Jim Giaccone

On September 11, Jim Giaccone was a plumbing contractor on a construction site in Queens, New York. Minutes before nine o’clock, his wife called him, saying she saw something hit one of the Towers on the television. Not sure which one, she urged Giaccone to call his brother, Joseph Michael Giaccone, who worked in an office on the 103rd floor of the North Tower, right away. Joseph Michael Giaccone did not survive that day.

Giaccone recalls seeing black smoke billowing from the North Tower, leaving him breathless. He called his father and instructed him to turn on the television when he saw the ball of flame coming out of the South Tower. Giaccone’s father repeated, “Oh my God, oh my God,” over and over again.

Giaccone attempted to reach his brother’s wife, with no success. Eventually, she called him and confirmed that his brother was there, he had called her at 8:30 AM. She then pleaded to Giaccone, “You need to be there for my kids because you are the closest they have to him.” Joseph Giaccone was in the prime of his life; he was 43 years old and had just bought a big, beautiful house for his loving family. He left behind his wife, their 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son.

In the immediate days following September 11, Giaccone recalls feeling angry with the Muslim faith as a whole, however, his perspective has evolved with the knowledge that it is not the Muslim religion that perpetrated the horrific act that killed his brother. Rather, it is zealots, and zealots of any faith are dangerous.

Giaccone would like his brother to be remembered, first and foremost, as a good man; he was a good father, a good husband, and a good brother. He was never able to watch his children grow into adults, get married, and become parents.

As Giaccone reflects on September 11, 2001, he acknowledges that “Never Forget” has taken on a new meaning. It is easy to say, but hard to do. The lessons that children can learn from that fateful day are invaluable. He is grateful to Tunnel to Towers for giving him the opportunity to tell his story and perspective to both children and adults. Giaccone believes with education, a path can be created from the head to the heart, ensuring that each story lasts longer and is better than any written word or photograph. Giaccone hopes to make a new wrinkle in the brains of those he tells his story to, for the memory of his brother, Joseph Michael Giaconne.