Former gridiron goliath Jim Fassel was hailed as a grassroots gladiator when the former New York Giants’ head coach was honored with ceremony at KeySpan Park for his work on behalf of the city’s uniformed 9/11 fatalities, and the loved ones they left behind.
Fassel, who created his namesake foundation one month after the World Trade Center terror attacks, was presented a plaque by Sol Moglen, founder of the Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance, in front of the handsome granite memorial, 1904 Surf Avenue, which his fundraising efforts helped complete in May.
The 30-x-12-foot tribute bears the laser-engraved images of 346 firemen, 37 Port Authority officers, 23 New York City cops, three New York State officers, one Fire Patrol worker and one K-9 dog, who perished rescuing others on September 11, 2001.
Fassel established his organization to help defray expenses not covered elsewhere with a view to providing a haven for victims’ families “with the minimal amount of red tape and bureaucracy.”
