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Everybody might love Raymond, but fans of the show have spent plenty of time thinking about Robert Barone, too. Robert, the often forgotten older brother, served as a member of the police force from the moment fans meet him to the show’s very last episode. As a member of New York’s finest for decades, you’d think Robert would have a nest egg set aside, but it appears that he did not. So, where exactly did all of Robert’s money go?

How much would Robert have made in real life?

Police officers, as public servants, aren’t exactly paid a ton of money. The danger associated with their job, at the very least, doesn’t seem to align with how much they are paid for their service, but still, they make a solid enough salary to live in most cases. Robert, presumably, worked as a local police officer on Long Island, where his family was based.

According to the Department of Justice, an entry-level police officer would have made around $35,000 per year in the year 2000. Robert, however, wasn’t an entry-level officer at that point. He was likely making closer to $55,000 per year because of the number of years he had already put in. After taxes, Robert would have likely taken home around $3500 per month.  

What could he have spent all of his money on?

Sure, it isn’t like Robert was making money hand over fist, but when you look at his expenses, he should have been able to make his salary work, with plenty of money left over at the end of the day. For several years, Robert lived at home with his parents, Marie and Frank Barone. He didn’t seem to have money issues at that point, likely because he wasn’t paying for anything. He didn’t pay rent, as stated by Frank, and he seemingly ate all of his meals at home. Once he moved out, he had more bills to pay, but was it enough to make him go broke?

Probably not. Once Robert left his parents’ house, he moved about a mile from their home on Long Island. His apartment was pretty basic, and likely cost him around $1,000 per month at the time. We never see what type of car Robert drives, but to be fair, let’s assume he also had a car payment to deal with. Even adding in a car payment, in addition to car insurance, cable, and electricity, Robert’s monthly output was probably no more than $2,000 per month. That should have left him about $1,500 a month in money to do with whatever he pleased. Not to mention, all of the money he should have banked while living in his childhood bedroom.

Did Robert have a secret gambling habit?  

When Robert’s department experiences budget cuts, he has to cut back on his overtime hours, and, apparently, finds himself in some financial trouble. Ray and Debra agree to loan him some money. That seems like no small feat, considering the fact that, by all accounts, they should actually be broke. Instead of using the money to get ahead on his bills, Robert claims he’s traveling to Las Vegas to blow off some steam.

The admission has led some fans to wonder if the police officer, perhaps, had a secret gambling habit. It would make sense. New York state isn’t far from New Jersey’s Atlantic City, where gambling is legal. If Robert took off for a day here and there, his family likely wouldn’t notice. After all, everyone was too focused on Raymond, anyway. If he did have a secret gambling habit, it would explain where all his money went. The writers, however, never mention exactly where his paychecks went.  

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