LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjojZmZmO2JhY2tncm91bmQ6IzAwYWZlZTtkaXNwbGF5OmlubGluZS1ibG9ja311bC5nbGlkZV9fc2xpZGVze21hcmdpbjowfQ==
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
Death Classification: Line of Duty Death
Agency: Chicago Police Department
Served: 21 years, 10 months, 6 days
Unit of Assignment / Detail: Office of Operations, Bureau of Detectives, Criminal Networks Group, Unit 189 - Narcotics Division (ND)
District of Incident (Present Day): Park Ridge, IL
Cause of Death: Illness - COVID-19
Age at Time of Death: 50
Timeline
Date of Birth: 30 Apr 1969
Date of Appointment: 26 May 1998
Date of Incident: Park Ridge, IL
End of Watch: 02 Apr 2020
Date of Interment: 09 Apr 2020
Interment Details
Cemetery: All Saints Catholic Cemetery - Des Plaines, Illinois
Grave Location: Unknown
Interment Disposition: Burial
Memorial Details
Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Panel # D-11
Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 25
Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 5, Line 29
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 54-W: 32
Officer Down Memorial Page: Listed
Service
Military Service: Did Not Serve
Incident & Biographic Details
Police Officer Marco DiFranco, Star #19312, aged 50 years, was a 21 year, 10 month, 6 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the Office of Operations, Bureau of Detectives, Criminal Networks Group, Unit 189 – Narcotics Division.
On March 26, 2020 at 10:06 p.m., Officer DiFranco was placed on the “Medical Roll“ after contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty. On March 29, 2020 at 10:22 p.m., he was hospitalized at Lutheran General Hospital, located at 1775 Dempster Street, Park Ridge, IL, where he was admitted to the ICU and intubated and would later succumb to the illness. He was pronounced dead at 1:02 a.m. on April 2, 2020. On April 3, 2020, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Interim Superintendent Charles Beck announced that Officer DiFranco’s death would be classified as in the line of duty. Officer DiFranco was the first Chicago Police Officer to die in the line of duty from COVID-19.
Officer DiFranco was waked at Cumberland Chapels located at 8300 West Lawrence Avenue, Norridge, IL, no funeral mass was observed. He was laid to rest on April 9, 2020 in All Saints Catholic Cemetery, 700 North River Road, Des Plaines, Illinois.
Police Officer Marco DiFranco, born April 30, 1969, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on May 26, 1998 and he attended the Jackson Street Police Academy. He earned 1 Superintendents Award of Merit, 1 Special Commendation Award, 3 Police Officer of the Month Awards, 18 Department Commendations, 2 Unit Meritorious Awards, 4 Joint Operations Awards, 3 Attendance Recognition Awards, 11 Deployment Operations Center Awards, The 2019 Crime Reduction Award, The 2009 Crime Reduction Award, The 2004 Crime Reduction Award, the NATO Summit Service Award, 1 Presidential Election Deployment Award, 1 Superintendent’s Honorable Mention, 103 Honorable Mentions, 10 Complimentary Letters and 1 Other Award during his career. Prior to joining the Chicago Police Department, Officer DiFranco served in the U.S. Customs Service.
Officer DiFranco was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police. He was survived by his wife, Maria; children: Olivia, age 10 and Pietro, age 7; mother, Santa (nee Scaravalle) and brother, Sal (Kimberly) (CPD). He was preceded in death by his father, Pietro and sister, Rosa.
Incident Recorded under RD #JD201849.
On September 21, 2021, Officer DiFranco’s star was retired by Superintendent of Police David O’Neal Brown and enshrined in the Superintendent’s Honored Star Case, located in the lobby at Chicago Police Headquarters, 3510 South Michigan Avenue.
Recent Comments