The Beginning of the Rye Brook PBA
The Rye Brook Police Benevolent Association (PBA) was established on November 15, 1991, to represent the officers of the Rye Brook Police Department.
The Village of Rye Brook was incorporated in 1982, and the Rye Brook Police Department was officially formed on June 1, 1983. In its early years, the department’s officers were part of a joint union with the Port Chester PBA.
The formation of the Rye Brook PBA was a unique and defining moment. At the time, the village government needed to agree to transfer bargaining rights from the joint Port Chester/Rye Brook PBA to the new Rye Brook PBA. Because the officers were without a contract, the transfer could legally take place—but only under those conditions. The Village of Rye Brook supported the officers’ effort to establish their own independent union. That support made it possible for the PBA to move forward, and in the end, it worked out for everyone involved.
The founding board of the Rye Brook PBA included:
•President: William Esainko
•First Vice President: Greg Austin
•Second Vice President: Terence Wilson
•Treasurer / Secretary: James Mitchell
The original members were:
John Beltramello, Jeffrey Boesch, Mark Bottali, Richard Carroll, Joseph Ciccone, Thomas Fee, Fred Gioffre, Steven Goralick, James Heil, Eugene Matthews, Gerald McMahon, Randy Newman, Michael Olifiers, Peter Ramundo, Theodore Sabato, Robert Santoro, Rocco Spizzirri, Robert Voght, and William Youngs.
Their dedication and cooperation—with each other and with village leadership—laid the foundation for the strong, professional, and community-focused organization the Rye Brook PBA continues to be today.