J. J. "Jimmy" Welch has been a U.S. Marine, a Miami cop and a bail bondsman. Now, at age 60, he’s entered a new profession, insurance, and opened an office in Pinecrest.

The New York native has lived in Miami since 1960, coming here after a four-year hitch in the U.S. Marine Corps.

"It was either New York or Miami," he said with a chuckle from behind a desk in his new Ameriway Insurance Agency of Pinecrest office in the South Park Shopping Center, 12659 S. Dixie Hwy. "I had applied to both city’s police departments.

"But, I really wanted to come to Miami. I had been here on vacation a year earlier and it was so clean and pretty. I fell in love with the city."

Welch was accepted to the Miami Police Department and immediately enrolled in the police academy. He spent 11 years on the force before retiring. He became a bail bondsman and has worked in that field for 27 years. Welch says he’ll continue writing bail bonds in tandem with his new insurance business.

"I’m writing a book about my experiences in law enforcement and the bail bond business," he said.

And, quite a book it should be, what with his run-ins with murderers, jewel thieves, burglars and other criminal types. So knowledgeable is he about crime, that the television program America’s Most Wanted recently videotaped a segment with him.

"We did a round table discussion for the show at the Fontainebleu Hotel — me, a lawyer, a jewel thief and a jeweler," he explained, "We analyzed this million-dollar burglary case, which ultimately led to the capture of the burglar."

In the course of his career, Welch has done a lot of volunteer work. He was a member of the Elks Club and the Fraternal Order of Police and a supporter of the Boys Club and the Miami Children’s Hospital. He is most proud of his membership in the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, whose membership included Dan Marino and golfer Ken Venturi.

"We helped put a lot of kids through college with that organization," said Welch. "We raised a lot of money for the kids with our charity golf tournaments and dinners."

Welch said changes in the law dictated his decision to enter the insurance field, an area where he believes he can apply his expertise and knowledge. He went to insurance school, got his license and initially opened an office with a partner in Coral Gables.

"I wanted to be on my own," he related. "So I opened this office in Pinecrest. There’s a lot of opportunity here and it’s a beautiful area."

Welch is a general agent for Western Surety and writes a broad range of insurance coverage.

"You name it, we write it," he said. "Legal bonds, construction bonds, non-JUA homeowners policies, marine, auto, commercial, commercial auto, general liability, business liability, flood insurance, wind insurance. We cover the insurance spectrum."

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