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Rocco Gargano Obituary
To many 12-year-olds, X-Men comics are the limits of high art. But at 12, Rocco Nino Gargano was painting his own Renaissance-style pictures after school — St. John the Baptist, the Resurrection of Christ, the Virgin holding the blessed infant.
"He loved da Vinci and Raphael," said Kathy Dalessandro-Gargano, his sister, who raised him while their mother worked long hours as a chef at the family's restaurant in Manhattan's financial district. "He got art books from the library and studied them."
As he grew older, his tastes became even more sophisticated. At Columbia University, among classmates in Banana Republic pullovers, he dressed in Armani jeans and Prada shirts.
At 28, an investment banker at Cantor Fitzgerald, he knew the best wines, operas and travel spots. After his father's death, she said, he began pursuing the world's most delicious, beautiful and thrilling things more urgently.
"He was seeking the finer things in life," she said. "His biggest dream was to be famous. He realized that life is too short."
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Graca
September 7, 2024
I had seen his uncle reading his name saying that he had cancer. Hope he is ok now
Monica Pantone
September 15, 2021
A Lotus flower for you.
Kerry-anne Doughty
September 11, 2021
In memory of Rocco Nino Gargano, who lost his life 20 years ago, in the attacks of 9/11. I didn't know Rocco as I live in Australia & had never met him. But his name was linked with mine by the 9/11 Memorial, & every year on the anniversary of his death, I think of him. Sending love, thoughts & prayers to his friends & family, from Australia. We too will NEVER forget.
Kerry-anne Doughty
September 11, 2020
On the 19th anniversary of 9/11, we remember those who lost their lives. For all the people who knew Rocco Nino Gargano, love & prayers are sent to you from Australia.
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The Kindred Family
November 17, 2018
We send our thoughts of heartfelt sympathy to your family. Daily may God continue to give the needed comfort and help to cope. Rocco will always be sadly missed.
Kerry-anne Doughty
September 14, 2018
Every year on September 11, I pause to think of Rocco Nino Gargano, a man I never had the good fortune to know. I was paired with him via a "September 11 Memorial" site, and every year he (along with his family and friends) are in my thoughts. So from one person far away in Australia, please know that he will never be forgotten.
Monica Pantone
September 11, 2018
Death is not the end and the end cannot be death. You are in our hearts.
9/11/2016
Danielle DiBiasi
September 12, 2016
Pasquale Gargano
September 11, 2016
God bless you Rocco, and your family...
Antonio Ruvio
September 10, 2016
Time has passed, but we haven't forgotten!
Antonio Ruvio
September 11, 2015
Never forgotten, always in our thoughts and prayers.
Cathy dalessandro
September 11, 2014
You can visit Nino's official webpage at
rocconinogargano.com
Danielle DiBiasi
September 11, 2014
My memories have become a treasure for me! NY is even more special to me the day I arrived for my college career Niño welcomed me with open arms from that day forward any chance he had he shared with me his favorite spots and his life's dreams. My memories are Treasures!
Sam Jacobs
September 11, 2014
Not a year goes by that I don't remember my friend Nino from our days at Emporio Armani. My thoughts are prayers continue to go out to the Gargano family.
Kerry-anne Doughty
September 11, 2014
To Rocco's family & friends ... Please know that people as far away as Australia remember Rocco on the anniversary of his death, even though we didn't know him. May peace replace heartache. You are in our thoughts & prayers.
September 11, 2014
You will never be forgotten and you will always be in my heart, very very proud of you.
Love,
G.D.
June 6, 2014
To Rocco's family, I wish to extend our sincere condolences.
I know you miss him each and every day, not just the anniversary of his death.
My thoughts and prayers are with you,
Gwen Gargano
Michele Pizzolla
October 21, 2013
sarai sempre nei nostri cuori...Angelo
Daniela
September 11, 2013
Le mie piu' sentite condoglianze
Andrew Lukasiewicz
September 11, 2013
Our thoughts are with you on the anniversary of this tragic day. We are so sorry for your loss.
Kerry-anne Doughty
September 11, 2013
In memory of Rocco Nino Gargano, who lost his life 12 years ago in the attacks of 9/11. I didn't know Rocco, as I live in Australia and had never met him. But his name was linked with mine by the 9/11 Memorial, and every year on the anniversary of his death, I think of him. Sending love and prayers to his friends and family, from Australia. We too will NEVER forget.
Coraleana Gargano
June 21, 2013
To the Gargano Family,
I offer my sincere condolences to you. The loss of a loved one is a tragedy as I am dealing with it now. I recently lost the only father figure I had and he took me in as his own as he was an adoptive father figure. With his loss lead me to look for my blood family and when I was searching for answers with the only clue I have and that is my last name is Gargano. I came across this memorial. It was either by accident or by fate but all I know is I am here and I offer my prayers. I can be reached at [email protected]... Once again my prayers and sympathy goes out to the family of Rocco Nino Gargano
Keith Rothschild
September 11, 2012
I went to school with Nino at OLBS in Bayside. I remember hanging out at his house all the time. Riding bikes, playing soccer, watching him draw/paint, just having a good time like all kids should.
Any mention of 9/11 or the WTC, I always think of Nino and what good times we had. I wish we stayed in touch as time went on.
My thoughts are always with him and his family. I'll never forget him.
Austin Gildehaus
September 11, 2012
May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.
Nadia Vessio (Fleres)
September 11, 2012
Niño,
You were a wonderful person. Miss you always...
Love, Nadia
giuseppe D'alessandro
September 11, 2012
Many years have passed , but your presence and your memories are always with me. Has never been the same without you. My home has been an empty place since then . Your sister, your nephew and I are trying every day to make our best, but you left us with scars that will never heal. Nino I love you , miss you and you will never be forgotten. God bless you.
Maria Rosaria
September 11, 2011
Nino,
I briefly remember you as that sweet shy little boy when your family visited us and we played together. We were born the same year and you died too soon. God only knows why some of us still stay behind and suffer while others are taken too soon. May you finally be at peace and watch over your family. You will not be forgotten.
Michael Kreppein
September 11, 2011
I never met you roc and only know you through a friend and coworker, TR. On this 10th anniversary, may you continue to
rest in peace as you are now amongst the best you sought! Never forget you and thanks TR!
Kerry-anne Doughty
September 10, 2011
May the memory of the people who died in the attacks on 9/11 never be forgotten. May their families, friends & work-mates find comfort knowing that people from all over the world, who didn't know them, cry at their loss. From Kerry-anne Doughty in Adelaide, Australia
Marc Votto
September 8, 2011
Nino was one of my closest friends in grammar school. As we grew older, and our lives took us in different directions we didn't see each other as often, but I thought of him often. When I learned that Nino was a victim on 9/11, I was sad, and at a loss. Although it had been years since i spent time with him in his basement or playing in his garage, all the memories came rushing back. Every year around this time, I think of Nino, and I mourn his loss. Nino was a good friend, but an even better person. May God be with your family and help console them in their grief. God bless you Nino, you will not be forgotten.
John Matteson
September 11, 2009
Nino, I was your teacher at the Columbia School of General Studies. I thought you might like to have the letter of recommendation I wrote for you fifteen years ago. It says a lot about who you were and what, in a kinder world, you were likely to become.
Letter of Recommendation for
R. Nino Gargano
As Nino's instructor of College Composition at Columbia University, I consider it a privilege to recommend him for admission to the University of ****. I have never had a student whom I hold in higher personal esteem, both for his character and for his incessant curiosity and desire to learn. At Columbia, I have often observed a high level of apathy and cynicism among even the most talented students. They lack openness, and they evince no sense of direction. They have forgotten or have never known what a joy it can be to inquire and explore. Nino Gargano shares none of this blandness. Whereas most of the students in his class dashed out the door at the end of class, Nino almost always stayed behind, eager to spend another fifteen minutes or more to delve ever deeper into the ideas and issues we had discussed. More than any other student I have had here, he has an earnest and evident desire to push out against his boundaries, to discover new worlds. He has a true passion for knowledge, and he knows the power of this passion to strengthen and ennoble those who possess it. In his conversations with me, Nino has talked of either pursuing a career in medicine or indulging his more personal ambition of becoming a professional restorer of paintings. His enthusiasm and dedication make me confident that he would achieve success in either field.
Although he is always respectful of other people's opinions and receives new ideas with an open mind, Nino has very strong beliefs in self-reliance and individual responsibility – beliefs formed and solidified when, a few years ago, his father became gravely ill and Nino was forced to take control of his family's business. The experience of assuming his father's place at the older man's restaurant has given Nino a maturity and a capacity for hard work that is quite rare in someone his age. Above all, his experiences have given him a sense of decency and honor.
A glance at his Columbia transcript will show that, in my course, Nino earned "only" a B, a mark which might seem to contrast with the praise I am heaping on him now. This apparent dissonance is readily explained. To begin with, the composition course here is notoriously rigorous, and a B is considered a highly respectable mark. Moreover, Nino speaks English as a second language, and this fact accounted for most of the minor weaknesses in his written prose. These weaknesses he worked tirelessly to remedy, often seeking optional instruction beyond the scope of my class. By semester's end, he had vastly improved. Finally and ironically, Nino's grade may have suffered because he worked too hard. Instead of writing safe, undistinguished essays like some of his classmates, Nino was constantly experimenting with tone, metaphor, and assonance. In every paper, he tried to break new ground. Although these experiments were occasionally unsuccessful, they were always impressive in their spirit of inventiveness and ambition. More interested in improving his skills than in getting a good grade, Nino exemplified a rare and laudable academic spirit.
Nino Gargano is an exceptional young man of strong convictions and truly exemplary character. No applicant could be more deserving of admission – and few students would give greater credit – to the University of ****.
God bless you!
Giuseppe
September 10, 2009
Nino,
i always looked up to you, still are and always will for the rest of my life. You are a men of extra ordinary qualities with a gentle touch towards life. You have a special place in my heart and you will never be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are always with you.
You are my hero,
rosalinda dilucca
January 26, 2009
Ciao Cathy,sono Rosalinda.Voglio dirti che ti voglio tanto bene e vorrei chiederti se è posibile vedere le foto di zio Nino:io penso sempre a zio è sempre nel mio cuore e prego sempre il Signore affinchè lui torni presto a casa....mi manca troppo....gli voglio un mondo di bene.vado sempre atovare a zia e anche mamma le vogliamo tanto tanto bene ti abbraccio un bacio a tutti voi vi vogliamo tanto bene....
rosalinda
rosalinda dilucca
January 26, 2009
Catina sono Rosalinda e ti voglio dire che ti voglio tanto tanto bene mi mancate ,mi manca tanto zio Nino .Ma la speranza ancora è tanta cara Catina speriamo che le nostre preghiere e il nostro Dio ci possano aiutare a trovarlo,mi manca troppo sono sicura che tornera presto a casa.Io e mia madre Valeria stiamo sempre vicino a zia Ninetta le vogliamo un mondo di bene a lei,a zia Maria,zio Antonio a nonna Rosina e a voi tutti in america...ci mancate e vi vogliamo un mondo di bene.
Cathy Dalessandro Nino's sister
January 4, 2009
I invite everyone that has signed this guest book to Nino's facebook profile.
where You can leave thoughts and comments
.http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1641638625&ref=profile
Laura Gargano
September 11, 2008
My thoughts and prayers are with you all, we will never forget
Kristine
November 3, 2006
As I cross-stitched your name on the memorial that I am doing for all of the victims, I prayed for you and your family. Please know that your death was not in vain. We will always remember. God Bless.
P Tabbernor
October 13, 2006
In remembrance....
Michelle Romeo-Pedalino
March 8, 2006
Nino you are forever in my heart and prayers. I will never forget our talks and all you taught me about life. My prayers go out to your family. I will never forget you.
JDV
September 20, 2003
I want to say I am sorry to the whole family.May God give you strenght.He died way to young.
May his soul rest in peace.
He will be in my prayers.
Carmela Dragonetti
September 12, 2003
We were very young and our families were very close. We will never forget the great times we had at the restaurant as everyone sang and danced to the Italian music. As children we had no idea how happy they were to have made it to America,work hard and make a better life for their children. They were Proud of their accomplishments. When I think back I remember my father saying I love Italy but America is our country, the country that made the impossible, possible. They were proud Americans. The times at the restaurant is such a great part of our happy childhood. Everyone's lives changed and we never got to know Rocco as a young man. But, we do know he was an extraordinary person in every way. On behalf of my mother, Caterina, my brothers, myself and our families
we want you to know that our hearts and prayers have been with you since that darkest day. We pray that God has given you the strength to continue to live on his earth the same way your angel Rocco lives in his Heaven, in Peace. May God Bless Rocco's mother and sister and your families. No one can ever take away your cherished memories as they took away his great life in this great country that his parents worked so hard to give him . God Bless Rocco. And may The Almighty Father be with all the families that have ever suffered such a loss and for everyone who reads this God Bless us all as he will continue to Bless America! Peace be with you!
Joseph Lentini
July 15, 2003
I am so sorry to hear of this tragedy and my heart and prayers go out to Nino's family. I had no clue this happened to Nino until today and it is now 7/15/03. I attended grammar school with him and was a good friend of his for a few years. I still remember playing soccer with him at OLBS and what an amazing artist he was at such a young age. I remember him having canvases at his house with beautiful art and we were only 11 or 12 years old. I couldn't believe someone that young could do that kind of art. Like life goes, after grammar school we just went our separate ways but I never forgot that art and still would comment about it from time to time to friends of mine and wondered sometimes if he pursued it. I AM REALLY VERY SORRY FOR HIS LOSS. GOD BLESS
Bruna Scalcione
December 31, 2002
It's very hard to accept and deal with a loss of a loved one. Especially when it's a child of a parent. I am so truly sorry and there is not one day that goes by that i do not think of the terrible tragedy that you have suffered. please keep in mind that rocco is with you in spirit. God Bless you all.
Monica Pantone
September 16, 2002
L'unico ricordo che possiedo di Te è quell'unica foto scattata da Tua zia, qui in Italia. Ero una bimba di 5 anni o poco più, Tu di 3 più grande. Così piccoli!Eppure io ho sempre avuto ben chiara la memoria di quei minuti trascorsi insieme.
Ogni volta che mia madre parlava dei suoi cugini in America, i miei pensieri erano rivolti a Te: a quel bambino che mi aveva sorriso, al ragazzo che si era distinto negli studi, alla persona che tutti amavano... E tutte le volte immaginavo il giorno in cui Ti avrei finalmente rivisto e Ti avrei detto: "Nino, Ti ricordi di me? La Tua cuginetta della foto!"
Adesso so che Tu sarai sempre nel mio cuore, lì ad aspettarmi, a sorridermi con la stessa tenerezza. Un bacio, Monica.
Dennis DiPasquale
September 12, 2002
Hi Rocco, you look like so many of my friends or relatives, I had to write a message. I don't know you or your family but wish to share some of their grief, I hope my thoughts can lighten their load. Rocco, you could be my brother, I hope I can be your friend when it is my time to come up to heaven.
Lindsay Lehmann
September 11, 2002
Hi... i can honestly say i never met Rocco Gargano but at our school on the anniversary of September 11 we were given wrist bands with a name and the age of a person that perished on that horrendous day, and i was given Mr Gargano's... i cannot express the sadness that washed over me, knowing i would never know this man or his family but somehow, i felt connected. To the family dealing with the loss: thank you for sharing your family member with me, even though we have never met. God bless!
thurayyah fry
September 10, 2002
Please accecpt my thoughts and prayers during this time.
My heart goes out to you!
lorna galluzzo
August 26, 2002
to the gargano family, our hearts go out to you and all the people that lost there loved ones may god be with you all always .
Joe Cabutto
May 30, 2002
Nino,
Laura and I want to thank you. Thank you for the laughter, thank you for the memories, thank you for going to the store for Laura at Ham's rehearsal dinner, and most of all thank you for the friendship.
You will always be in our hearts ,you will be missed.
Love
Laura and Joe
Alessio Urgese
May 7, 2002
katy scusa ma la mia email è [email protected] un bacione a tutti voi mi a fatto molto piacere sentirvi anche se solo per telefono, vi penso sempre non vi dimenticherò mai.
Diana and Rudy Paliaga
May 6, 2002
To the family of Rocco Gargano:
After all this time the face that I see before me is that of your son and family member Rocco. His picture left an indelible mark on my mind. May our Mother of Sorrows give you strength and peace. Live your lives as Rocco would have pulling strength from and loving each other in the spirit of St. Joseph. God Bless You All.
Michael Iezzi
April 25, 2002
Father we entrust our brother Rocco to your mercy. You loved him greatly in this life: now that he is freed from all its cares, give him happiness and peace forever. Welcome him now into paradise where there will be no more sorrow, no more weeping or pain, but only peace and joy with Jesus your Son, and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.
Linda Kelley
March 12, 2002
Mrs. Gargano, my heart goes out to you and your family for the loss of Rocco. He was such a beautiful young man. When I saw his picture on tv that horrible day something about him just touched my heart and soul, I cried so for him and your loss. I know the pain your feeling for I too lost my son who was 26. He was killed also. Please know Rocco is in my thoughts often. I have cried many tears for you and him. I will always remember Rocco. May God help us all.
Maria Correa
March 11, 2002
My family and I want to send out our love and prayers to Rocco's family, our fellow Bayside neighbor. We hope that God's comfort will find its way into your hearts and bring you peace.
Dominic Gargano
January 23, 2002
To Rocco Gargano's Family
We are so sorry for the loss of your son our hearts in Scotland goes out to you.
Dominic Gargano
January 23, 2002
To Rocco Gargano's Family
We are so sorry for the loss of your son our hearts in Scotland goes out to you.
January 20, 2002
DEAR GOD SHINE YOUR LIGHT ON THE FACE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL YOUNG MAN ROCCO GARGANO AND
MAY HE REST IN PEACE WITH GOD AND HIS ANGELS.GOD BLESS HIS FAMILY AND
FRIENDS..GOD BLESS AMERICA AND NEW
YORK AND MAY WE NEVER FORGET 9/11/01..MAY ST.ROCCO MEET YOU AT THE GATES OF HEAVEN...AMEN
Alessio Urgese
January 17, 2002
ti saremo sempre vicini con il ricordo e la preghiera perche non possiamo mai dimenticarti.pregheremo per te e per tutte le altre persone che quel giorno erano li.sarai sempre nei nostri cuori. Ciao Nino.
alessio urgese
January 9, 2002
nino sarai sempre nei nostri pensieri
emanuele viola
January 7, 2002
You be always remebered in our hearts !
Rosanna Migliaccio
January 3, 2002
So young, so bright, so witty, so loved, and so dearly missed. Nino we know you're telling everyone up there jokes right now. We miss you, remember us? Ro,Cris,Jack,Lu,Manny, Frank,etc.We will never forget.
Teresa Jahn
January 1, 2002
America Cries
We see your sorrow-
and our hearts cry....
We can not erase your pain
but you do not have to face the anguish alone-for we-
-the American people-
are beside you.
We so desperately want to have the touch that brings you comfort,
the strength that gives you courage,
and the words to lighten your spirits.
And when we are left speechless
may the silence of our nation weave love into your hearts
to ease your sorrow.
May you find healing through our nation's strength as we-
-the American people-
face this difficult time together. Our hearts are with you. Teresa Jahn
Dixon, IL
Kelley Tipton
December 29, 2001
So Sorry for your loss. My prayers go out for you .
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