Firefighter John Vigiano II
Ladder 132
Memorial
Service
held
on Thursday, May 23rd
Growing
Up Right Maybe there was something in the water. For some
reason, perhaps a dozen men who came
of age during the 1970's and 80's in Deer Park, N.Y., developed
an appetite for civic duty. They became New York City police
officers and firefighters in their professional lives, and
volunteer firefighters with Engine Company No. 2 in Deer
Park in their personal ones. They called it the Deer Park
Connection, and Firefighter John Vigiano and Detective Joseph
Vigiano, two of the tightest brothers you could ever find,
were among the best-liked and most accomplished members.
Both followed the unwritten manual on growing up right in
Deer Park, said their father, John Vigiano, a retired captain
in the New York City Fire Department. They were active in
sports. They became Eagle Scouts. They hatched pranks that
were wicked in their creativity but gentle in their impact. "They
never embarrassed me," said Captain Vigiano. "They were good
fathers, good husbands and they were good men. John Vigiano,
at 36, was older by two years, though his brother never let
him forget that he was also four inches shorter and maybe
30 pounds lighter, too. John was the quieter of the two,
and spent as much time as possible with his two young daughters,
his father said. He was a terrific hockey player (and rabid
Rangers fan) and he would occasionally rent out an entire
rink for his family, his brother's family and a few other
friends. Joseph Vigiano, who was known as Joey, loved to
mug for the cameras and played lacrosse on the Police Department
team, said his wife, Kathy, a fellow police officer. On the
job, he was commended for his bravery: he survived being
shot on three different occasions. At home, he taught his
two boys how to build derby cars of pine. Eventually, he
was going to do the same with his youngest son, now 6 months
old. For now, the Vigianos are collecting anecdotes and tributes
from friends and relatives on a new Web site, www.vigiano.com.
Here, presumably, is one of the last stories: On the Sunday
before Sept. 11, Kathy Vigiano returned home after the first
game of the season in her soccer league, bruised and tired.
She was prepared to make dinner, but instead, she saw that
her husband had fixed prime rib, Caesar salad, mashed potatoes,
and broccoli with cheese — while watching their baby, too.
All this from a guy who had previously insisted that he only
knew how to make spaghetti sauce.
Golf
Web Article
Newsday Article
Newsday Sphere Article
NYPD News Article