Two days before the nation marks the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the FDNY added the names of 39 members who died of World Trade Center-related illnesses to its Memorial Wall during a dedication ceremony at its headquarters in Downtown Brooklyn.
The wall, inscribed with the words, “Dedicated to the memory of those who bravely served this department protecting life and property in the City of New York in the rescue and recovery effort at Manhattan Box 5-5-8087 World Trade Center,” now bears the names of 402 FDNY personnel who died from illnesses linked to exposure to toxic dust at Ground Zero during rescue, recovery and cleanup operations in the months after the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil.
Before the reading of the names and the laying of flowers at the wall, FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker told family members and department personnel gathered outdoors that September remains a “time of great sadness” for the FDNY, which lost 343 firefighters on 9/11.
“It’s hard to believe so much time has passed as we remember the 343 members who died that day. It’s difficult to believe that those losses didn’t end there,” Tucker said, noting the thousands of FDNY personnel who have since been diagnosed with 9/11-related illnesses. “These losses continue to mount, and our heartbreak continues to grow.”
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the ceremony was a reminder that the tragedy did not end on 9/11 but continued to touch “every corner” of the FDNY.
“[The] impacts of the rescue and recovery effort have continued to claim the lives of the bravest and the best men and women of this department,” Esposito said. “The members we honor today are among those who ran toward danger that day, and in the days and weeks that followed.”
Mayor Eric Adams emphasized the importance of teaching younger generations about the terror attacks.
“We need to humanize what happened those 24 years ago and [not] allow time to erode how significant it was. The countless number of men and women ran towards danger, and we’re still losing their lives every day. And when we add these names on this wall to give honor to them, let’s also educate the young people of our society that this is the greatest country on the globe and this city is representative of that,” Adams said.
The number of FDNY members who have died from 9/11-related illnesses now exceeds the number killed on the day of the attacks.
Among those honored was retired FDNY Deputy Chief Nicholas Visconti, who led recovery efforts at Ground Zero and died Sept. 20, 2024.
Visconti’s daughter, Nicole Doherty, recalled that on Sept. 11, 2001, her father was driving from upstate to Queens when he learned about the attacks. In an August 2002 interview with Firehouse, Visconti said he set up a staging area at Shea Stadium before heading to Ground Zero with other firefighters.
Doherty remembered her family not knowing his whereabouts for hours because he had lost his phone in the rubble, until other firefighters told them he was safe. When he finally reached them in the middle of the night, his first words were: “I’m sorry. I can’t come home until I find all my friends.”
The ceremony, Doherty said, helps keep her father’s legacy alive.
“It makes us feel not alone without him. It makes us feel [that] he will never be forgotten,” she said. “He was really worried about that, not just for him, but his friends, and for everyone who was a part of that day, and feeling so supportive and knowing that he had that love back that he gave is really meaningful.”
Lori Cozzino attended the ceremony to honor her late husband, EMS Lt. Anthony Cozzino, who died on Sept. 7, 2024 from cancer
“Anthony was diagnosed only two months and 10 days before he passed away, so we didn’t really have much time to process it,” she said. “The FDNY has been absolutely amazing since Anthony became sick. When they say they’re a family, they’re really a family. They supported us. They were there for us every step of the way. They are still here for us today. They’re constantly checking in on almost a weekly basis. And I really, really love how they mean they will never forget.”
The names of the FDNY members added to the Memorial Wall are:
Firefighter Peter A. Quinn
Firefighter Arill Nyquist
Firefighter Stephen E. Russack
Firefighter Jose L. Hickson
Firefighter Joseph J. Scaramuzzino
Firefighter Joseph F. Tumulty
Firefighter Michael A. Wallace
Firefighter Edward D. Thompson
Firefighter James B. Johnsen
Firefighter John Tyrrell, Jr
Captain Thomas S. LaBarbiera
EMS Lt Anthony S. Cozzino
Deputy Chief Nicholas J. Visconti
Lieutenant James S. Cooney, Sr.
Firefighter Thomas E. Ryan
Lieutenant Patrick J. Ward
Firefighter Christopher W. McCormack
EMS Division Chief Mark E. Steffens
Firefighter John F. Connolly
Firefighter Anthony F. Mastrelli
Firefighter Christopher J. Bach
Firefighter Lawrence T. Murphy
Auto Mechanic Richard O. Sarnes, Jr.
Firefighter Thomas H. Gavitt
Firefighter Neil G. Gimpel
Firefighter Michael A. DeBenedetto
Battalion Chief Dennis J. Collopy
Firefighter Thomas L. Dunn
Carpenter Frank T. Leanza
EMS Lieutenant Pamela Hehn
Lieutenant James T. Sweeney
Firefighter Brian T. Fitzgerald
Firefighter Edwin J. Steffens
Battalion Chief Eugene T. Kelty, Jr.
Firefighter Daniel J. McCauley
Firefighter Christopher J. Revere
Fire Marshal Ronald A. Mitchell
Lieutenant Vincent C. McMahon, Jr.
Firefighter Robert S. Okorn
