Deacon Gruerio was ordained a Permanent Deacon on May 14, 1998.

He is a graduate of Pace University (BBA) and Girard College (Institution for Fatherless Boys 1946-1957).

He served in the US Navy Reserve, Active Duty from 1963-1964 aboard Destroyer USS Stickell.

Deacon Gruerio and his wife Maureen were married on May 1, 1966. They have 3 children and 4 grandchildren.

He was a volunteer Catholic Chaplain at Taconic Correctional Facility (1978-1982) and Downstate Correctional Facility (1982-2002) where he continued to volunteer after retiring from IBM as a Systems Analyst.