Gerard Benderoth

Gerard Benderoth (February 1, 1969 – March 8, 2017) was an American policeman and strongman.

He was a New York City Police officer for more than a decade, and later a local police officer in Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York. He had vied for years to try to win the title "World's Strongest Man".

Standing 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) tall, he weighed 325 pounds (147 kg) and, before crowds of up to 20,000, he had done everything from carrying 450-pound stones to deadlifting 825-pound cars.[1] Benderoth was also a boxer, his skills qualified him for the 1996 Hudson Valley boxing team at the Empire State Games. In 1995, he was a New York Golden Gloves super heavy weight 220-pound finalist, losing by decision.

He was a football player at North Rockland High School, later attending Westchester Community College and Troy State in Alabama.[2]

Likquid Lounge

On April 8, 2016, prosecutors believe that Nicholas Tartaglione, a retired Westchester County New York police officer who was working as a police officer in Briarcliff Manor and Mount Vernon participated in the killing of four men, Martin Luna, Urbano Santiago, Miguel Luna, and Hector Gutierrez, at the Likquid Lounge bar in Chester in Orange County.[3]

In December 2016, Tartaglione was charged in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine since June 2015. Two of the men appeared to be unrelated to the deal, and may have been at the "wrong place at the wrong time.” Four bodies were later recovered from a farm property where Tartaglione was a tenant.[4]

Death

Benderoth died on March 8, 2017, age 48, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound when he was pulled over by FBI agents and local police officers just a short drive from his home.[5][6] The FBI reportedly planned to arrest Benderoth on a sealed indictment related to the Tartaglione multiple murder and drug conspiracy case.[7]

Personal life

Benderoth lived in Stony Point, Rockland County, New York, with his wife and four children.[6]

Achievements
  • 2006 - America's Strongest Man 13th
  • 2007 - America's Strongest Man 14th
  • 2008 - America's Strongest Man 10th

References
  1. Report on Gerard Benderoth' suicide, lohud.com; accessed March 11, 2017.
  2. Lieberman, Steve (8 March 2017). "Haverstraw: Retired cop kills self near Thiells school after FBI stop". Citizen Times. HAVERSTRAW, NY. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  3. Retired cop allegedly mass murdered four men in coke deal gone bad New York Post By Lia Eustachewich December 20, 2016
  4. Ex-police officer charged in quadruple murders at Likquid Lounge Four bodies found at property linked to accused killer, chroniclenewspaper.com, December 20, 2016.
  5. Bnadler, Jonathan (February 16, 2017). "Victims' relatives face murder suspect Nicholas Tartaglione in court". lohud.com. LOHUD The Journal News. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  6. Rosenberg, Eli; Rashbaum, William K. (March 9, 2017). "New Details Emerge in Murder Case After Ex-Officer's Suicide". Retrieved March 11, 2017 – via NYTimes.com.
  7. Cohen, Shawn; Schram, Jamie; Italiano, Laura; Taylor, Alex; Fonrouge, Gabrielle (March 8, 2017). "Hulking ex-NYPD officer kills himself during FBI stop". New York Post. Retrieved August 11, 2017. Benderoth, who worked a stint at the Haverstraw PD after retiring from the NYPD in 2005, was facing undisclosed charges in connection to the quadruple murder allegedly carried out by Tartaglione
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