Ceremony marks 31st anniversary of World Trade Center bombing that killed 6, including 2 from Long Island

A solemn bell rang Monday to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, paying tribute to six lives lost, including two Long Islanders.

The memorial at the site of what was once the Twin Towers marked the Feb. 26, 1993, attack that also injured more than 1,000 people.

“As we mark the passage of 31 years, this date remains etched in our memories, as the impact of this attack continues to shape our world, making it imperative that future generations can learn more about it here at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum,” the museum’s president and CEO Elizabeth Hillman said.

“It is our steadfast mission and our privilege to preserve the history of this tragic event to honor those individuals who died and were harmed. To stand and share grieve with you, their family and friends, and share with the world their stories, the courage of first responders, and the resilience of those who survive,” Hillman said.

Family members and survivors of the attack laid yellow flowers on the names of their loved ones next to the rushing waterfalls of the reflecting pool where the north tower once stood.

The attack killed Monica Rodriguez Smith, 35, of Seaford, who was a Port Authority administrative assistant and pregnant with her unborn son Eddie.

Also killed was John DiGiovanni, 45, of Valley Stream, who was a dental supplies salesman and had pulled his car into the World Trade Center’s underground parking garage just before 1,200 pounds of explosives was detonated inside a rental van in the garage. 

The attack also killed Robert Kirkpatrick, 61, of Suffern; Stephen Knapp, 47, of Staten Island; William Macko, 57, of Bayonne, New Jersey; and Wilfredo Mercado, 37, of Brooklyn.

Charles Maikish, the former director of the World Trade Center for the Port Authority at the time of the bombing, spoke, saying the bombing served as the first warning of international terrorism in the years before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and the threat that remains today.

“The intent was to inflict massive loss of human life and a lasting and permanent disruption of our economic system way of life. Well, they failed," he said.  "We must never be complacent and always be vigilant. As always, also remember the spirit and sacrifice of each life lost."

The six names, etched in granite, were buried under a pile of roses. An American flag stood in DiGiovanni’s name in the etching.

At 12:18 p.m., the bell rang to mark the moment of the bombing. A moment of silence followed a procession of FDNY bagpipes.

The names were read by Knapp’s three grandchildren, who never met their grandfather.

His granddaughter Nicole Rossilli, 19, said she grew up hearing stories of Knapp, who was the chief maintenance officer for the Port Authority at the World Trade Center. She said she comes every year to remember his life.

“So many people don't know about it. Like when you say 9/11, everyone knows, but people forget this exists,” she said. “It's important that even though less people died, it still was a terrorist attack. And people died and there was a bombing and the world needs to know. They can't just forget history.”

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.