HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Most families grow one child at a time. Jacqueline Cracchiola's grew one life at a time.
The 66-year-old former Hamtramck police detective spent 25 years in law enforcement — 19 of them as a detective — and built a family that reflects the kind of America she believed in: One where background doesn't determine belonging.
See the full story in the video below
"My one theory when I was becoming a police officer was if I could make a difference in one child's life through my career, I did my job," Cracchiola said. "I made sure I did a little bit more."
That "little bit more" meant adopting four children, fostering six, and helping several others along the way. Over the years, kids from every background — Polish, Italian, Yemeni American, African American, mixed — grew up under one roof just outside of Hamtramck.
They call it the Crack House.
"The last name, Cracchiola. Family nickname is Crack. So everyone calls it the crack house," said Joseph Cracchiola, 32, Jacqueline's biological son.
A family built on need, not bloodline
Jacqueline grew up one of seven children and wanted her biological son Joe to have what she had — a house full of siblings.
"I was an only child until maybe 12 years old. I was bored playing with toys by myself," Joe said. "I remember the first day I met both of them. Playing with them and realizing, like, these are my siblings now."
When asked about her family's diversity, Jacqueline didn't hesitate.
"There's no color in my family whatsoever. They're all children that needed somebody to love them," she said.
"When they look at each other, they don't see any difference. That's their brother, that's their sister."
Pulled from foster care at age 3
William Cracchiola, now 26, was 3 years old when Jacqueline pulled him out of foster care — along with his biological sister Lillian, now 25.
"If I didn't get adopted, I wouldn't be here," William said.
He means that literally.
"I wouldn't be alive. When they adopted me, I was skin and bone, and you could see my rib cage. I was having seizures and fever," he said.
Lillian said the two were lucky to escape a system that can be difficult to leave.
"We are more of the fortunate ones to get out of that system because I feel like once you're in it, it's hard to escape that, especially if you're in the hands of the wrong family," Lillian said.
"Just being able to experience such a great family and siblings and then also to stay close with my biological brother has helped tremendously," she said.
'You start to shut off after a while'
Sammy Atkins, 30, came into the family at 15. His journey took him from foster homes and juvenile detention to becoming the kind of father he never had growing up.
"You start to shut off after a while. I think a lot of us kids came from broken homes and where we really didn't have a light or a path forward," Atkins said. "And I think our mother really kind of brought us in and showed us like, hey, if you pay attention in school, pick a sport and just stay grounded and be a part of this family, you really can have a second chance."
When asked about that second chance, Atkins said it wasn't something he expected.
"Yeah, definitely. It took a while. You know, I got brought in when I was 15 years old, so my childhood was pretty much up," he said.
Today, the family Atkins describes is sprawling.
"I'm Sammy Atkins. This is Darian Brooks. Okay. We got Grayson. We got his wife Megan. We got Billy Cracchiola. We got Paige Cracchiola and their two daughters. We got Xavier. We got Carter and Lily. We got Jada. We got Laura, Joe. Samurai Kenai, Gino, my wife Lissandra, we got Damon. Man, okay, yeah. So we're pretty much all siblings. And then there's all of our spouses and significant others," Atkins said.
'I need them'
To keep the house running, Jacqueline did whatever it took — chopping wood, making decorative pigs out of old heating and cooling tanks, all while working in law enforcement.
"Whether I have my last $2 and my child needs something, that child's gonna get that before I ever worry about getting something for myself," she said.
When asked what she sacrificed, Jacqueline pushed back on the premise.
"Really, I can't say I sacrificed a lot. I think by what they gave me, all those sacrifices go away. You know, I might not have the perfect clothes, I might not drive the nicest car around, but that's okay. I don't need those things. I need them," she said.
She now has six grandchildren.
Joe said stepping into a big-brother role for the whole family has shaped who he is.
"I'm the one taking them to practices and going to parent-teacher conferences. And so for me, being the oldest for this whole family is such an honor. Like, I'm just, I feel like I'm special because of all of them," he said.
'These kids needed somebody'
When asked if she's the definition of Wonder Woman, Jacqueline laughed it off — but didn't entirely disagree.
"I was Wonder Woman once for Halloween. Some people might say that. I don't know why I do the things I do, but I just know that they were important, and these kids needed somebody," she said.
Lillian said the family's story is one she wants others to hold onto.
"I told myself I would not cry. I suck. But yeah, just never give up. Always believe in yourself, even when life throws you curveballs. Everyone's going through something hard," she said.
As America marks 250 years of independence, the Crack House in Hamtramck stands as its own kind of landmark — one built not on history, but on the choice to show up for someone who needed it.
"There's never a dull moment at the Crack House," Joe said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
