Patz-eurized Milk
Etan Patz, First Missing Child on a Milk Carton and NYPD Cop Nicknamed “Rambo” Ordered to Stand Down
In May 1979, six-year-old Etan Patz disappeared in New York City, becoming one of America’s most recognizable missing children. His face would become synonymous with the missing-child milk carton campaign, making him a household name throughout New York and beyond. More than 15 years later, NYPD detective Mike Codella, author of The Evil that Walked New York, got an unexpected tip and was following leads he believed could finally reveal what happened to Etan. But just as Codella was preparing to pursue a search warrant for a backyard where he suspected the boy’s remains might be buried, he says he was ordered to drop the investigation.
- NYPD detective nicknamed Rambo for unorthodox, high-risk investigative methods
- Reassigned to missing persons after clashing with police department superiors
- Followed credible leads connecting the Etan Patz disappearance to occult circles
- Believed Etan’s remains might be buried beneath a wealthy homeowner’s backyard
- Claims superiors ordered him to abandon the investigation before a potential breakthrough
Codella was no ordinary New York City detective. Working the streets during the 1980s, he developed an unorthodox approach to police work that could put him in extraordinary danger. He preferred entering high-risk situations without a firearm and sometimes without backup, believing experienced criminals could sense when an arrest was being staged. His willingness to take risks and confront suspects earned him the nickname “Rambo.” His confrontational style also brought him into conflict with his superiors, eventually landing him in the NYPD’s missing persons division.
ABOUT MIKE CODELLA…
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Mike Codella walked the streets of the city he would one day dedicate his life to protecting. In 2001, Codella worked at the World Trade Center (Building 7). On September 11th he was on his way to work when he changed his route and headed toward WTC 1. Codella was one of those first responders who was running into the building as people were rushing out. He barely escaped death with the Tower came down.
In July of 1983, Codella became a New York City police officer—and over the next two decades, he would plunge into the city’s darkest corners. Rising to Detective Sergeant, Mike served in some of the NYPD’s most elite and high-stakes units: the Drug Enforcement Administration, Secret Service Task Force, Special Frauds Squad, Operation 8, and the Missing Persons Squad.
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