40 Years of Service

Constantino “Andy” Tamasi remembers when former Police Chief Dick Steiner turned to him on the steps of St. Paul’s Church in Princeton.

“He says ‘Can you give us a hand?’” Tamasi said.         

“I said ‘Give us a hand with what?’”

“We need some school crossing guards,” Steiner replied.

Now 40 years later Tamasi, 78, is Princeton Township’s longest-serving crossing guard, having manned nearly every one of the 15 crossing locations.

Every morning and every afternoon school has been in session for the past four decades, Tamasi has helped children safely cross the streets to and from school.  

Princeton Township Police on Tuesday gave Tamasi a plaque of appreciation.

“There are few and far between people of this fiber and caliber to take on that duty,” said Police Chief Robert Buchanan.

Tamasi, who refers to the chief as “Bobby,” guesses he has crossed thousands of schoolchildren over the years.

“It’s a lot of fun crossing kids, especially when you get to know them,” he said.

When he began working as a crossing guard in 1971, Tamasi earned $5 a day. The pay is now $30 a day.

A car hit Tamasi once, when a driver turned right on red at the intersection of Valley Road and Witherspoon Street and Tamasi bounced off the car. He was not injured.

But there are funny memories, too, like the time he had traffic stopped in all directions, also at the corner of Valley Road and Witherspoon Street. The driver of battery delivery truck headed north on Witherspoon became impatient, honking the horn in frustration when Tamasi allowed drivers on Valley Road to proceed first.

The truck driver drove directly to the police station, hoping to get Tamasi in trouble. Instead, the driver got a ticket.

“He came out and said, ‘You happy now?’” Tamasi laughed. “I said ‘Keep it up and you’re going to get another one.’”

Besides being a crossing guard, Tamasi also served for four years in the U.S. Navy, including two years aboard the U.S.S Intrepid. He also worked for 31 years for Princeton Recreation Department, retiring in 1998 as maintenance foreman.

Each day, he arrived at work one hour early to compensate for the 30 minutes each morning and 30 minutes each afternoon that he spent at the crosswalk.  

His boss said that wasn’t necessary, but Tamasi insisted.

“It’s very rare that you have someone who achieves that level of service and has been as dependable as he has been,” said Township Police Sgt. Thomas R. Murray III, the department’s traffic bureau supervisor. “A lot of people take what they (crossing guards) do for granted, but it’s really an invaluable service to us.”

That’s because when crossing guards are unable to fill their shifts, police officers must fill in, which can take them away from street patrols and investigations.

Tamasi, a borough resident, has been married to his wife Marianne for 56 years. The couple has three grown children and seven grandchildren.  

Tamasi put his crossing guard duties on hiatus in February after health issues, but Murray hopes to have him back on the job come September.

The department is also seeking anyone interested in becoming a crossing guard. Applicants must be over age 18 and willing to undergo a background check.

Interested? Call Sgt. Thomas Murray at 921-2100 x1879.