Another card from Mrs. Toussaint’s class.
Letter from President and Laura Bush.
Letter from Senator Ted Kennedy.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I KNEW ALL ALONG I could never write this book alone. But I also never could have expected the incredible amount of support from the amazing people with whom I was blessed throughout the process. I can never say thank you enough for what they did, but I will say what I can right here to each of them.
To my coauthor, Dave “the Most Interesting Man Alive” Hollander, for without his relentless dedication, unquestionable trust, and determined commitment to the truth, this book would not have been possible. I am truly a richer person for having him in my life and for being able to call him my friend.
To my gifted team of handlers and advisers: my agent Ian Kleinert, my editor Mark Weinstein, and my sage counsel Sanford L. Hollander, Esq.
To my friends whose loyalty and ever-present encouragement steeled my determination to say what I had to say: Brian “Boozer” Wenrich, Jeff Fernandez, Scott Jenkins, Robert Finkman, Alexandra Gratsas Hollander.
To my family for their unconditional love without which I would be nowhere, silent and indifferent: Evelyn Benfante, Susan Benfante, Angelo and Lisa Benfante, Maria and Marc Guarducci, and my cousin Jimmy Giorgio.
And to the three greatest forces in my life: My wife, Joy, for her love and support.
My son, Michael, for reminding me every day what’s most important in life.
And God, for continuing to show me the way.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
MICHAEL BENFANTE became a national hero for his actions on September 11, 2001, when he and a co-worker carried a disabled woman in a wheelchair down sixty-eight flights of stairs and out of the World Trade Center North Tower to safety, just minutes before the tower imploded. He is the recipient of a host of honors and international recognition and has testified at a U.S. Senatorial special hearing about his 9/11 experience. Benfante is a 1987 Brown University graduate. He currently lives with his wife and his son in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
DAVE HOLLANDER is an author and columnist writing on sports and social issues in national publications including The Huffington Post, AOL Sports, SI.com, and Interview. Hollander serves on the faculty for the New York University Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management. Hollander lives in New York City with his wife and daughter. He has known Michael Benfante for fifteen years.
INDEX
America: A Tribute to Heroes,117
Andrews, Adam, 39, 40, 131–132,133
anger, 94, 118, 125, 148, 160, 161, 166, 169, 178, 181, 195, 200, 203, 204, 218
A-T Children’s Project, 135
Beamer, Lisa, 128
Benfante, Angelo, 15, 20, 21, 22, 195, 196
after the attacks, 93, 97, 109, 139, 194 9/11/2001, 73–74
Benfante family, 15–19,20, 90–98.
See also specific family members Dad, 16, 17–18, 21, 109, 149
hospitalization and death, 195–196, 197, 198, 201
lessons from, 208, 217
Mike and Joy’s wedding, 166 9/11/2001, 47–48, 90, 91, 92
trip to Boys’ Latin School of Maryland, 137–138
Mom, 16, 18–19, 90, 104, 140, 180, 201, 215 9/11 memorial, 165 9/11/2001, 92, 95, 96
Oprah, 134
Benfante, Joy (nee Osuna), 3, 14, 15, 22
day after 9/11, 89, 90, 92, 93, 94, 96
first date with Mike, 8, 9, 10
life after 9/11, 98, 140, 142, 146, 150, 160, 161, 163, 164
America: A Tribute to Heroes, 117, 121
involvement in foundations, 135
National day of Prayer and Remembrance, 110
tradition to honor 9/11, 176
trip to Germany, 151
married life post-9/11, 173, 174, 175, 180, 181, 183, 184, 185, 194, 202, 203, 204
book, idea of, 190
Network Plus and Mike, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 9/11/2001, 31, 40, 74, 75, 79, 82, 83, 85, 86
pregnancy and Michael Reyes, 199, 200, 201
wedding day, 167–169
wedding plans, 14
after 9/11, 115, 116, 117, 153, 154, 162, 166
rehearsal dinner, 166–167
Benfante, Maria, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 92, 166
Benfante, Michael Reyes, 200, 201, 202, 204, 207, 208, 212, 214, 215
Benfante, Susan, 21, 22, 92, 135
Bethphage, 135, 136, 218
Bingham, Mark, 129. See also Hoagland, Alice
bin Laden, Osama, 161
Biography, 152
Black Hawk Down (Bowden), 12, 15, 26–28, 31, 39, 143
Bowden, Mark, 12
Black Hawk Down, 12, 15, 26–28, 31, 39, 143
Boys’ Latin School of Maryland, 137–138
Brown University, 3, 18, 84, 125, 136, 139
Bush, George W., 109, 118, 120, 134, 177, 190
National Day of Prayer and Remembrance address, 110
Carrey, Jim, 117, 118, 119, 120, 134
CBS, 118, 119, 148, 163
Cerqueira, John, 41–42, 78, 104, 111, 113, 168
honors, 132, 135, 138
joining Network Plus, 61
media and, 96
America: A Tribute to Heroes, 117
Biography, 152
Good Morning America, 121
Oprah, 123, 127, 128, 129, 130, 133
Network Plus meeting, 102 9/11/2001, 76, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85
outside Tower 1, 62, 64, 65–66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 73, 75
survivor’s guilt, 96–97, 103 (see also guilt)
Tina Hansen, rescue of (see underHansen, Tina)
Chicago, 123, 124, 126–127, 134.
See also Oprah Winfrey Show
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, 138
Columbus Citizens Foundation Gala, 138
CompTel award, 132, 140
corporate America, 159, 195
Craig, Larry, 155, 156–157
Doran, Peter, 103
Early Show, The, 114, 163–164
Fernandez, Jeff, 6, 7, 127, 136, 167, 168
Finkman, Robert, 75, 82, 83, 84, 85, 89
firemen, 91, 92, 93–94, 119, 121, 149, 157, 176, 179, 190, 209, 210, 222
5th floor, 57, 58, 59, 60
55th–33rd floor, 48–51
outside the towers, 64, 68, 70
33rd–21st floor, 51, 52, 53
48 Hours, 148, 149, 150, 175
freedom, 188
Gaffney, Jim, 34, 35, 102
Gargano, Charles, 138
Germany, trip to, 151–152
Gibson, Charlie, 121
Giuliani, Rudolph, 31, 128, 129, 152
Good Morning America, 114, 121
Gordon, Gary, 27
greed, 188, 210
Greissinger, Lisa Kay, 104, 113
Ground Zero, 99, 112, 142–146
Early Show at, 164
pilgrims, protesters, and vendors at 186, 187–188, 189
guilt, 94, 95, 96–97, 100, 103, 104, 118, 123, 125, 132, 146, 148, 160, 166, 169, 178, 183, 195, 200, 203, 204, 218
Halderman, Joe, 150
Hale, Rob, 119, 123, 127, 128, 129
Hansen, Tina, 104, 110, 121, 136, 168, 213
media and, 113–114
People photo shoot, 104–105, 111–113, 139
Spider-Man, 152
rescue of, 43–46, 48–61, 137, 144, 156, 165, 203
Hayes, Billy, 81–82, 84, 85, 168
heroism, 50, 72, 133, 158, 209, 210.
See also all related topics
Holleran, Sr. Sheila, 139
instinct to help, 149
Ipsan, Phil, 39
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin”
(Sinatra), 9
Jacox, David, 135
Jefferson, Lisa D., 128
Jersey City, 15, 140
living in, 3, 10, 12, 23, 98, 163, 167 9/11/2001, 90, 9
6
John, Sujo, 102
Kittatinny Regional High School, 136, 137
Librescu, Liviu, 211, 213
Lindsey, Chad, 211–212, 213
Longorino, Joe, 39
Lucente, Neil, 103, 168
Manhattan, 5, 64, 77, 111
after the attacks, 112
Martin, Eric, 102
media, 95, 96, 109, 111,113, 114, 117, 120, 125, 135, 147, 150, 155, 60, 161, 162, 166, 169. See also other media-related topics
Chesley Sullenberger and, 210, 211
Le Monde, 158
obsession with scandal, 210
political discourse depicted in, 188
Telco Networks press release, 163
Vanity Fair, 158
memorials. See under 9/11
Menschen 2001, 151. See also Germany
Morfogen, Paul, 139, 169
Morfogen, Zachary, 139
National Day of Service, 221–223
Network Plus, 3–6, 7, 10, 22, 24, 34
after the attacks, 78, 98, 99, 101–103
closure, 154, 155, 156, 162
dot-com/telecom crash, 11
new office, 111, 114–115, 120, 134, 143
staff trip to Chicago for Oprah, 123–133
stocks, 10, 153
New Jersey, 3, 4, 25, 139, 153
Bloomfield, 3, 184
Kittatinny Regional High School, 136, 137
Montclair, 15, 164
Network Plus office, 5, 6, 98, 146 9/11/2001, 89–90
Orange, 14, 77
Verona, 3, 15, 90–98
New York City, 3–4, 77, 80, 135, 184, 199
after 9/11, 115
Network Plus office, 5, 6, 25 9/11/2001, 64
New York Times, 72, 212
Kakutani, Michiko, 193
Nichols, Kevin, 25, 32, 38, 102, 124, 130, 168 9/11, 19, 20, 94, 99, 100, 113, 114, 149, 188, 200–204, 209–210, 218.
See also all related topics
memorials, 161, 164–165 9/11/2001
after the explosions, 71–77, 78–86
before the attack, 31–34
81st floor in Tower 1, 34–39
exit from Tower 1, 40–60
outside Tower 1, 60–61, 62–75
Tower 1 collapse, 67–71
Tower 2, 63, 72–73
one-year anniversary, 163, 164, 165–166
survivors, 118, 123, 164, 189, 190, 209 9/11 fatigue, 176–177, 189
North Tower. See under Twin Towers
opportunism, 187, 188
Oprah Winfrey Show, The, 19, 126, 175, 188. See also Winfrey, Oprah
interview of Network Plus staff, 129–134
negotiations to appear in, 122–125
Pataki, George, 138
PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson), 6, 12, 23, 24, 31, 90, 186
Pentagon, 75, 79, 91, 158
Pleasantdale Chateau, 14, 167, 168
People, 104, 118, 139
photo shoot, 104, 110, 111, 112, 113
Powers, John, 8
Racioppe, Lou, 140
Red Cross, 71
Reinstein, Marc, 13, 32, 33, 34, 37, 102, 146, 168
Reynolds, Jen, 136
Ridge, Doug, 141
Rubicam, Paul, 34, 168
Schlesinger, Richard, 148
Shughart, Randy, 27
Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, 139
Smith, Shepard, 176
Sotack, Jen, 32, 33
Spider-Man, 152
South Tower. See under Twin Towers
Sullenberger, Chesley, 210–211, 213
Sullivan, Tom, 78, 168
Survivor, 159, 160
survivor’s guilt. See guilt
Tavern On Rush, 126
Terzano, James, 18
Telco Networks, 162, 163, 173
Today Show, The, 114, 135, 210
trauma, 92, 99, 101, 105, 154, 178, 181, 193, 195, 203, 209
Twin Towers, 26, 62, 72, 78, 90, 124, 157, 143, 158, 189, 210
Tower 1 (North), 4, 24, 26
collapse of, 67–71
81st floor, 34–39
exit from, 40–60
Tower 2 (South), 2, 47, 48, 55, 58, 62, 63, 72–73, 78, 97, 100, 102, 103, 131, 186
Toussaint, Angela, 124, 125, 130, 131, 190
Toussaint, Jeff, 125
United States Senate Hearing, 155–157, 175
unity, 127, 158, 159, 175, 201, 207–215
USA Today, 81, 96, 103, 118, 119
Wall Street Journal, 132
Wenrich, Brian “Boozer,” 28, 75, 77–80, 84, 168, 217
West Side Highway, 59, 60, 62, 63, 71, 73, 74, 75, 78
Winfrey, Oprah, 122, 123, 124, 125, 134. See also Oprah Winfrey Showinterview with Network Plus staff 129–134
World Trade Center, 5, 6, 24, 26, 110, 119, 187, 218. See also all related topics 9/11/2001, 37, 66, 75, 79, 103
Wright, Mike, 32, 38, 39, 102, 127, 131