Salvatore Cassano
Salvatore Cassano, as Chief of Department 2008
32nd New York City Fire Commissioner
In office
January 1, 2010 – June 9, 2014[1]
MayorMichael Bloomberg
Bill de Blasio
Preceded byNicholas Scoppetta
Succeeded byDaniel A. Nigro
Personal details
Born
Salvatore Joseph Cassano

(1945-01-22) January 22, 1945 (age 79)
Brooklyn, New York
SpouseTheresa Wallace (m. 1978)
ResidenceStaten Island
Alma materJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice
New York City College of Technology
Firefighter career
DepartmentNew York City Fire Department
Service years1969–2014

Salvatore Joseph "Sal" Cassano (born 22 January 1945)[2][3][4] served as the 32nd New York City Fire Commissioner from 2010 to 2014.[5]

NYC Fire Commissioner

His appointment as New York City Fire Commissioner by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to succeed Nicholas Scoppetta was announced on 21 December 2009, and became effective on 1 January 2010.[6][7][8] Cassano was sworn in on 11 January 2010.[9] On May 9, 2014, Daniel A. Nigro was announced as Cassano's successor as commissioner of the FDNY, effective June 9, 2014.[10][11]

Background

A son of Italian-American immigrants, Cassano was born in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn, New York,[4][12] and lives on Staten Island. After serving in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, he began a career as a firefighter in November 1969.[13] He earned an associate degree in fire protection technology from New York City College of Technology in 1970,[14] and a Bachelor of Science degree in fire science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 1976.[13][14][15]

Career

Cassano served in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and was honored five times during his career for bravery.[13] He received commendations for meritorious acts between 1979 and 1983 for rescuing five people from burning apartments, all in Brooklyn.[15][16]

Cassano held every rank in the department during his career (beginning as a firefighter in 1969), including promotions to Lieutenant in August 1977, Captain in April 1984, Battalion Chief in August 1987, Deputy Chief in June 1993, Deputy Assistant Chief in November 1999, and Assistant Chief in April 2001.[5] He was also instrumental in rebuilding the department after 343 firefighters died as a result of the September 11 attacks, after which he was named Chief of Operations and served at this post,[5][3][16] succeeding Daniel A. Nigro until 2006.[17] He was appointed Chief of Department, the highest uniformed position in the department, succeeding Peter E. Hayden in 2006,[17] and his appointment as Fire Commissioner was announced by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on December 21, 2009. In 2011, in recognition of his service to the city of New York, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. He was retained by new Mayor Bill De Blasio on what he emphasized was on an interim basis.[18]

Mr. Cassano serves as Senior Advisor to the law firm of Pitta & Baione LLP, who assist with 9/11 compensation fund claims. Mr. Cassano advises on proof of presence at Ground Zero and community outreach.

Personal

Cassano and his wife, Theresa (née Wallace),[19] live in the Huguenot section of Staten Island, where they raised their family. They have five children and eight grandchildren.[13][20] A marathon runner, he has run the New York City Marathon four times and has broken the three-hour mark.[21] Cassano practices the Transcendental Meditation technique and recommends it as a stress management tool for first responders and firefighters who deal with crisis and trauma, "going from 0-100 every single day."[22][23]

References

  1. ^ "Daniel Nigro Sworn In As New FDNY Commissioner". CBS Local Media. 2014-06-09. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  2. ^ Baker, Al (2009-12-23). "A Fire Commissioner Devoted to Family and Dedicated to the Safety of His Corps". The New York Times. p. A16. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  3. ^ a b Wyatt, Edward (2001-09-17). "After The Attacks: The Firemen; Department Promotes 168 To Rebuild Officer Ranks". The New York Times. p. A7. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  4. ^ a b Lemire, Jonathan (2009-12-21). "Salvatore Cassano to succeed Nicholas Scoppetta as New York City Fire Commissioner". Daily News. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  5. ^ a b c "Salvatore J. Cassano: 32nd Fire Commissioner, City of New York". New York City Fire Department (FDNY). Archived from the original on 2013-09-22. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  6. ^ "Mayor Bloomberg and Fire Commissioner Scoppetta announce appointment of Salvatore Cassano as Chief of Department and Patrick McNally as Chief of Operations". New York City Fire Department (FDNY). 2006-06-19. Archived from the original on 2015-09-13. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
  7. ^ Gittens, Hasani (2009-12-21). "Mayor Names New FDNY Commissioner". NBC Universal. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
  8. ^ "NYC mayor picks 40-year veteran to head Fire Dept". WCAX. 2009-12-21. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  9. ^ "Cassano Sworn In As New Fire Commissioner". NY1 News. 2010-01-11. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
  10. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Daniel A. Nigro As Commissioner Of The New York City Fire Department". City of New York. 2014-05-09. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  11. ^ "Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Appoints Daniel A. Nigro as Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department". City of New York. 2014-05-09. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
  12. ^ Kugler, Sara (2009-12-22). "NYC Mayor Picks 40-Year Veteran to Head FDNY". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  13. ^ a b c d Spencer, Peter N. (2009-12-21). "Huguenot man named new Fire Department commissioner". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  14. ^ a b "City Tech Alumnus Salvatore Cassano Appointed FDNY's Chief of Department" (PDF). New York City College of Technology. 2006-07-18. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
  15. ^ a b "Mayor Bloomberg Appoints John Jay Alumnus Salvatore J. Cassano, BS '76, As Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department". John Jay College of Criminal Justice. 2009-12-22. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
  16. ^ a b Goldenberg, Sally; Messing, Philip (2009-12-22). "FDNY vet to be new commish". The New York Post. p. 14. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  17. ^ a b "Fire Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano appoints Edward S. Kilduff Chief Of Department". New York City Fire Department (FDNY). 2010-01-12. Archived from the original on 2015-09-13. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
  18. ^ "Mayor de Blasio says FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassano is on his way out". New York Daily News. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  19. ^ Spencer, Peter N. (2009-12-24). "Islander earned his way to the top". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
  20. ^ Shallwani, Pervaiz (2009-12-22). "40-year veteran to head FDNY". Newsday. p. A24.
  21. ^ Baker, Al (2009-12-24). "A Fire Commissioner Devoted to Family and Dedicated to the Safety of His Corps". The New York Times. p. A16. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
  22. ^ "Photos: Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness Honored at CHANGE BEGINS WITHIN Gala".
  23. ^ "Transcendental Meditation Helps U.S. Veterans Cope with Stress | The Stewardship Report". www.stewardshipreport.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-18.

Further reading

Fire appointments Preceded byNicholas Scoppetta FDNY Commissioner 2010–2014 Succeeded byDaniel A. Nigro Preceded byPeter E. Hayden FDNY Chief of Department 2006–2010 Succeeded byEdward S. Kilduff Preceded byDaniel A. Nigro FDNY Chief of Operations 2001–2006 Succeeded byPatrick M. McNally
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