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TV Station Honors NABET-CWA Sept. 11 Victim
A memorial honoring Don DiFranco, a member of NABET-CWA Local 51016 and WABC-TV technician who died atop the World Trade Center's north tower on September 11, has been given a prominent, permanent spot in the television station's lobby in New York City.
Sharing tears and laughter, more than 200 friends, colleagues and family members packed the lobby Oct. 21 when the poster-size memorial was unveiled. Against a marble backdrop, it features a photograph of DiFranco at the base of the space-age transmitter on top of the tower.
"Don's first and last call was made to the master control room in this building to alert fellow engineers of a possible disruption in service," WABC General Manager Dave Davis said, reading from the memorial's inscription. "Don worked at WABC for 13 years to keep us on the air, and we will never forget his dedication to his job, his fellow employees and our viewers."
DiFranco, 43, was remembered as a meticulous technician who could quickly pinpoint and fix problems that gave other workers fits. But when trouble required more time, he'd work around the clock without a complaint, or even a break. "Don had his own time clock," said his close friend Vinnie Ioele, a fellow technician and NABET-CWA member. "He'd go as long as it took to do the job perfectly."
The last time Ioele saw DiFranco was the Friday before the attacks, when he'd helped his friend with a project at the transmitter site. "As I was leaving, he grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye and thanked me," he said, making it clear that kindness and gratitude were hallmarks of DiFranco's character. "He was that kind of friend - anytime, anywhere, he'd be there."
Sharing tears and laughter, more than 200 friends, colleagues and family members packed the lobby Oct. 21 when the poster-size memorial was unveiled. Against a marble backdrop, it features a photograph of DiFranco at the base of the space-age transmitter on top of the tower.
"Don's first and last call was made to the master control room in this building to alert fellow engineers of a possible disruption in service," WABC General Manager Dave Davis said, reading from the memorial's inscription. "Don worked at WABC for 13 years to keep us on the air, and we will never forget his dedication to his job, his fellow employees and our viewers."
DiFranco, 43, was remembered as a meticulous technician who could quickly pinpoint and fix problems that gave other workers fits. But when trouble required more time, he'd work around the clock without a complaint, or even a break. "Don had his own time clock," said his close friend Vinnie Ioele, a fellow technician and NABET-CWA member. "He'd go as long as it took to do the job perfectly."
The last time Ioele saw DiFranco was the Friday before the attacks, when he'd helped his friend with a project at the transmitter site. "As I was leaving, he grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye and thanked me," he said, making it clear that kindness and gratitude were hallmarks of DiFranco's character. "He was that kind of friend - anytime, anywhere, he'd be there."