MUSCLE MAGAZINE

 

 

 

THE COURAGE OF MR. STATEN ISLAND

Throughout the decades there have been many men crowned Mr. Staten Island. Some became national names, others local Island legends. The year 1987 saw an individual step onto the physique stage whose popularity was high amongst his friends, peers, and the local Staten Island crowd. This man of iron trained relentlessly for one year in the gym and with one goal in mind - to become Mr. Staten Island! When he stepped onstage that historic night you knew he was the winner long before the awards were presented. By the end of the show he had out muscled all those that dared challenge him. As he raised his arms in a victory salute, cheers of approval and acclamation were voiced along with the standing ovation he received. But more important then winning title that night would be the example of honor and bravery this modest champion set forth when it counted the most.

       I remember first hearing about September 11, 2001, from my fiancée Aida. Aida worked in lower Manhattan and was getting off an express bus just outside the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel that morning when she saw people running through the streets as tiny silver pieces of metal streamed down from the sky. At the time she didn’t realize what was happening and frantically called me from her cell phone at 8:53 AM to tell me what she was witnessing. Immediately I turned on the TV and to my shock saw a tremendous dark hole filled with flames and smoke in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I advised Aida that it was a terrorist attack and that she should quickly go to her place of business which was several blocks away. As the events unfolded that morning I shockingly watched on live TV the second attack on the World Trade Center, the destruction to the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and the crashing of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. I remember standing outside my house and seeing this long thick line of black smoke pour into the East sky as I heard the thunderous echo of the South Tower come crashing down. It was a horrific morning that served as an awakening for America as it became very apparent that we were no longer safe on our homeland.

       That fateful morning in American history saw the best and worst of humanity as thousands of innocent souls were lost that day. Afterwards, millions of people would live in fear not knowing what was to come next. For Staten Islanders the pain was all too real. Hundreds of fellow Islanders went to work on that sunny Tuesday morning just like any other work day. They had plans and dreams about their futures and looked forward to many tomorrows to come.  But for many of my fellow Staten Islanders tomorrow was not to be as the toll of that day became very apparent by nightfall. The days after September 11, 2001, brought more questions than answers. I remember returning to the gym later that week and feeling guilty for being there. Some faces were not present and would never be seen again. The Island’s close knit bodybuilding community had suffered a major blow that day as the deaths of several well known iron men gradually became known to us. One of those brave men was a representative of the many that would make the ultimate sacrifice that morning. He was FDNY Lieutenant Eddie D’Atri (see photo). Eddie was a consistent and well-known bodybuilder throughout Staten Island’s muscle gyms. He was a dedicated leader at Squad 1 in Park Slope, Brooklyn and was off duty the morning of September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center in Manhattan was cowardly attacked by fanatical terrorists. Immediately upon hearing about the attacks, the former Mr. Staten Island champion made a courageous decision and rushed from his home in Staten Island to help his squad battle the towering inferno at the World Trade Center in Manhattan. Eddie D'Atri was last seen on that fateful morning going up a staircase in Tower 1 to be with his fellow firefighters.

       In an published interview with fire patrolman Sergeant Jimmy Canham, he recounted the following about his experiences on 9/11: “I had passed a Lieutenant Eddie D'Atri from Squad 1. He saw me. He said, “Jimmy, where are my guys?” This is on the 11th floor after the first tower had fallen. He had made his way up. He had said, “Jimmy, did you see our guys?” I said, “No, Eddie. Some bad shit just happened.” He said, “Yeah, I know. I don't know where my
guys are.” He had gone up, and I had made my way back down the hallway. This is after the last civilians had gone by, just prior to me going back to look for the cops. I believe Eddie stayed on the floor with me for a minute. We gave a quick search. Then he made his way up. After that I didn't see Ed anymore.”

That's the way Eddie D'Atri was, always looking out for his men and putting his own safety last. I will always be saddened by the loss of Eddie and all those murdered that day and can only hope for a time when cultures and nations can live in harmony with each other. At the 2002 Staten Island Bodybuilding Championships, local bodybuilder and FDNY firefighter Jimmy White talked about Eddie and his bravery on 9/11. He also reflected on some of the more humorous times he shared with Eddie as well as the seriousness Eddie took towards bodybuilding. It was a heartfelt speech about a man that touched many lives in many ways and none could be more deserving of such a moment. After the speech Jimmy White presented Eddie’s two sons Anthony and Michael with the Staten Island Bodybuilding Award in honor of their father’s heroic sacrifice. As all those in attendance stood in silence, Jimmy reflected on the other Staten Island FDNY firefighters that lost their lives on that fateful morning. One by one he spoke their names as tears flowed from those who felt the loss of the many that perished that day. It was one of those moments in Staten Island Bodybuilding history that brought everyone together in unity, the way it once was here on the Island, a long time ago.