Morello, Vincent

Vincent Morello, Lad 35 Family and friends packed Trinity Lutheran Church in Middle Village last Friday for the funeral services of New York City firefighter Vincent Morello. Morello, 34, a Middle Village resident, who was a member of Ladder 35 in midtown Manhattan, had been a fireman for about 18 months. On the morning of September 11th, he had just finished his overnight tour when the call came from the World Trade Center. Morello put on his gear and climbed onto the fire truck that took him to where he would never return from. It is believed that Morello was searching for civilians in the World Trade Center when it collapsed, according to his brother Marc Morello. Among the attendees was Hank Sajovic, a firefighter from Illinois, who did not know Morello but came to pay his respects to a fellow firefighter. He was joined by several other firemen from his Illinois ladder company. Ann Tully also didn’t know Morello but made her way to Trinity Lutheran Church that Friday to mourn his loss out of a sense of duty. “Mayor Guiliani asked for people to come to the funerals and I came. My son is a firefighter. I have a certain dedication to them.” During the service, Marc Morello silenced the room by playing guitar to a song entitled “The Dance,” which was sung by Connie Pachl. It was chosen by Morello’s family to remember his life as the joyous dance that it was, according to his brother. A serious Rangers fan, who also enjoyed playing softball, Morello graduated from McClancy High School in 1985 and attended St. John’s University for one year. Soon after he joined the Fire Department as a mechanic, where he worked for 12 years. “He could fix anything with his hands. He was extremely gifted that way,” his brother said. During the eulogy, after recalling one of the last verbal spars between the two, which revolved around whether or not Swiss cheese is an appropriate cheese for sandwiches, a choked-up Morello admitted he had never told his brother that he loved him, and that this was his opportunity. His father, John, a retired fire chief and 33-year veteran, said at first Vincent did not seem to have his heart set on being a fireman. “Years ago, I asked him about becoming a fireman. Vincent said, ‘Dad when there’s a fire the smart people run out of the building, not in.’” In his sermon, Pastor Leo Longan described the fireman as a true martyr who died in the uniform of a savior rather than with the weapons of death. Morello is survived by his wife, Debi; son, Justin, 7, and daughter, Paige, 5. His parents, John and Patricia, are also from Middle Village.