▁and ▁printing ▁business es , ▁and ▁are ▁loyal ▁trade ▁union ▁members . ▁He ▁has ▁a ▁ 1 5 - year - old ▁daughter ▁named ▁L inda . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁police ▁officer ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Law ▁& ▁Order ▁universe ▁ ▁Cer re ta ▁joins ▁the ▁ 2 7 th ▁Det ect ive ▁Squad ▁after ▁S gt . ▁Max ▁Gree vey ▁is ▁murder ed . ▁Gree vey ' s ▁partner , ▁Det . ▁Mike ▁Log an , ▁is ▁initially ▁very ▁critical ▁of ▁Cer re ta , ▁who ▁was ▁originally ▁brought ▁in ▁to ▁lead ▁the ▁investigation ▁into ▁Gree vey ' s ▁murder ▁and ▁hence ▁is ▁seen ▁by ▁Log an ▁as ▁an ▁inter lo per . ▁In ▁later ▁episodes , ▁however , ▁the ▁two ▁develop ▁a ▁close ▁working ▁relationship . ▁ ▁Like ▁most ▁detect ive ▁characters ▁on ▁Law ▁& ▁Order ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁seasons , ▁Cer etta ▁car ries ▁a ▁Smith ▁& ▁W ess on ▁Model ▁ 3 6 ▁revol ver ▁as ▁his ▁duty ▁weapon . ▁In ▁one ▁episode , ▁he ▁mentions ▁that ▁he ▁has ▁never ▁fired ▁his ▁weapon ▁on ▁duty ▁in ▁his ▁entire ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁career . ▁ ▁Cer re ta ▁goes ▁under cover ▁to ▁bro ker ▁a ▁deal ▁with ▁gun ▁deal er ▁George ▁Lob rano ▁( Mark ▁Marg olis ) ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁break ▁a ▁Colomb ian ▁drug ▁ring ▁that ▁had ▁ordered ▁a ▁murder . ▁However , ▁during ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁transaction , ▁the ▁hyper active ▁deal er ▁pan ics ▁and ▁sho ots ▁Cer re