Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the 1st terrorist attack on US soil. Seven men packed a rental van with over 1,300 pounds of explosives, drove into the World Trade Center parking garage, and ran.
The explosion killed 6 adults and an unborn child. It injured more than 1,000 people, creating a 93-foot hole that leveled the entire garage.
But the goal — to bring down both towers — failed.
One of the victims was John DiGiovanni. The Long Island resident parked one floor below the van. As he got out of his car, the bomb exploded. John dug himself out of the concrete, rebar and debris. He was rushed to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he died of internal injuries. He was 45 years old.
John was not married. His closest relatives were the Colabella family.
Yesterday, the Colabellas — longtime Westporters — celebrated John’s life, along with the 6 other families who lost loved ones.
Andrew Colabella — an RTM member from District 4 — says, “Bound by terror, life’s paths crossing one another, some friends and some strangers, our families were brought together to cope and speak, to celebrate and cherish their unique spirits and souls that brought light to our lives, and existence on this earth.”
Andrew Colabella honors his father’s cousin, John DiGiovanni.
