After 12 years of service with the NYPD, John followed in the footsteps of his father Anthony and his brother Gerard by joining the New York City Fire Department. “He knew you work as a team, as a unit in the Fire Department — he liked that,” said his brother. “He always thought people call the Police Department when there's a problem, to get somebody bad, but you call the Fire Department when people need help.”
Although he was 37 at the time, John prepared with singular determination and graduated the Fire Academy in 1998. He was first assigned to Engine Co. 219 on Dean St. in Downtown Brooklyn. As part of the standard rotation for probationary firefighters, he rotated through Ladder Co. 81 in South Beach, Staten Island, and Engine Co. 80 in Harlem through 1999 into 2001.
John had just recently returned to his home company, Engine 219, to familiar surroundings serving downtown Brooklyn. Things were looking up. He had attained his Fire Department dream and just ended his probationary period. He was back in the neighborhood he knew, poised to start the rest of his career with his 40th birthday around the corner. Most importantly, he had met the girl of his dreams, Gina De Falco, and they had set their wedding date for October 2001. By all accounts, John was the happiest he had ever been.
On September 11th, when John arrived at Engine 219, coverage necessitated that he move across the floor to the sister unit in the house, Ladder 105. That morning both units were called to respond to the World Trade Center. John was last seen helping rescue people from Tower 2.
