9/11 Archives - Brooklyn Downtown Star

W’burg detective remembered with street co-naming

Matthew Fischetti on October 28, 2022

By Matthew Fischetti

mfischetti@queensledger.com

NYPD Detective Barbara Taylor-Burnette was many things: a mean point guard on the basketball court, a proud product of the Williamsburg Houses and a tireless advocate for 9/11 first responders.

Dozens of people piled onto the corner of Humboldt and Scholes Street, now known as “Detective Barbara Taylor-Burnette Place,” to celebrate the legacy of the 18-year veteran of the force this past Saturday. Fifty-eight-year-old Taylor-Burnette passed away on Dec. 30, 2021 after battling interstitial lung disease, inoperable lung cancer and other illnesses she contracted due to her first responder work in the weeks following 9/11.

She began her career working in the 73rd Precinct in 1988 when shootings in Brownsville were as high as 250 per year.

“When she left 10 years later, there were 80. Make no mistake about it, a reduction in violence like that does not happen by accident,” said Intelligence Operations and Analysis Section Inspector Joseph Seminara.

After her stint in the 73rd Precinct, she moved on to the Narcotics Division and worked as an undercover.

“I can tell you from personal experience that is the most dangerous and unpredictable assignment that you can imagine,” said Jeffrey Ward, treasurer of the Detective Endowments Association. “But she had the guts and the fortitude to do that. And as a result of that, she earned her detective shield. Earned.”

She later moved on to the Intelligence Division, now known as the Intelligence Bureau – a high-profile unit that is in charge of trying to prevent terrorist attacks.

In the weeks following 9/11, Taylor-Burnette selflessly spent time at the piles helping clear debris. And in the years following the attacks, she testified in front of Congress twice, advocating for the funding of the 9/11 Compensation Fund.

“Mom was a helper. If somehow, somewhere, someone she knew needed help – and it made it through the grapevine to her ears – she would move heaven and Earth to make sure that she was able to help,” her daughter, Yasmeen Burnett said. “When the towers fell, there was no second thought, there was a call to action. When asked to testify before Congress for the extension of health care benefits and compensation twice, there was no second thought.

Nicholas Papain, a personal injury lawyer who worked with Taylor-Burnette to fight for the Zadroga Act, described her as a “hero who would never call herself a hero.”

“For her, it was an opportunity to serve,” Papain, 69, said in an interview about her work in Washington D.C. “She was rather invigorated by the opportunity to go down there and once again serve her fellow first responders.”

Besides her work with the NYPD, current and former residents of the Williamsburg Houses, whose tight knit community refers to each other as family, fondly remembered the second floor resident of 185 Scholes Street for the love she gave people and her basketball prowess.

Aaron Jones, 58, first met Taylor-Burnette on the court. He remembers her as a disciplined person in everything she did, a talented ball player who used to beat up on all the guys and a smack talker that pushed him to be a better player.

“It’s kind of surreal to see one of your own be forever enshrined in the community that you grew up in. We have many great people here. But it takes someone to fall in the line of duty in order to bestow this honor,” Jones said. “And that’s the sad part of it. But you know, we’re happy that one of our own will always be remembered.”

Seventy-four-year-old Alvin Mack lived right above Taylor-Burnette. And while he said that it was good to see her memory honored with the street co-naming, he said that he wished more people from the Williamsburg Houses were able to speak at the ceremony.

“They should have allowed more of the people in the community who grew up with her, who loved her, who was poor with her because you would have got a real aspect of who she really was,” Mack said.

“She’s lovable. She was raised to love. She was raised to care. She was raised to be who she was,” he continued. “There’s not a bad thing you could say about her.”

In many ways, we failed the victims of 9/11

glendaleregstg on September 15, 2021

THE WOODHAVEN BEAT

Ceremony honors firefighters from Squad 288/Hazmat 1

glendaleregstg on September 15, 2021

There was a distinct emotional feeling among attendees at Maspeth Federal Savings’ annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony this year as the community marked the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
As it is annually, the ceremony was held in front of a 9/11 monument in Maspeth Memorial Park dedicated to the 19 firefighters from Squad 288/HazMat 1 and others from the community who lost their lives on that morning.
The Squad 288/Hazmat 1 firehouse, which is located just off the memorial park, had the single largest loss of firefighters of any FDNY firehouse on September 11.
But this year’s ceremony looked a bit different, with the gate surrounding Memorial Square behind the monument adorned with banners displaying the names of the firefighters from Squad 288/HazMat 1.
Each name was read aloud at the event.
Kenneth Rudzewick, host of the event, cited the importance of holding memorial ceremonies like this one every year.
“This is a 20-year journey that has affected most of our lives, remembering the attack and marking it is vital,” he said. “There is no better way to honor the lives of those heroes taken in 2001 than to protect and honor their fellow rescuers of today.”
The ceremony included words from Vincent Tomeo, a retired high school teacher and poet; music from husband-and-wife duo Bill and Liz Huisman, and the singing of the National Anthem by Kathleen Nealon.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to sit here for the last 20 years,” said Nealon. “I keep all of those who died on 9/11 and their families in my prayers always, as well as those who have died from 9/11-related illnesses and continue to suffer from that day.”
In addition to the 343 firefighters killed directly in the attack, 253 later died due to complications from their rescue work at Ground Zero.
Maspeth Federal Savings continues to honor them and add them to the memorial, including Firefighter Thomas Oelkers, who died just this May from a World Trade Center-related illness.
Congresswoman Grace Meng and Councilman Robert Holden discussed the importance of not only remembering and honoring the lives lost, but also how to carry out justice on their behalf in the present day.
Meng said that Congress is working on a resolution to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11 to ensure that New York’s future generations never forget the events of that day.
“We are also working on a bipartisan basis to make sure that we are fully funding the health programs that will benefit so many of the victims’ families and to take care of those who are still with us,” she said.
Holden, alongside the Juniper Park Civic Association, has fought to have the Maspeth firehouse recognized as a landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission turned down their request because it was constructed too recently.
“The Landmarks Preservation Commission will have to landmark this,” he said “We’re not going to wait 30 years.”

Restaurant workers from Twin Towers recall experiences

glendaleregstg on September 15, 2021

On the morning of September 11, 2001, the restaurant staff at Windows on the World went about their business as usual on the top floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. They prepared food in the kitchen, served breakfast to the tourists and businessmen outside, and started getting the lunch menu ready.
Within the next few hours, 73 members of the restaurant staff would be dead.
The impact of 9/11 on the Windows on the World restaurant workers has not been forgotten. Every year since the attack, a dedicated group of survivors and organizers has held a vigil to remember their fallen coworkers and friends.
On the 20th anniversary this past weekend, a special vigil was held on the roof of 110 William Street. With a perfect view of One World Trade Center, approximately 45 Windows on the World workers were joined by politicians, dignitaries, and friends for speeches, a candle lighting, and moments of silence.
“Today we honor the 73 restaurant workers who died on September 11,” said Fekkak Mamdouh, an East Elmhurst resident and former worker at Windows on the World. “We should never forget them, their struggle, and their sacrifice.”
Former Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the event’s keynote speaker. She discussed the ongoing sacrifices that restaurant workers make during times of hardship, including 9/11 and now the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m here today to thank all of you for honoring those who were lost and who continue to work and serve,” Clinton said. “People who are working in service, restaurants, and hospitals are always working to make this a better country, and today we remember those workers who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
A number of local politicians were also in attendance, including State Senator John Liu. Speaking to our paper, Liu discussed the ways in which essential workers continue to be a source of inspiration for their communities.
“Twenty years seems like a long time, but I know we all remember September 11, 2001, like it was yesterday,” Liu said. “But as terrible as that day was, in the coming days and years it brought out the best in people across New York City and beyond. We remember the first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice, but we must remember all the service workers that died that fateful day. No one was collateral damage. Every death mattered.”

9/11 mural restored on 20th anniversary of attacks

glendaleregstg on September 15, 2021

A mural honoring three local residents killed in the 9/11 attacks has been given new life with a fresh coat of paint.
The faces of Marcello Matricciano, Edward Lehman and James Cartier can be seen on the wall of N&R Deli at the corner of 25th Avenue and 77th Street in East Elmhurst.
Originally painted in 2015 by nonprofit group Groundswell, a restoration process was started after funding was secured by the Queens Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber president and CEO Thomas Grech said he noticed the mural was in need of a touch-up during one of his many breakfast trips to the deli. The chamber’s headquarters is located not far away.
“One day in July, the phone started ringing when I was getting my eggs,” said Grech. “I went out to answer the phone and I looked up at this wall. For those of you who haven’t seen it lately, it was starting to peel.”
Soon after, local artists Benny Guerra and Carlo Nieva began scraping and peeling off the old paint that had been weathered and beaten over the past six years.
“We tried to save as much of the original paint as possible,” said Guerra. “By the time we peeled all of it off, about 60 percent of the mural needed attention.”
The artists referenced photographs taken from the mural’s original dedication, applying a coat of primer and color-matching the old and new paint.
The 16-by-40-foot mural will soon be given another clear coat to extend its life even further.
“My favorite part is the integration of the old World Trade Center towers with the Freedom Tower,” said Nieva. “They are patriots.”
Deputy Chief Kevin Williams of the NYPD extended his thoughts to the families of the 9/11 victims who were in attendance for the rededication of the mural.
“I think this is symbolic of the American spirit and the New York spirit,” said Williams. “Over the years, this mural may have been battered and worn, but same thing as that day. We came back, made it stronger, and made our country better.”
John Cartier, the brother of one of the victims honored in the mural, expressed his gratitude for all those involved in restoring the mural. He remembers his brother, who died at 26 years old, as full of life and always having something funny to say.
“I think it’s important as family members to recognize all of you who have carried us through a time of darkness,” said Cartier. “All of you in this neighborhood were the light. You guys gave us hope to continue forward.”

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