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Sergeant Phil Cerreta was a homicide detective that joined the 27th Precinct after Max Greevey was gunned down in front of his house in 1991. He was partnered with Mike Logan. Although Logan initially resented him, they eventually formed a close working relationship. (L&O: "Confession")

Cerreta is portrayed as an Italian-American Catholic who, unlike his successor, Lennie Briscoe uses charm and manners to investigate cases. Little is revealed about Cerreta's personal life, except that he and his wife Elaine they have five children, and he had served in the military before becoming a police officer. His family has a history in the textile and printing businesses (L&O: "The Working Stiff") and are loyal trade union members. He has a 15-year-old daughter named Linda (L&O: "Wedded Bliss") born 1976 or 1977. He became a police officer in 1969. (L&O: "Prince of Darkness") He never had occasion to fire his weapon in the line of duty. (L&O "Self Defense")

In 1992, Cerreta was shot twice in the stomach by a black-market gun dealer, with one bullet ending up near his spine, but he survived. Although there was concern that he might not walk again, he ended up retaining his motor functions. Cerreta later agreed to allow the DA's office to make a deal with the gun dealer, in which his charges were dropped down to assault with a deadly weapon in the hopes of convicting a cartel hitman. (L&O: "Prince of Darkness") Soon afterwards, he informed Logan of his decision to transfer to a desk job in the 110th Precinct. Cerreta's reasoning was that he wanted to spend more time with his family, as well as the fact that a couple of nerves near his spine were grazed by the bullet, leaving Cerreta with some permanent weakness in his legs. He was succeeded by Lennie Briscoe, who remained with the 27th Precinct until 2004. (L&O: "C.O.D.")

Appearances[]


Icon L&O Law & Order - Main Characters
Law

Senior Detectives: Max GreeveyPhil CerretaLennie BriscoeJoe FontanaEd GreenCyrus LupoKevin BernardFrank CosgroveJalen Shaw

Junior Detectives: Mike LoganRey CurtisEd GreenNick FalcoNina CassadyCyrus LupoKevin BernardFrank CosgroveJalen ShawVincent Riley

Commanding Officers: Captain Donald Cragen • Lieutenant Anita Van Buren • Lieutenant Kate Dixon

Order

Executive Assistant District Attorneys: Benjamin StoneJack McCoyMichael CutterNolan Price

Assistant District Attorneys: Paul RobinetteClaire KincaidJamie RossAbbie CarmichaelSerena SoutherlynAlexandra BorgiaConnie RubirosaSamantha Maroun

District Attorneys: Adam SchiffNora LewinArthur BranchJack McCoyNicholas Baxter

Others

Elizabeth OlivetAlfred Wentworth

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