Leo Thalassites, the longest-serving active police officer in the U.S., died August 18, at age 92.
An active cop for nearly six decades he first joined the Miami-Dade Police Department in 1956. He moved to the Hialeah Police Department in 1963, from where he retired.
He might have started his police career sooner but he was busy serving in all five branches of the military during World War II and Korea.
Thalassites earned three Purple Hearts — two in WWII and one in Korea — and competed in the Olympics trials for the 1964 Toyko Games, representing the U.S. in Greco-Roman wrestling.
Starting in 1963, he won the police Olympics seven years in a row. At 170 pounds, he benched 340, squatted 500 and dead-lifted 540 pounds.
Thalassites was named in 2012 to the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame. He has trained fighters including Hector “Macho” Camacho, “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran.
He moved to Tampa in 1995 to be closer to the Greek community in Tarpon Springs. He frequently drove 300 miles to Hialeah – from Tampa – to train officers and make sure that they are physically fit and ready for action.
Thalassites is survived by his wife Corazon, of Palm Harbor, 11 children, 19 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Services were held on August 25 at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Tampa.
Read also: Don’t Mess With Leo Thalassites, U.S.’ Oldest Cop
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