Kenny Marino stood six feet five inches tall, loved the Mets and the Rangers, and kept a Ken Griffey Jr. shrine in his home. He was 40 years old and a member of FDNY Rescue 1 when he died on duty during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, one of 11 members of his company killed that morning. Twenty-five years later, his family says a baseball legend's small gesture helped carry them through unimaginable grief.
According to The Boston Globe, Kenny and Katrina Marino met in 1994 while living in nearby apartments in Long Beach, began dating that summer, and married soon after. Katrina, who grew up in Haverhill, Massachusetts and graduated from Haverhill High School in 1983, joined the Navy after graduation. Kenny, meanwhile, had been a volunteer firefighter since he turned 18, first with the Oceanside Fire Department on Long Island and later as a volunteer with the Long Beach Fire Department, where he wore a No. 72 helmet, according to the Long Island Herald.
A Morning That Never Ended the Way It Should Have
Katrina Marino visited the Rescue 1 firehouse on the morning of September 11, 2001, and spent part of the morning there before leaving. Kenny had promised the couple's 3-year-old daughter, Kristin, that he'd bring her a Wizard of Oz prize when he got home. The next day, the family's search for Kenny continued in New York.
Rescue 1, based in a Hell's Kitchen firehouse at 530 West 43rd Street since 1973, was established in 1915 and built to handle complex structural collapses and technical rescues, according to Wikipedia. All 11 of its members who responded to the North Tower that morning died in the collapse, according to a video posted by Tailboard Leadership on Facebook — a full loss for one of the department's most elite specialized companies. Rescue 1 Captain Terence Hatton, known as “Captain Man-Hatton” for his deep knowledge of the borough's buildings, died alongside Marino and the rest of the crew; the city later renamed the block outside their firehouse Terence S. Hatton Way in his honor, per Sideways NYC. Marino was among the 11 Rescue 1 members killed that morning.
The Home Run Kenny Never Got to See
Marino loved baseball, and Ken Griffey Jr. was his favorite player. After the attacks, a home run became part of the family's story.
The relationship continued over the years, and Griffey's career is documented by the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Katrina has said he helped the family create better memories.
A Legacy Carried Forward
The bond with Rescue 1 has stretched into a new generation in other ways too.
Marino's case reflects the lasting losses still facing New York a quarter-century later. Post-9/11 illnesses have added to the FDNY's long-term toll. According to NYC.gov's 9/11 Health research publications, researchers using data from nearly 27,000 adults in the WTC Health Registry found high rates of breathing problems, digestive issues, PTSD, depression and other health problems. NYC.gov's 9/11 Health Cancer and Mortality Publications report that researchers followed more than 28,000 responders through 2020, with those in the program showing a lower risk of death from any cause and from smoking-related causes. The broader discussion also includes workers' compensation and pension benefits. A New York City Council record dated Apr 22, 2021, noted that the speaker had acknowledged the deaths of several first responders who had recently passed away from 9/11-related illnesses. For the Marino family, that loss exists alongside the memories created through its connection with Griffey.
