If you don’t mind, I want to get a little personal here in remembering my father, A. Gus Mastracci, and my Father-in-Law, Joseph P. Cromer. Once this is posted to my Facebook page, I invite you to tell us about your dad, in the comments. Aside from the many wonderful memories as a child and an adult that I cherish, my dad had a great sense of humor, a quick wit, a kind and generous heart, a disciplined work ethic and a humble, and never boastful disposition. His parents met at Ellis Island, each with only the clothes on their backs (Happy Father’s Day, Nonno).
My father did not speak English until entering the second Grade at St. Mark School in Catonsville. He saw how people would try to take advantage of his parents, and him, and that is what drove him to become a lawyer. He was a trial lawyer, known as a heavy hitter, for Baltimore City in the City solicitor’s office and in his blue-collar personal injury practice. Anywhere in Southwest Baltimore City, and beyond, when someone mentioned having any type of legal problem, the word about town was “Go see Gus!”
Unfortunately, my dad passed away before seeing his first-born grandson,(my main man) Nick, graduate from law school and ultimately, in a very short time, become a named partner in RPM Law, in Annapolis, directly across the street from the Circuit Court. Nick has so many of my father’s traits, a friend once said, “Your son is Gus Reincarnated!”
My Wife, Deb, was also extremely close to her dad, Joseph P. Cromer. Pop Joe was born on March 7, 1925, and died on March 20, 2021, at 96 years of age. He served in the Navy, and worked hard, and worked all of the time to raise and support 7 children. He was in his mid-eighties when he had open heart surgery, and he never missed a beat. He was always moving and keeping busy. He and I shared the love of Hank Viot in Chicago PD. I could always make him laugh.
When you lose people, especially the ones you know and love the best, it is easy to say,
“They just don’t make them like that anymore!”
This entry was posted on Monday, June 15th, 2026 at 8:30 am.
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