Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Dwight Williams (212) 788-2972
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen today honored the memory of Firefighter Louis Valentino Jr. at a plaque dedication ceremony held at the headquarters of Rescue Company 2 in Brooklyn. Joining the Mayor and Fire Commissioner, were Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes, Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden, Police Commissioner Howard Safir, First Deputy Commissioner William Feehan, Chief of Department Joseph Casaburi, firefighters from Rescue Company 2, and members of the Valentino family, including his widow Diane, his parents, Louis Sr. and Phyllis and his brother James.
"I am very proud and honored to be here to dedicate this plaque in memory of a brave firefighter and an outstanding man, Firefighter Louis Valentino Jr.," Mayor Giuliani said. "Louis represented the very best among us. He was a leader who was courageous, compassionate and kind. And he was taken from us much too soon. Throughout his years as a firefighter, Louis proved himself to be the kind of man who wouldn't hesitate to put himself in harm's way to help another. So last February, when Louis faced that blazing building in the Flatlands section of Brooklyn he didn't hesitate, he didn't stop to consider the risk he was taking. Louis went into the blaze because of his commitment to his fellow man. Louis Valentino lived as a hero, died as a hero and will always be remembered as a hero by our City."
"Louis Valentino represents the best of the bravest," Commissioner Von Essen said. "Louie was always willing to go that extra mile, which included becoming a member of Brooklyn's elite Rescue Company 2. He was a decorated firefighter, a dedicated husband and a beloved son who gave his life searching for potential victims of a fire. While nothing we can do today can bring Louie back, the dedication of this memorial plaque will serve as a constant reminder of the bravery and dedication to duty that Louis Valentino possessed."
On February 5, 1996, Firefighter Louis Valentino died of injuries sustained while searching for victims of a fire at an auto body shop in Canarsie, Brooklyn. He was posthumously awarded the Fiorello H. LaGuardia Medal for Bravery. During his distinguished career as a firefighter he also received two departmental citations for bravery, in February 1987 and February 1990.
Louis Valentino, born in 1958, grew up in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. He attended Xaverian High School in Brooklyn and then studied at St. Francis College, where he graduated in 1979 with Summa Cum Laude honors. In July 1984, Louis began his career with the New York City Fire Department, joining Engine Company 281 and Ladder Company 147 in Flatbush. In 1993, after obtaining certification as a scuba diver, he joined Brooklyn's elite Rescue Company 2. Firefighter Valentino also served the City as a lifeguard, working at Coney Island for eighteen summers.
On July 29, 1996, Mayor Giuliani signed legislation which added the name "Louis Valentino Jr. Ballfield" to an existing field in Carroll Park and "Louis Valentino Jr. Pier" to the Coffey Street Pier, both in Brooklyn.