John Barelli

When I retired as the chief security officer of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, I had spent the better part of forty years responsible not only for one of the richest treasure troves on the planet, but the museum’s staff, the millions of visitors, as well as American presidents, royalty, and heads of state from around the world. I was born in the Bronx, New York, and educated at the University of Richmond, Virginia. At Richmond, I received a BA in Sociology. I also received an MA in Criminal Justice from New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a PhD in Criminology from Fordham University. At the University of Richmond, I enjoyed playing football where I excelled as a scholar athlete and I was voted into the university’s athletic hall of fame in 2004. After graduating from Richmond, I was appointed a police officer on the Richmond Bureau of Police. After a few years at the New York Botanical Gardens as the Security Director, in 1978 I moved on to the Metropolitan Museum of Art as an Assistant Manager of Security. It was at the Met that I honed my professional expertise in the security profession, built a diverse, professional security department and deepened my appreciation for art. As my career was winding down, I knew I had to write a book about my career and unique experiences. I felt very strongly that my story be told not only as a human-interest story, but also a historical document about the jewel of New York City, and one of the greatest repositories of art on the face of the earth--The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I live in New York City with my wife Anna. By the way, we met at the Metropolitan.