Monthly Archives: November 2014

Firefighter John Schardt

On 9/11, Firefighter John Schardt, 34, didn’t know he was going to have a third son. His wife didn’t learn she was pregnant until the 13th. John Jr. was born eight months later.
Schardt was a man who loved his job, … Continue reading

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Firefighter Christopher Pickford

Christopher Pickford, 32, stood 6’5.” His family called him “a gentle giant.”
 He played guitar in his band “Ten Degree Lean,” wrote music, poetry and prose, and worked as a paralegal for the Queens’ DA office, but really all he … Continue reading

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Firefighter Gregory Buck

Firefighter Gregory Buck, 37, met his wife when they were both students at nursing school, which he finished at the top of his class although he never practiced the profession. Two months after graduating, the FDNY called him up and … Continue reading

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Lt. Paul Martini

Lt. Paul Martini studied for six hours every day he wasn’t on duty. He planned to ace the upcoming Captain’s test. His wife never doubted that he would. He was following in the footsteps of his father who served 33 … Continue reading

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Lt. Charles Margiotta

Lt. Charles Margiotta was also a stunt man for the movies, a private investigator, a baseball, basketball and soccer coach, and a substitute teacher. Chuck, 44, had been first in his class in probie school and had 20 years with … Continue reading

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Firefighter Allan Tarasiewicz

When Allan Tarasiewicz was 33 he was the oldest rookie in his class. This former Marine had also once been a coal miner. “Taz,” 45, loved a challenge, and his 11 years with the FDNY fit the bill. On September … Continue reading

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Firefighter Nicholas Rossomando

His nickname was “Nicky Love.” Even at the karate dojo, that’s what he was called. Nicholas Rossomando, 35, was one of those enthusiasts with a reputation for giving 1000% to anything he tried. His love of carpentry led him to … Continue reading

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Firefighter Jeffrey Palazzo

Firefighter Jeffrey Palazzo, 33, enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1988 and remained a member of the Coast Guard Reserve. He came to Rescue 5 just 18 months before 9/11, after five years at Ladder 109 in Brooklyn. He had … Continue reading

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Firefighter Douglas Miller

Firefighter Douglas Miller, “Daddy” to his three young girls, used to fashion a “basket” of rope to cradle their hips when he would lower them one-by-one out the window for the family fire drills. Miller, 34, had been with the … Continue reading

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Firefighter Joseph Mascali

On December 5, 2013, seven of the new FDNY Probies were either sons or brothers of firefighters lost on 9/11. One of those graduates was the son of Joseph Mascali of Rescue 5. Joseph Mascali, 44, worked in construction for … Continue reading

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