Inspector Anthony Infante

On September 11, Inspector Anthony Infante, Jr. was in Jersey City attending a Port Authority meeting. He was one of the many Port Authority officers to rush to Manhattan to aid in the evacuation of the buildings. As reported by the New York Daily News, an e-mail from a survivor to his brother, Andy, said that Inspector Infante was seen in the North Tower going up the stairs. He was calming people down and telling them there was a clear exit to the street. “You could all imagine what a comfort it was to see Anthony in the stairwell and to hear his comforting words,” the e-mail said. Inspector Infante always knew he would be a policeman. He worked for the Newark Police Department, then joined the Port Authority. He worked there for twenty years, eventually becoming a commanding officer for JFK Airport. He is survived by his wife, Joyce, and their children, Marie and John Joseph. Infante was active in the community, coaching his children’s softball and basketball teams, volunteering at a soup kitchen, and teaching at St. Patrick’s Church in Chatham, New Jersey. After attending night classes, he earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Peter’s College in Jersey City and an M.A.E. from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey.