Genesis Villella recalls the pride and joy she felt as she cheered for her younger siblings, twins Peter and Delilah, during their high school graduation in 2023.
Yet amid the celebrations, she was overcome by the painful reminder of her mother’s tragic murder.
“It was devastating not having our mom there to witness their graduation,” Genesis, 28, from the Bronx, told The Post in an exclusive interview, breaking her silence since the loss of her mother, NYPD Detective Miosotis Familia, who was fatally shot on July 5, 2017.
She is speaking out now prior to a forthcoming state Assembly hearing regarding her proposed legislation aimed at securing full death pension benefits for children left orphaned.
“There are so many significant milestones she should have been here for,” Villella stated. “Her life was taken away from her.”
In the moment the bullet struck Familia, Villella, then just 20, found herself suddenly responsible for Peter and Delilah, her 12-year-old siblings who are now her adopted children.
For the past eight years, Villella has embraced the role of a guardian, attending their doctor appointments, working through their homework, organizing birthday celebrations, and preparing them for college—all with a smile, despite sacrificing her own bright future.
“A piece of me died that day too,” she reflected on her mother’s shooting. “I vividly remember going to the hospital, seeing my mother lifeless and unrecognizable just hours after she was alive and full of love.”
However, in her sorrow, Villella had no time to despair.
Suddenly thrust into motherhood without a stable job, financial resources, or a continued death pension from Familia, she faced a daunting challenge.
“People often believe that the children of NYPD officers are well cared for and protected,” Villella lamented, whose mother had served 12 years on the force. “But the current legal framework is exceedingly discriminatory and harsh toward orphaned children of first responders who are killed in the line of duty.”
She has chosen to keep the financial details of Familia’s pension private.
Nonetheless, surviving relatives of police officers who die on duty can receive half of the officer’s final pay, special accidental death benefits, health, union, and additional financial support, typically extended only to parents and spouses. Orphaned children, however, can access these benefits only until they turn 21 or 23 if attending college.
This means that Peter and Delilah, now 20 and studying finance and psychology respectively, will lose their benefits by 2028.
Villella finds these limitations “inhumane.”
“No one expects spouses or parents to work full-time jobs to access benefits,” she pointed out, advocating for reforms through her legislation.
Her bill, which has received sponsorship from State Senator Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx), passed in the Senate earlier this year. It has also received a unanimous letter of support from the City Council.
However, the Assembly ultimately deemed the proposal too expensive, though it is set to be reintroduced in early 2026.
If enacted, the bill would provide benefits only from the date of approval and not retroactively.
Estimated at a cost of $200 million, the legislation could impact many deserving beneficiaries. Villella hopes lawmakers will choose equity over budgeting concerns.
“I never want another orphaned child to endure what I’ve faced. It’s pure agony,” Villella expressed, noting she has garnered “strong commitments” from various officials.
“Officers are not just officers—they’re individuals, and their children matter,” she asserted. “Yet the current laws disregard families like mine.”
Her family is notable as the first of its kind in New York history.
Familia, who was 48 and a single parent, was the city’s first female cop to be murdered in the line of duty.
Without her mother’s pension or a nurturing parental figure, Villella, who lost her father, Nicola Villella, in the American Airlines Flight 587 disaster in 2001 when she was just four, felt compelled to leave college.
Initially an English major at Falmouth University in the UK, she had to take on the burden of caring for Peter and Delilah, whose father is absent from their lives.
Fortunately, local charities stepped in to help.
Lauren Profeta, executive director of the nonprofit Answer the Call—founded in 1985 and supported by notable figures like Pete Davidson—was one of the first to reach out.
“When a police officer, firefighter, or EMT is killed in the line of duty, we immediately provide their family with $50,000,” Profeta shared with The Post. “We want to alleviate any financial concerns during such a tragic time.”
Since 2017, Villella, Peter, and Delilah have received an annual stipend of $11,000 from ATC until the twins reach 25, assisting with their college expenses.
“The best homage we can pay to Detective Familia is to support the people she cherished most—her children,” Profeta emphasized.
Villella reflects on how her mother, the youngest of 10 siblings yet the first to graduate college, prioritized education and made it her mission to see her children succeed academically.
“Education was crucial to my mom,” Villella recalled. “We called her ‘Super-Mom’ for her unwavering commitment to providing us with a quality education and a nurturing home.”
She strives to instill the same supportive environment for the twins.
“I was just 17 when NYPD Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were murdered,” Villella recounted, remembering the December 2014 double shooting. “My mom made me promise I would care for Peter and Delilah if anything happened to her on the job. I’ve upheld that promise.”
Yet the journey has not been easy.
“I can’t express how challenging it is to be in my early twenties raising teenagers. I was entirely unprepared,” Villella admitted. “The custody process was emotionally draining and financially burdensome.”
After managing to find funds for a lawyer, she navigated the family court to obtain full legal guardianship of Peter and Delilah, only to face a grueling vetting process.
“They conducted background checks, fingerprinted me,” she recalled, overwhelmed. “But my love for them drove me to endure it all.”
Villella expressed nostalgia for the carefree lifestyle most young adults enjoy.
“I had to mature at an astonishing rate,” she noted, humorously sharing that Peter and Delilah sometimes view her as a clueless Gen Xer despite only being eight years older. “I’m 28, but the last eight years have felt like I’m 45.”
“I have borne the weight of responsibility and trauma to offer them a chance at a normal life in extraordinary circumstances,” Villella shared. “It’s been incredibly difficult.”
The twins acknowledge Villella’s sacrifices.
“Having my sister assume the role of parent was pivotal and one of my greatest blessings,” Peter expressed to The Post. “Genesis has taken on responsibilities no one should face at her age, and through it all, she showed my sister and me boundless love.”
“I will always be deeply thankful for her sacrifice,” he added, recognizing her unwavering support amid adversity.
As the twins approach adulthood—the same age Villella was when their mother was murdered—she is gradually rediscovering her individual identity beyond “white-knuckle” parenting.
In 2019, she earned her degree from Falmouth University, celebrated by Peter and Delilah at her graduation.
Currently, she works in marketing and communications for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which provides mortgage-free housing to families of deceased law enforcement and military members, including her current living arrangements.
“A significant part of my identity revolves around being a mom to Peter and Delilah,” she stated. “And despite their growing independence, they will always need me.”
While awaiting the next Assembly hearing, Villella is also considering furthering her education in law.
“Now that I have a moment to refocus on myself, I’m determined to continue advocating,” she shared. “Becoming an attorney has always been a goal.”
“Advocacy is critically important to me, and I aim to champion the rights of orphaned children of first responders, ensuring they receive the same respect, acknowledgment, and protection as surviving parents and spouses,” she articulated.
Villella is prepared for any challenge, whether in a classroom or courtroom.
“I’ve always been a fighter,” she declared. “My mom instilled that in me—to embody the tenacious spirit of a true New Yorker.
“You pull yourself up by your bootstraps and push forward.”
