Juan C. Amaro Sr. of Pleasantville, N.J., was a former Philadelphia policeman.

Amaro died Friday, Jan. 11, 2013. He was 71.

He was born Oct. 21, 1940, to the late Marta and Nilo Amaro in Culebra, Puerto Rico.

He attended schools in Puerto Rico and Philadelphia before enlisting in the U.S. Army where he served in the Vietnam War.

After his time in the military, he became a Philadelphia policeman and earned the certification of expert polygraphist. He relocated to New Jersey many years ago and worked as a security officer at Harrah’s and also the Claridge Hotel-Casinos.

Amaro also worked for the Atlantic City Board of Education, the Pleasantville Board of Education and the Pleasantville Zoning Board.

He was a former commander of the American Legion, Post 81 and also a member of the Fraternal Order of Police. He was a member of St. Gianna Berretta Roman Catholic Church of Northfield.

Amaro is survived by his wife, Maria, of Pleasantville; daughters, Alexandra Lozada of Pleasantville and Julie Rodriguez of Philadelphia; sons, Juan Jr. and Miguel Amaro (Priscilla) of Philadelphia and Inocencio Amaro (Anita) of Chester, Pa.; sister, Arcadia Seda of Philadelphia; brothers, Miguel Amaro (Carmen) of Caguas, P.R. and Inocencio Amaro (Jan) of Atlantic City; 11 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and other relatives and friends.

Services were held Jan. 14 at Mikals Funeral Parlor at 1033 Baltic Ave. in Atlantic City, N.J.