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"I'm very proud to be here today to unveil this plaque in honor of a dedicated Sanitation worker and a wonderful man," said Mayor Giuliani. "For more than 22 years, Michael served the Sanitation Department with distinction and pride, often coming in to work early because he couldn't wait to start the day. He cultivated a genuine spirit of camaraderie with his co-workers - a feeling that I know is deeply missed."
"When, on November 12, 1996, Michael lost his life in a horrible tragedy, the entire City mourned the great loss," the Mayor continued. "To his wife Catherine; his mother Mary; his sisters Jane and Mary; his four daughters Jennifer, Michelle, Shannon, and Melissa - Michael's service to the people of this City will never be forgotten. He was and will always be remembered as a hero."
The plaque, which will be permanently mounted in the Sanitation Department's Brooklyn District 11 Garage, remembers the 22-year Department veteran with the inscription:
Mr. Hanly and his partner, Thomas Giammarino, were on house-to-house refuse collection in the vicinity of 84th Street and New Utrecht Avenue in Bensonhurst when a container of highly concentrated hydrofluoric acid burst and splashed Mr. Hanly in the face and neck. Mr. Hanly later died of his injuries at New York Hospital. Mr. Giammarino, in coming to the aid of his partner, was also burned by the acid.
Mike Hanly is survived by his wife Catherine and 4 daughters; Jennifer, 25; Michelle, 21; Shannon, 17 and Melissa, 16.