The Man Behind the Award-Winning ‘Stache

For as long as he can remember, Meriden officer Hector Cardona Sr. has had hair braced upon his upper lip. Although he regularly trims and styles the grey and white ‘stache that resembles a handlebar to a motorcycle, his children and even his wife have never seen him truly clean-shaven.

Now the mustache with its reputation in the city is gaining the longtime member of the Meriden Police Department national attention.

Cardona earlier this month was named with the “Best Cop Mustache” in the nation, part of a contest on “Police Blotter,” a Facebook page based out of Ohio dedicated to providing humor and the lighter side of law enforcement. The contest asked for people around the nation to submit their best cop ‘staches, playing on a stereotype to have a little fun, according to the page.

“I was told a picture was submitted, but I’m not big into the Facebook thing, so I wasn’t really paying attention,” Cardona said. “Then people started voting on it and they told me I’d won.”

Joyce Hoff, a retired officer, submitted Cardona’s mustache to the page. Cardona jokingly said Tuesday “she is responsible for all this.” He said growing up, he always just enjoyed having the mustache and then after being to grow, wanted to see what he could do to create a handlebar mustache of his own.

He wins a Cops & Doughnuts - Clare City Bakery hoody as a result of the contest.

It’s not a look that’s easy to maintain, he said. It takes almost 45 minutes most days to tease it, using a special hair wax, bottles and cold air from a blow dryer to help style it. He said on rainy days and humid days, it can be impossible to keep in place.

Across the community, fellow officers have long adored – or at least poked fun at – Cardona’s “hairy upper lip.” He said he’s hear countless jokes, ranging from being “the bicycle man”, “two wheeler” and “handcuffs.”

But there is one thing Cardona wants everyone to know, the ‘stache is not aided by extensions. It is his hair, always has been and always will be.

"It's 100 percent real," he said.

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