East Haven Honors Former Cop Joseph Buonome With Park Bench

On Sunday, East Haven paid tribute to Joseph Buonome, a former sergeant in the East Haven Police Department, by unveiling a park bench in his honor.

The bench, which sits on the East Haven Town Green, is named after Buonome, who died in February at the age of 73, according to the New Haven Register. Buonome worked at the East Haven Police Department from 1972 to 2001 and then worked as the town's Democratic registrar of voters, according to his obituary.

“I hope that you all come and sit from time to time on the bench, have a chat with Joe and perhaps share coffee and a poppy seed roll as you’re scratching your lottery tickets,” Cheryl Panzo, Buonome’s daughter, said Sunday at the unveiling ceremony, according to the newspaper.