New York Daily News Story

PA sees red on 'Queer Eye' cop

'PA sees red on 'Queer Eye' cop

By GREG GITTRICH
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER


Port Authority Police Officer John Verdi (r.) yielded cop top to Carson Kressley on Tuesday’s 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.'

It's perfectly fine for a Port Authority cop to have complete lack of style.
But letting a gay man wear your police uniform on national television? Well, that could get you into trouble.

Officer John Verdi's caveman grooming habits made for many laughs on Tuesday night's edition of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."

But folks at the PA - a generally reserved bistate agency were not amused by his appearance on the popular cable show.

PA officials said Verdi, who lives on Staten Island, never got permission to be identified as a PA cop and should not have allowed a civilian to wear his uniform.

The hit reality show's socalled design doctor Thom Filicia and fashion savant Carson Kressley both donned Verdi's blue cop top during a tour of the officer's cozy apartment.

There also was a moment on "Queer Eye" when Kressley pleaded to Verdi: "Cuff me! Cuff me!" ' and the cop attempted to oblige.

It was unclear yesterday whether the PA would try to discipline Verdi, 29, who could not be reached. PA spokesman Greg Trevor said, "We are looking into the matter."

"Queer Eye," which is shown Tuesdays on cable's Bravo channel, was launched on July 15. The makeover show has become the surprise hit of the summer.

On each episode, five gay hosts guide one hapless straight schlep through a fashion and decorating makeover.

Ratings have been so good that NBC, which owns Bravo, repeats "Queer Eye" on Thursdays.

Verdi's appearance will run on NBC tonight at 10 o'clock.

Dating a model

The show finds him in a long-term relationship with an attractive model. Verdi, a stocky man with a shaved head, admits he doesn't even know "what sexy is." So the program's Fab Five show him the arrows to toyland.

They give him a spray-on tan, buy him stylish casual clothes and furniture, cut his gnarly toenails and even teach him how to cook a "man quiche" for his vegetarian galpal.

In the end, the outspoken quintet succeeds in rekindling the romance between Verdi and his girlfriend.

"It was good entertainment," said PA Police Benevolent Association President Gus Danese. "What he did, he did on his own time. He didn't portray the Port Authority in a bad light. It was harmless.

"The Port Authority has got to lighten up and take it for what it was: entertainment."'

On the other hand...

We Love a Man in Uniform

Gay City News

'We Love a Man in Uniform,
But How Does the Port Authority Feel?
A minor media storm has erupted over how the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey views a recent television appearnace by John Verdi, a Staten Island P.A. police officer who was made over in last week’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

The Daily News on August 21 reported that Verdi could be in trouble for use of his uniform on the show. The News quoted PA spokesperson Greg Trevor saying that the agency was “looking into the matter” of Verdi not having permission to identify himself as a PA officer on the show, nor to let a civilian wear his uniform.

But, within hours of the publication of the Daily News story, another PA spokesperson, Dan Maynard, contacted Gay City News to say, "The Daily News has totally mischaracterized the Port Authority's position. The Port Authority has no problem with the officer's TV appearance
on Queer Eye for a Straight Guy."

Maynard's clarification was reported in an Associated Press story that followed the News story by several hours, but the quick response by the PA did not keep it from catching some flak.

Gus Danese, president of the PA Police Benevolent Association, told the News, “It was good entertainment. What he did, he did on his own time. He didn’t portray the Port Authority in a bad light. It was harmless. The Port Authority has got to lighten up and take it for what it was: entertainment.”

The Bravo show caused some controversy when footage of the “Fab 5” sniffing their straight guy’s sheets and underwear was deleted from the version shown on NBC, the parent network of Bravo. '

La Métropole