PHOENIX — A local police detective not only spends his time studying ballistics, but he also dabbles in singing and songwriting.
As a detective, Officer Michelangelo Caggiano normally protects and serves, but he also performs self-written songs. He hit all the right notes long before targeting his nearly 20-year career with the Phoenix Police Department.
"I've always loved music but I really didn't seriously get into it until high school," he said.
He went on to explain that while working at a local church as a maintenance guy, and he was messing around and fell. While he recovered from his injuries just fine, his buddies thought signing him up for choir at Phoenix Christian as a prank would be hilarious but Caggiano's talent is no joke.
"From there, I just started writing songs, I went to Grand Canyon University and met a lot of different musicians," he added.
He says, he went on to form a band, "Michelangelo and the Difference" where he would meet big-name stars like Johnny Cash. Caggiano's music career taking off from there.
"I started making records and starting to do small tours and then eventually started touring around the country and then overseas," he went on to say.
However, he says, while traveling the world was thrilling, it was the Maricopa County Swat Team that caught Officer Caggiano's attention during a performance he was doing at a community college years ago.
"They came out with their smoke grenades and their big guns and I was just looking at that like, wow, that's really cool," Det. Caggiano said.
Now, as a 19-year ballistics detective, Caggiano settling back down where he was born and raised, right here in the valley.
"A labor of love and probably more therapy for me being able to just write my thoughts down or write about situations and experiences," he said.
From guitars to guns, this performer and police officer keeps busy.
"I try to play out as much as I can, balancing work and that is always a challenge but it's a lot of fun," Caggiano said.
With more than 100 songs and a new project "Secret Harbor" on the horizon, he's looking forward to retirement from the force in December.
Caggiano's music can be found on Spotify and iTunes.
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