A huge thanks from the DSNY family....

I would like to thank everyone for the prayers over the past couple of days since this unfortunate accident, Frank worked in my garage and was the absolute best guy you could ever meet... There are people all over the past two days that just stop us on our routes and tell us stories about how much Frank meant to them, and can honestly say that he is one of the only ones that people would be this way with. It's something I've been going through because I tried to emulate myself after Frank on the route, saying hi to everyone, feeding dogs, but I cannot compare and would not have the same poring out of emotions that he has had, I don't mean it in a sad way for me, but a happy way for him... Everytime you start to think about what he meant to us at the job combined with knowing about his family and his children, Felicity is 4 and Faith is 1, as well as his wife Stacie who was a stay at home mom you can't help but bring yourself to tears over what happened...

This is a man that touched so many lives of people that he picked up their garbage. I can't even tell you most times we aren't treated with much respect because of what we do, and when we hold cars up and stuff people hate us. Not Frank he was one of the best of us, people keep flooding into the garage to donate money to his family to the point that the city had to make a hotline on their 311 number leading to a fund for his family.

Colleen and I were just talking with Frank and his wife about Jericho Terrace (He got married in the Dome room and used the Garden room for CH which is the same we're doing) When they talked about it you could see in both of their eyes how much the day meant to them and how much they still love each other...

I'll end this essay with a story from an old woman that I met today about Frank. It was a cold and snowy day where we were all in plows and salt spreaders. This woman was waiting to cross the street on the same corner which he was killed. He stopped his truck, stepped out and offered his arm to this woman to help her cross the street. After he had done this he said to her 'I'm Italian and when we meet such beautiful women it is my job to help out. When we leave these women we normally give kisses on both cheeks', and proceeded to kiss the woman on both cheeks and wish her well the rest of her journey home.

These kind of stories helped me understand the man that Frank was, but could never fully tell anyone that didn't have the absolute pleasure of the chance to meet him what he was all about...