In
1956, Thomas J. Russo joined the United States Navy. He served in the Mediterranean on the minesweeper
USS Dash. He was honorably discharged in 1958. In 1960, Thomas Russo joined the Montclair Police Department
(New Jersey). Thomas Russo served through the ranks of the Montclair Police Department, ultimately becoming
the chief of police in 1993. He retired in 2001.
Thomas J. Russo is a graduate of the FBI’s National Academy
and the Secret Service Dignitary Protection School in Washington, D.C. He is the recipient of a Certificate in Criminal Justice
Education from the University of Virginia and a graduate of the Certified Public Manager Course of the State of New Jersey.
Thomas Russo is published his autobiography Street Kid to Top Cop in 2005.