On September 11, 2001, while evacuating Tower One, I was on the 32nd floor when I encountered PAPD Chief Jim Romito and Captain Kathy Mazza, along with a contingent of police officers who were making their way up, floor by floor, to ensure that everyone was evacuating.
As I approached Captain Mazza, I had to make an immediate judgment call: Was this Captain Kathy Mazza or Captain Barbara McClancy? I believed at the time there were only two female PAPD police captains, so I flipped a coin in my head and said, “Hi, Barbara…”
Well, I called “tails,” and it came up “heads.”
Captain Kathy Mazza put her hands on her hips and, with a smile that could be heard by several of us, said, “I am the other female captain.”
We shared a good laugh and then talked about the police clearing the floors, one by one.
As I was speaking with Chief Romito and Captain Mazza, the building suddenly shook violently. Black smoke and debris came pouring out of the stairwell. Then, almost as suddenly, there was an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of police and fire department radios transmitting urgent messages.
Chief Romito yelled:
“Two is down! I want immediate evacuation of all police and fire—now!”
I looked at the Chief and asked, “What do you mean, ‘Two is down’?”
He told me that Tower Two had collapsed. He then pushed me toward the stairwell and said that he was going to get the firefighters off the floor.
That was the last time I ever saw Chief Jim Romito or Captain Kathy Mazza.
I continued down the stairwell with police officers and firefighters. At some point, the emergency stairwell lights were knocked out. The firefighters’ helmet lights became our only source of illumination, lighting the handrails and the steps, which were wrapped with fluorescent tape.
I assume the Port Authority had installed that tape after the 1993 bombing. Whatever the reason, it served its purpose that day.
I will never forget that moment.
Chief Romito’s actions saved my life, and I firmly believe they saved the lives of many others as well. In the midst of unimaginable chaos, he remained focused on protecting the people around him and making sure that his officers and the firefighters got out.
I will always be grateful to Chief Jim Romito and Captain Mazza for their courage, his leadership, and his selfless commitment to protecting others on that terrible day.
I was fortunate to have encountered them and the other PAPD officers on the 32nd floor, and I will carry the memory of that encounter and their incredible sacrifice with me for the rest of my life.
Frank DiMola
Former Director of Real Estate
Retired 2011
