Blue Bloods: Meet A Real-Life Family Of NYPD Officers
NEW YORK (CBS 2) -- CBS' hit new show "Blue Bloods" profiles a family of cops, but there's an entire family of real-life NYPD officers who make some pretty interesting characters themselves.
Meet the Baumeisters: Jack, John, Brian, and John Jr.
"Obviously, we're not royalty - 'Blue Bloods' is our version of royalty," John Baumeister said. "We're all police officers, and we carry on that tradition like my grandfather, my father, and [my grandfather's] father before him."
In the televised version, Tom Selleck stars as the police commissioner, surrounded by a family of cops, including his detective son Donnie Wahlberg. Bridget Moynahan, his only daughter, is an assistant district attorney, while the youngest son is a recent police academy graduate is played by Will Estes.
The family in real life is headed by Jack Baumeister who, after nearly 20 years of service, retired in 1982. His son, John, is a detective with the 46th Precinct, and his nephew, Brian, is a relative newcomer to the force.
"He's definitely the rookie because he's got three years on, so he's the younger brother who doesn't know anything about being a cop just yet," John said.
"Tom Selleck and I look so much alike, for me it's really enjoyable," Jack said. "We're almost like twins."
"By default, I guess, I would be Wahlberg because of the detective thing," John said.
Jack and John aren't the only cops in the family, said Officer Brian Baumeister, as they were instrumental in helping him choose his career path.
"Just hearing the stories, it's just something that you aspire to be," Brian said.
So what do they think of the show's police work?
"The show is pretty good, it's right on target," Jack said.
"It's pretty realistic as far as showing the Wahlberg character," John said. "The detective squad scenes and him talking to people and interviewing people, I'd say that's pretty right-on accurate."
Just as accurate, they said, are the show's heated Sunday family dinner conversations.
"It's actually funny to see it portrayed on television," John said.
There's one thing the Reagan family on "Blue Bloods" doesn't do nearly as much as the Baumeisters, though, and that's tease each other.
"The cops were tougher back then," Jack said. "You ask my father, he'll tell you."
"They carried rocks in their pockets and just threw them at people," John said.
There's no doubt the spirit will be passed down to the next generation of Baumeister police officers, along with a love of the job.
"It really is the greatest job in the world," John said.
Of course, it's also one of the most dangerous jobs. In 2006, John Baumeister was stabbed while making an arrest, and he spent 15 days in the hospital. He was back on his feet and back to work, he said, as soon as he possibly could.
