Band of marshals mobilizes swiftly for Cooper’s funeral

When Steve Tucci and his friends got the call, they set aside their work and picked up their bagpipes and drums.

For his part, Tucci, a member of the U.S. Marshals Service office in Virginia, was stunned. He and his mates had only assembled the U.S. Marshals Service Pipes and Drums Band on Dec. 16 and hadn't had much time to practice. Formed in 1789 by Gen. George Washington, the Marshals Service is America's oldest federal law enforcement organization. Until December, it had never had a bagpipe honor guard.

It's hard to get together to jam when your band mates have day jobs tracking fugitives and guarding courthouses in Cleveland, Boston, New York, Detroit, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Alabama.

Suddenly, they were called to duty. And they answered the call.

"We didn't figure we'd be here three weeks later," Tucci said amid the din of voices and driving Celtic music Monday night at McMullan's Irish Pub.

The band arrived in Las Vegas shortly before the funeral of retired Las Vegas police sergeant and senior court security officer Stan Cooper, who died in a shootout Jan. 4 at the Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse downtown.

After playing at Cooper's service, with hundreds in attendance and an estimated 1,500 more paying tribute along a parade route, they gathered for a wake at McMullan's.

Tucci and his friends wore traditional kilts common to bagpipers. Their uniforms were distinguished by belt buckles honoring Robert Forsyth, who in 1794 became the first U.S. marshal killed in the line of duty.

They never met Cooper but were impressed by the tributes they heard.

"Everyone we spoke to had a great story about Stan," Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fitzgibbon of the Cleveland office said. "It's sad to see somebody go, but it's great to hear such good things."

Las Vegas police Capt. Mark Tavares was also at the wake.

"If Stan had been fortunate enough to die of old age, we would have come to his funeral," Tavares said. "It wouldn't have been as elaborate, but we would have been there for him. This shows the respect and honor and comradeship of our profession."

Ohio Department of Public Safety veteran Bob Boldin heard about Cooper's death on the news in Cleveland. Moved by the display of courage in the face of a shotgun-wielding assailant, Boldin took time off from work to travel to Las Vegas to attend Cooper's funeral.

"I needed to be here," Boldin said. "There's a lot of line-of-duty deaths, and I don't fly to all of them. But I just had to pay tribute to the man. What an amazing effort. What an honorable life."

"They stayed in the fight," Fitzgibbon said. "They didn't give up. Someone came to the courthouse to do harm. Stan did his job. He accomplished his mission."

Added Tucci, "He saved lives. They all did. Everyone on that front line saved lives."

BALD IS BEAUTIFUL: Speaking of McMullan's Irish Pub, it's the headquarters of the annual St. Baldrick's Foundation fundraiser for childhood cancer research starting at 2 p.m. March 6. My cancer-beating daughter, Amelia, will once again be shaving my head.

To contribute, go to stbaldricks.org and "Amelia's Team."

BIG LEAGUE: Good news for baseball fans. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds have agreed to play a spring training game March 31 at Cashman Field as part of Big League Weekend.

DUNES REUNION: Pegg Wallace and her pals are preparing for the 17th annual reunion of former Dunes employees. The party for Dunes denizens starts at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the New York City Bar & Grill at 6168 W. Spring Mountain Road.

ON THE BOULEVARD: GOP loyalist, Alien Tequila creator and restaurateur George Harris and his business partner, Irma Aguirre, on Thursday celebrated the opening of their Mundo restaurant at the World Market Center downtown.

Have an item for the Bard of the Boulevard? E-mail comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/smith.