Tender
Dad at Home Was a Rambo at a Fire
January
22, 2002
When he became a firefighter three years ago, taking the badge
number of his retired firefighter father was the fulfillment of
a life's dream for Brian Cannizzaro.
"His dad was his hero, his idol," said Cannizzaro's
wife, Jacqueline. "He wanted to make him proud every day."
But to Cannizzaro's father, Sam, of Staten Island, Brian was the
hero - even before he became a martyr, lost in the terrorist attacks.
"Everyone says, 'He always wanted to be like you,' "
his father said. "I told him, 'Brian, I wish I could be half
the firefighter that you are now.' "
In the months since Cannizzaro, 30, of Staten Island, was lost,
his younger brother has also started the process of becoming a
firefighter. Craig Cannizzaro, 27, hopes to start classes this
spring. He had always planned to be a firefighter, he said, but
his brother's loss "just makes more motivation to actually
finish what he started."
Cannizzaro seemed an ideal firefighter to his younger brother.
"He was built like an ox," his brother said. "He
had the perfect build, the perfect mentality for the job. Almost
like a Sylvester Stallone in 'Rambo' type of person."
But to his wife, Cannizzaro's strength was his balance - his ability
to handle anything he took on.
"He was very confident in everything he did, and really excelled
in everything he did," she said.
This confidence was evident in his marriage proposal in 1996.
He surprised her before a packed Broadway show, "Beauty and
the Beast." During the curtain call, the actor playing the
prince asked the audience to sit down. Then he asked Cannizzaro
and Jacqueline to stand.
"He said, 'Brian has given me the honor of asking you if
you will marry him,' " she recalled. "I turned to Brian,
and he was on his knee with the most beautiful ring I had ever
seen."
Fifteen months ago, Cannizzaro used his firefighter training to
deliver the couple's first child, Christopher. They had planned
to start trying for another child this month.
Cannizzaro handled fatherhood with his usual grace, rearranging
his schedule to stay home with Christopher during the day when
his wife returned to work as a schoolteacher in September. "You
have just never seen a more proud father," she said. "He
cooked. He took care of the baby. ... He'd walk my son around
the neighborhood."
On the morning of Sept. 11, Cannizzaro left for work early, as
usual, his wife said. "I kissed him and said, 'Be careful.
I love you,' as usual."
He was last seen evacuating workers in the lobby of Tower Two.
Seven from Ladder Co. 101 in Red Hook were lost that morning.
"He was never one to back down or be the shy one," said
Cannizzaro's older brother, Charles, of Greenwich, Conn. "He
was always the one leading the charge.
"His fate was probably inevitable with that kind of drive
that he had," his older brother said. "At least that's
the way you try to look at it."
Missing his sense of humor, his "sinister smile," and
his "fish-that- got-away stories," Cannizzaro's brothers,
father and sister-in-law have found their own way to honor him
- with tattoos. His badge number, 11126, is on both brothers and
Charles' wife, Tami. Craig's and Sam's also include portraits
of Cannizzaro in a gladiator mask, a reference to the movie "Gladiator,"
whose message resonated for Cannizzaro.
His father quoted the movie - "What we do here on Earth echoes
in eternity."
And, Sam said, "what he did that day, I'm sure is going to
echo in eternity."
-- Indrani Sen (Newsday)
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