Brian Cannizzaro

The Storyteller
Brian Cannizzaro would burst into a room, eyes twinkling, and you would not believe what had just happened to him. "There was always some Herculean effort that had gone awry," said Charles Cannizzaro, a brother. "There was always something to get the ball rolling."

Once, it was the story of how Mr. Cannizzaro, a firefighter at Ladder Company 101 in Red Hook, Brooklyn, had earned the nickname Rat Boy by leaping into a Dumpster to put out a fire, then leaping right back out when a furry creature scampered into his protective clothing. And then there was the tale of heroism from his second job, as a security officer at the "Ricki Lake" show, when he had broken up a fight between two guests and then found himself encircled by autograph-seeking audience members.

Obsessed with the movie "Gladiator," Mr. Cannizzaro, 30, wanted to name his son after its hero, Maximus. His wife, Jacqueline, considered it, but the baby, now just over a year old, was named Christopher.

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 18, 2001.


BRIAN CANNIZZARO, 30, of New York, went "above and beyond" in everything he did, said his wife Jacqueline Cannizzaro. The night Cannizzaro, a firefighter, proposed marriage, they had gone to see the Broadway production of "Beauty and the Beast." Cannizzaro had arranged to have the prince in the show propose for him while he waited on bended knee with a ring. Unbeknownst to his future bride, their families were also in the audience. "It was the most magical, amazing night. It was just perfect. He is my prince," Jacqueline Cannizzaro said. The couple, who married in 1998, have a 1-year-old son.
Copyright © 2001 The Associated Press


CANNIZZARO-Brian. F.D.N.Y. Of Great Kills, Staten Island on September 11, 2001. Beloved husband of Jacqueline (nee O'Mara). Devoted father of Christopher. Loving son of Sam and Carol Cannizzaro. Dear brother of Charles and Craig Cannizzaro. Funeral from the the Casey McCallumRice South Shore Funeral Home, 30 Nelson Avenue, Great Kills, Staten Island, Thursday, November 15th. Mass of Christian Burial Saint Clare's Church, 11 AM. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Friends will be received Wednesday 2-5 and 7-9PM. In lieu of flowers donations to the Brian Cannizzaro Memorial Trust, PO Box 090321, Staten Island, New York 10309, would be appreciated.