Bertetto was born in Canton, raised in Havana, and graduated from Beardstown High School.  Prior to enlisting in the United States Marine Corps, he attended the then Canton Community College.  Bertetto graduated from recruit training and was trained as an Aircrew Survival Equipmentman.  He served in support of  Marine Corps actions in Vietnam and was awarded a Combat Action ribbon as well as the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, the Vietnam Service ribbon, and a Vietnam Campaign ribbon with two stars.  He then was assigned as a U.S. Marine Corps recruiter where he served for five years and was acknowledged at the local, regional, and national level for his recruiting excellence.  While on recruiting duty, Bertetto was meritoriously promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant prior to returning to his duties in the Fleet Marine Force.  He successfully supervised a number of Aircrew Survival sections and was promoted to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant.  As a Gunnery Sergeant, Bertetto was advanced to supervise an Airframes Division with the responsibility for ensuring the safe operation of a squadron of 24 multi-million dollar high performance reconnaissance aircraft.  In the absence of senior level supervisors, Bertetto was tasked with additional leadership responsibilities.  During his 20 years plus career in the Marine Corps, Bertetto also successfully completed assignments as a Career Planner and as an instructor at a regional Non-Commissioned Officer’s Academy where he instructed courses including Leadership, Close Order Drill, Customs and Courtesies, and Physical Fitness.  Bertetto is a graduate of the Marine Corps Staff Non-Commissioned Officer’s Academy, the Amphibious Warfare Extension Course, the Marine Corps Officer’s Basic School Extension Course, as well as courses in operations in urban terrain and terrorism counteraction.  His awards include the National Defense Medal, the Good Conduct Medal with 5 stars, a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with star, and a Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon with star.  He also was recognized as a Marine Corps Rifle Expert 8 times as well as a Marine Corps Pistol Expert 8 times.  Upon his retirement, he was honored with a retirement parade hosted by the Commanding General, Third Marine Air Wing.

  Two years prior to his retirement from the Marine Corps, Bertetto applied for and was commissioned a Reserve Deputy Sheriff with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.  After completing the required training, he began his law enforcement career serving as a patrol deputy at the Yucaipa Sheriff’s Station.  He donated thousands of hours as a reserve deputy and eventually was responsible for completing background checks for reserve deputy applicants.  Upon retirement, Bertetto attended the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy and was commissioned a full time SBSD Deputy Sheriff.   His primary assignments were in the SBSD Corrections Bureau and a return to the Yucaipa Station where his patrol training was in traffic enforcement.  He mastered every position assigned to him while in the Corrections Bureau, and, on occasion, was tasked with the responsibility of supervising other shift members during the absence of higher ranking deputies.  He was the facility association representative and received training in representing other employees during disciplinary procedures.  Bertetto implemented a database for tracking criminal street gang members who were incarcerated at his facility.

  Bertetto’s final, and most rewarding assignment, was to the SBSD Corrections Bureau Compliance Unit.  There he was responsible for ensuring that all jail facilities within San Bernardino County were in compliance with all local, state, and federal standards that apply to jails.  During this assignment, Bertetto continued to instruct at the Basic Academy, the Advanced Officers Academy, the Reserve Officers Academy, the Citizens Academy, and provided instruction to allied agencies with regards to correctional matters.  Not only did he provide the instruction, he was responsible for creating the training syllabus, the handouts, and all training aids.  Bertetto authored a manual for completion of gang information contact cards that is still in use.  In 2004, the voters in CA. passed Proposition 69, which became CA Penal Code 296.  This section of the Penal Code authorizes the collection of DNA samples from certain classes of inmates in a jail.  Bertetto was assigned the task of establishing the process in the jail.  The assignment included all county as well as all allied agencies within the county.  He provided the training, wrote the necessary policies, and, as an outcome, was ultimately responsible for the collection of 33,000 DNA samples in the county jail facilities alone during the first 12 months of collection.  His professional affiliations include the CA. Gang Investigators Association, the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Gang Suppression Project, and he served as the Co-Chairman of the Inland Empire Gang Investigators Association.  At his retirement ceremony, Bertetto was recognized by the LAPD, the CA Dept. of Corrections and the FBI/Joint Terrorism Task Force for his contributions in gang reduction matters. 

  Bertetto and his wife of 39 years, Joann, currently live in Sheffield.  They are the parents of three sons. Christopher, the oldest and his wife, Lorraine, live in Highland, CA, and are both San Bernardino County Deputy Sheriffs.  His middle son, John, and his wife, Magan, live in Chicago where John is a Chicago Police Officer and Magan works in the hotel industry.  John and Magan are the parents of Anthony.  Bertetto’s youngest son, Michael, lives in Las Vegas where he is a public relations executive. 

  “I sincerely believe that the leadership tools from my career in the U.S. Marine Corps and the administrative tools from my career in the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department are exactly what are needed in the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department.  I want to ensure that the residents of Bureau County are provided the level of law enforcement they demand.  And, that the staff of the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department are the most professional, knowledgeable, and well trained available and that other agencies will point to them as a model for a rural county to follow.”