Police Officers Killed in Action Honored at Blue Mass in Keyport

The Keyport PBA Local #223 hosted a Blue Mass at St. Joseph's Church on Thursday in honor of the nine New Jersey officers killed in the line of duty in 2010 and 2011.

"It's a great honor to host this, in honor of those officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice and to honor the families of those officers," said Keyport Ptl. Joseph Ruth, who helped plan the service along with Keyport Ptl. Matthew Salvatore and retired Jersey City Police Officer Tom Scheider.

As family, friends and fellow officers sat in the church pews, New Jersey State PBA President Anthony Wieners read the names of the nine New Jersey officers killed in the line of duty in 2010 and 2011 aloud:

Cpl. Christopher Milito, of the Delaware River Port Authority; P.S. Kevin Wilkin, of the Atlantic City Police Department; Tpr. Mark Castellano, of the NJ State Police; P.O. John Abraham, Jr., of the Teaneck Police Department; P.O. Christopher Matlosz, of the Lakewood Police Department; Tpr. Anthony Fotiou, of the NJ State Police; Det. Tina Lston Rambo, of the Ocean City Prosecutor's Office; Ptl. Joseph Wargo, Jr., of Mt. Arlington Police Department; and Det. Michael Morgan, Jr., of the Newark Police Department.

"As members of the law enforcement we have a long standing and proud tradition of honoring the memory of the lives of those officers that made the supreme sacrifice," Weiners said.

Several police departments attended the Blue Mass, including the , the Hazlet Township Police, and the NJ State Police.

After a mass at St. Joseph's Church in Keyport, a procession of bagpipers and drummers led police officers from the church. The officers formed two lines stemming from the church doors, guiding outside the friends and family of those killed in action.