NYPD Promotes Husband, Wife To Captains At Same Time
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It was promotion day for the NYPD Friday, and among those moving up were a husband-and-wife team who have simultaneously climbed the ladder.
As CBS2's Scott Rapoport reported, it is believed to be a first for the department.
Luis Barcia and Alexandra Sarubbi-Barcia once thought the biggest step they had ever taken was when they walked down the aisle in marriage in 2006. But that was before Friday.
On Friday morning at One Police Plaza, the husband-and-wife team were both promoted to the executive rank of captain – one after the other. It's kind of unheard of.
"We did a little research," said NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill. "As far as we could tell, this could be the first time in the history of the NYPD that a husband and wife will become captains on the same day."
CBS2's Rapoport couldn't wait to talk to them, but the unfortunately, the NYPD said the two newly minted captains are painfully camera shy.
But Capt. Sarubbi-Barcia's, retired NYPD Detective Gina Sarubbi-Duffy, did speak.
"They always talk shop -- I mean, we are a police family," Sarubbi-Duffy said.
Sarubbi-Duffy was more than willing to provide the lowdown on the coupling captains. She said the two met at the Police Academy in 2002 during a gym run and the sparks flew.
"I remember her telling me, 'I've fallen in love with a guy named Barcia,'" Sarubbi-Duffy said. "I said, 'Well, why'd you fall in love?' She said, 'I love the way he runs.'"
From there, the two rose through the ranks of the NYPD – promoted virtually simultaneously. Barcia will work in the Bronx, Sarubbi-Barcia in Manhattan North.
Of course, Rapoport wanted to know about the pecking order in the household.
"No one outranks anyone," Sarubbi-Duffy said, adding with a laugh, "I'm hoping my sister does -- but we'll keep that top ourselves."
Family members said they expect the new captains to be very competitive with each other.