Dominick Pezzulo

Dominick A. Pezzulo (August 15, 1965 – September 11, 2001) was an Italian-American Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department (PAPD) officer who died in the September 11 attacks in lower Manhattan, New York City in 2001. In the early morning of September 11, he volunteered to assist PAPD Sergeant John McLoughlin with the rescue effort in the first World Trade Center building along with Officer Will Jimeno. After a brief overlook of the common area, the floor shook as the South Tower collapsed just 56 minutes after being struck by United Airlines Flight 175. With only ten seconds defining the collapse from 110 floors to the ground, the men dashed for the elevator shaft. Only Pezzulo, McLoughlin and Jimeno would survive the initial hit. As he struggled to lift debris from Officer Jimeno, the North Tower collapsed, causing more rubble, concrete, steel and ash to fall on the already existing pile of rubble formed by the collapse of the South Tower. Pezzulo was pinned, and in an effort to alert rescuers to their whereabouts, he fired a single shot into the air before dying. He was portrayed in the Oliver Stone movie World Trade Center by Jay Hernandez.