Francisco Miguel "Frank" Mancini

They Loved Him in Astoria
It seemed as if everyone in Astoria knew Frank Mancini. He might as well have been living in a Greek or an Italian village instead of the big city of New York.

He met his future wife, Anastasia, in first grade at Public School 17 in Queens. They went to the prom at Long Island City High School. By the time they were married on May 21, 2000, they considered it their 10th anniversary ‹ of dating. Frank was Spanish and Italian. Anastasia was Greek. They went to Mykonos for their honeymoon. Six feet tall, red- haired, riding a motorcycle and laughing, he stood out.

"Everybody loved Frankie in Astoria," said his doting mother, Lea. "Frankie was No. 1."

Mr. Mancini, 26, had been a laborer with Local 79, his dad's union, since he was 18. When his father retired, Frank continued working construction at the World Trade Center, the only job he had ever known. About two weeks before the plane hit the north tower, he had moved from the basement to the 107th floor.

Mr. Mancini couldn't wait to take his 3- month-old daughter, Sophia, to Disney World. "How old does she have to be?" he asked his wife. "I think we should wait till she's 3 or 4, at least," Anastasia said. He was also planning her wedding.