo, of Greenlawn, had the honor of dropping the ceremonial first puck(s) for the Islanders’ home opener on Saturday. Screenshot/MSG Networks

By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com

Austin and Joseph Tuozzolo, sons of late NYPD Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo, helped the New York Islanders open up their 2017-2018 season on Saturday.

The boys, ages 5 and 4 respectively, accompanied by their mother, Lisa, each dropped a puck at the NHL team’s home opener against the Buffalo Sabres at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The Islanders arranged to have the boys drop the puck in memory of their father, Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo, of Greenlawn, who was killed in the line of duty on Nov. 4, 2016.

Austin and Joseph were excited when they learned they’d been asked to drop the puck at the game, Lisa Tuozzolo said.

“Over the past year, they developed a liking to hockey so they were excited to go out on the ice and stand by the players,” she added.

Each with a puck in hand, Austin and Joseph hesitantly approached the center of the ice before the reported crowd of 15,234.

“They knew to drop the puck in front of the players, but what they were most concerned about was who picks up the puck and if they would get the puck back to keep,” Lisa said with a laugh.

Luckily, they did in fact get to take the pucks back home as a souvenir after the Islanders defeated the Sabres, 6-3, to nab their first win on the young season.

The memory of Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo has similarly been honored by the New York Rangers and the New York Mets. Austin and Joseph threw out the first pitch for the Mets in a game this past July.

Lisa Tuozzolo added, “The love from the New York teams and organizations, that have taken the boys under their wings and embraced them, is touching and it means so much.”