Chief Operating Officer, Michael Ruggiero, started his law enforcement career as a NYS correction officer in Sing Sing prison, where he was assigned infamous to “B” Block. He was quickly selected to become an investigator on the elite Escape and Absconder Unit, where he re-captured NYS inmates (on the streets of the Bronx and Manhattan) wanted on escape warrants.
After a several years, Mike joined the NYPD and was assigned SATCOM Brooklyn North, both the 77th precinct and Brooklyn North Task force (disorder control unit. He worked on several enforcement units that focused on North Brooklyn’s violent street crimes. Mike was assigned to detective track in the Brooklyn North Warrant squad, was selected as a detective investigator in the original Fugitive Enforcement Division citywide Violent Felony Squad. Mike, along with his team were responsible for the apprehension of 6 of NYC top 10 most wanted and was awarded to prestigious Chief of Detectives award/pin.
Mike was promoted to Sergeant and assigned to Brooklyn North’s 73rd precinct. He shortly became one of the precinct’s anti-crime sergeants, where he and his team were one of the top 3 anti-crime teams in NYPD (2003-2004), making over 42 gun arrests and seizures in a 1 year period. After a couple of years, Mike was reassigned to the detective bureau as a detective sergeant, initially the 62-detective squad as a second whip, and eventually appointed by the Chief of Detective’s to commander of the 66th precinct detective squad. During his time as a detective sergeant, Mike was once again awarded the Chief of Detectives award for the take-down of a pattern burglary ring which included the burglary of over 25 cell phone stores and the consequent shipment of the stolen phones to the Middle East.
After retiring in 2007, Mike became an adjunct professor for CUNY in the Law and Police Science Department at John Jay College, concentrating in teaching criminal investigations. Moreover, he worked for the intelligence community as a National Security Background Investigator, and since 2014 has worked for the Department of Justice as a Special Investigator (for two agencies within the department).
Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, magna cum laude, from Adelphi University, and a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice. During his career, he received over 40 departmental medals, and numerous other awards. He is a lifelong member of the NYPD SBA, Alpha Phi Sigma (National Criminal Justice Honor Society) and the President of the National Association of Certified Background Investigators.