05/31/2025
About Lieutenant Michael Esposito; FDNY Squad 1.
Family and fitness were integral parts of Michael A. Esposito's life. The 42-year-old Eltingville father of two adolescent sons spent all his leisure time involved in their sports activities and instilling values they could carry into adulthood.
Summers were spent visiting the boys' maternal grandmother in Florida and going surfing. "He was always doing something physical," said Mrs. Esposito. "Whatever he wanted to do, he did through his kids."
Mr. Esposito competed in triathlons, was a former member of the Fire Department's boxing team, and worked out regularly in the South Shore YMCA. He would jog several miles a day when he was in training for a Fire Department memorial run. In the summer, Mrs. Esposito began running with her husband in preparation for joining him in the Al Ronaldson Memorial Run. "He got me up to three miles," recalled Mrs. Esposito.
Mr. Esposito's cousin, Frank Esposito, a Tottenville firefighter who worked in Engine Co. 235, Brooklyn, also died.
"As soon as they said it, I knew in my heart that my husband was there," said Mrs. Esposito, referring to her reaction to hearing the first news broadcast of the attack.
Although Mr. Esposito had received numerous citations and awards throughout his career as a firefighter, he never considered himself heroic.
"He wasn't one for patting himself on the back," said Mrs. Esposito. "He thought of it as his job."
Recently, when Mrs. Esposito went to her husband's firehouse to pay her respects at an outdoor memorial, she decided it was time to bring home some of his belongings. When she opened his locker, Mrs. Esposito discovered it filled with pictures of her and their sons, spanning each stage of the boys' lives. "I'm very honored to have met this man, and to have been married to him," said Mrs. Esposito.
"In Memoriam Sept 11"
NEVER FORGET!🇺🇲
