He went for it full throttle - whatever it was, and he brought everyone along for the ride with him.
Meet Tommy.
Tommy was a beloved son, brother, uncle, Godfather, cousin, nephew and friend. He was also a dedicated, decorated, fearless and passionate New York City firefighter. On September 11, 2001, along with his brothers in Rescue 3, Tommy ran towards the unknown at Ground Zero with the sole intent to save others. On that day, he paid the ultimate sacrifice doing the job he often referred to as ‘the greatest job in the world’.
There are literally thousands of stories we could share about Tommy that would make you laugh until it hurts, or memories of how important and special he made everyone he met feel. We could detail the dozens of accolades that he achieved not only professionally as a firefighter, but also personally as a bull rider, a hunter, a bodybuilder, an actor and a model...those things are easy to talk about. The harder things to communicate, despite all of the amazing things we can all say about Tommy that undoubtedly bring smiles to our faces and pride to our hearts, is the true essence and uniqueness that was Tommy and what he meant to us.
Tommy pulled no punches - he was full of life, loud, boisterous, adventurous, hilarious, integrity driven and truly generous and kind. Tommy was also imperfect, yet he was perfectly aware of those imperfections, and he was someone that truly lived each moment of his life to the fullest despite of - or perhaps because of - his self-awareness of those imperfections.
He went for it full throttle - whatever it was, and he brought everyone along for the ride with him. Tommy was as carefree as one could be, he didn't take himself too seriously; but for those that really knew him - we witnessed a deepness of spirit and love within him that was unshakable. He defined loyalty, family, friendship, and commitment.
He is deeply missed. To know Tommy was to love him; he could never and will never be forgotten.