Police line streets for Joe Esposito's funeral held at St. Patrick's Cathedral

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Fifth Avenue was transformed into a sea of blue as more than a thousand police lined the street to pay tribute to Joe Esposito, the longest-serving department chief of the NYPD who lost his battle with cancer.

Among the mourners at St. Patrick Cathedral were former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani was there to offer his condolences to the family

Brooklyn-born Esposito had a distinguished career that began as a police trainee 56 years ago.

At 73, he was serving as deputy commissioner of the Department of Buildings while battling cancer.

During the two-hour service, he was celebrated as a public servant and a person who cared about people.

Monsignor David Cassato, in a moving remembrance of Esposito, declared, "Joe Esposito lived the gospel to the highest degree."

Current New York City Mayor Eric Adams remembered Esposito as a friend and a devoted public servant.

"They don't make men like Joe anymore," Adams said. "When he shook your hand, he meant it. He was the perfect chief of the department in a diversified city. He could walk into any community, and they knew who he was."

The current NYPD Police Commissioner, Edward Caban, who came up through the ranks as did Esposito, talked about his devotion to the city.

"He gave a lifetime of service to the city he loved," he said. "It was always more than a job, even more than a career. Public service was a true calling for him."

Esposito is survived by his 100-year-old mother, two daughters, and grandchildren.

"For us, he was dad, he was Poppa Joe, he was my inspiration," one daughter exclaimed. "He was a cops cop, no use sitting behind a desk. He wanted to be in the action, he thrived on it. He was a cowboy in the Wild West."

As taps sounded, the procession moved slowly from the cathedral through the rain to the hearse as everyone stood in silent salute, a final farewell to a legendary hero of the NYPD.

Adams described Esposito as the definition of a public servant at its best, a man who served the city in its darkest days and its brightest moments. Joe Esposito, known as Chief Espo, leaves behind a rich legacy.