The dented old car parked by Engine Co. 55's firehouse didn't look like much to the Secret Service. They wanted every vehicle within a 10-block radius cleared before President George W. Bush visited the Little Italy company, three weeks after the terrorist attack.
The agents didn't know Firefighter Robert T. Lane, or how much the clunker meant to him, or that his brothers would insist the 1983 Pontiac Grand Prix stay put. The 28-year-old, who planned to take his souped-up wheels to a New Jersey racetrack next spring, was among those lost Sept. 11 at the World Trade Center. "It's a piece of junk as far I'm concerned," said his mother, Janet Lane, "but he loved that car."
Mrs. Lane said the scenario was typical of her son. "Always causing some kind of stir-up someplace," she said.
Ultimately, the car remained outside the firehouse once bomb-sniffing dogs deemed it safe.
Engine 55 was investigating a reported gas leak the morning of Sept. 11, just five blocks from the World Trade Center. It was among the first fire companies on the scene.
A self-taught auto mechanic and all-around handyman, Mr. Lane often visited a swap meet in Englishtown, N.J., to search for car parts. Last summer, he installed a carburetor and a timing device for racing. His final touch: A spoiler.
When the Sea View man wasn't fixing up his car or his motorcycle, he helped friends with theirs. Mr. Lane repaired things around the family's house and was invaluable to his father, Richard, after he retired with a medical disability. His father was the last member of the family to speak to Mr. Lane, at 6 the night before the attack.
Born in Tompkinsville, Mr. Lane was brought to Sea View in 1977. His paternal grandparents, the late Al and the late Ann Lane, lived below the family in their first Staten Island home.
Cheerful and known for his incredible smile, Mr. Lane cultivated friendships through the many leisure activities he enjoyed.
He had served as either an usher or best man in seven bridal parties since 1995, starting with the marriage of his sister, Suzanne, to Glenn Stevenson. Mr. Lane was helping the couple remodel their home. Two weeks before the terrorist attack, he learned he would become an uncle for the first time.
He and his brother, Jason, played in pool and dart leagues sponsored by Donovan's Pub in Castleton Corners. And Mr. Lane bowled in a league at Rab's Country Lanes in Dongan Hills.
A daredevil, he went bungee jumping and planned to go sky diving. He participated in Fire Department ski races at Hunter Mountain in upstate New York and entered several golf tournaments to raise money for the New York Firefighters' Burn Center Foundation, which made him proud.
Mr. Lane threw horseshoes with his Fire Department brothers and was a member of the FDNY Bravest hockey and softball teams and was in the process of joining the Fire Department's football team.
A graduate of Susan Wagner High School, he played football for the school for four years. During that span, his teams won 39 consecutive games. He was a member of Wagner's two city championship teams in 1988 and 1989, and played on the Staten Island squad in the Fugazzi Exceptional Senior Game, which featured standout senior players from this borough against senior all-stars from Queens. His high school coach, Al Paturzo, described him as a great kid and a hard worker.
"Everyone liked him. He was great in the weight room. Never a bad attitude," said Mr. Paturzo. "He asked for no quarter (mercy), he gave no quarter." Mr. Lane was also passionate about music. An alto saxophone player, he owned nearly 200 compact discs, ranging from heavy metal to classical.
He played football for both the State University of New York at Albany and the former Kean College in Union, N.J., where he also played saxophone at special events.
But his real ambition was always to become a firefighter.
Mr. Lane kept busy while he waited for his appointment to the Fire Department, working as a school bus driver in Brooklyn, a chef at Joyce's Tavern in Eltingville, and a bartender at Henny's Restaurant & Bar in New Springville. He loved cooking for his firehouse buddies.
"He did every odd job you could think of," said his mother. "He would just take these jobs and knew it wasn't going to be forever, because he was getting into the Fire Department and that was it."
During school breaks and summers he worked for Wiesner Brothers Nursery in Willowbrook over seven years and also for Best Patio and Pool Center in Bloomfield. He wanted to continue landscaping part-time.
On Nov. 22, 1998, just six days before his 26th birthday, Mr. Lane was sworn into the New York City Fire Department. After graduating from the Fire Academy he was assigned to Engine 55. He also did rotations with Ladder Co. 86/Engine Co. 166 in Graniteville and Engine Co. 246/Ladder Co. 169 in Brooklyn. He returned to Engine 55 in July.
"He always said he was 'waiting for the Big One,' "said his mother.
Staten Island Advance, 2001