DeMeo, Martin

Martin DeMeo, H.M. 1 Martin N. DeMeo A Dad, a Firefighter, a Fan September 21, 2001 Last Sunday, with his father still missing at the World Trade Center, 14-year-old Nick DeMeo took the mound and pitched for the Ronkonkoma Cardinals. Though his team lost a 3-2 game, he persevered the way his father would have wanted, said his mother, Joanie. Family and friends continue to wait for information about New York City firefighter Martin DeMeo from his Farmingville home. “We know he was stationed on the 12th floor of the tower that was hit second,” said his close friend, Frank Virga of Farmingville. “That’s all we know.” DeMeo, 46, joined the fire department 16 years ago and worked with the hazardous materials unit in Maspeth. Before that, he was a volunteer EMT in Port Washington, where he grew up, and a paramedic for the Nassau County Police Department. Like any dad, he was proud of his kids’ accomplishments – Nick’s pitching and daughter Kristen’s musical talents. Kristen, 16, will be heading off to college soon, and DeMeo was starting to think about touring campuses. A Yankees fan and baseball “addict,” as Virga described him, DeMeo has collected hundreds of players’ signatures on trading cards and balls that line the shelves of Nick’s bedroom. During spring training every year, DeMeo would mail out dozens of baseball cards to Major League players. The signed cards would find their way back to the DeMeo house through the rest of the season. He also enjoyed camping with friends and family and bought his first camper several months ago. His family spent a week at Hither Hills State Park in Montauk together every year. Virga said he jokingly called his friend “America’s volunteer,” because DeMeo was always so quick to offer his help to anyone who needed it. “He would show up at games with a big jug of water and a sleeve of cups for the kids,” Virga said. “Marty was just one of those guys where if you needed something, he was the first one to volunteer.” Also waiting to hear about DeMeo are his mother, Lena DeMeo of Setauket; brother Matt DeMeo of St. James; and sisters Mary Betulia of Old Lyme, Conn., and Florence Tomczak of Manahawkin, N.J.