When Paul Pansini joined the Fire Department in 1991, he was assigned to Engine Co. 10 in Manhattan, one of the firehouses closest to the World Trade Center, and he never transferred out.
"He enjoyed the house. He loved the excitement of the city," said his wife, Janice.
Eleven years in the same firehouse made him a senior man at the young age of 34. He was also the kind of guy who would do anything for anyone. So when Midtown's Engine Co. 26 called for an extra man on Sept. 11, he volunteered. But when he arrived there, he didn't even have time to sign in, because the company was responding to the fire caused by the attack on the World Trade Center.
For a while, there was some confusion surrounding Mr. Pansini's whereabouts, but he has been missing ever since responding to that fire.
Staying in the same firehouse was not the first time Mr. Pansini chose to stay in one place and enjoy life. He lived in the Tottenville home where his parents raised him, with his wife -- and high-school sweetheart -- the former Janice Richichi, and their three children.
He was born in Mariners Harbor and also lived briefly in Eltingville, until his family moved to Tottenville in 1977. He and Mrs. Pansini met at Totten Intermediate School in Tottenville, but did not date until 1983, their senior year in Tottenville High School. They were married in 1991.
"He was a devoted father and husband," said Mrs. Pansini. "I was treated like a princess."
The couple spent their time being with friends and taking trips. Having the kids just added to their spending time together. "Nothing out of the ordinary," said Mrs. Pansini, "but ordinary was good. It didn't matter what we were doing. Just being together was important."
In 1984, Mr. Pansini joined the Navy Reserve, serving for six years and qualifying as an electrician's mate. In 1988 he joined the former New York City Transit Authority Police Department, first assigned to District 34, Coney Island, and serving for two years in many parts of the city. For a brief time in 1990, he served with the city Police Department in the North Shore's 120th Precinct, before being called to the Fire Department in October of that year. Mr. Pansini served as a delegate to the Uniformed Firefighters Association.
His younger brother, Joseph Pansini, has followed in his footsteps. A police officer with the 120th Precinct, Mr. Pansini was told by his older brother that the job is "common sense." He went in with that attitude and found it worked. Joseph Pansini is awaiting an appointment to the Fire Department, where the brothers were looking forward to serving together. The older brother counseled the younger to be patient, saying: "You'll be here before you know it. Just stay out of trouble."
Paul Pansini had recently started building houses, but his "side job" was always his kids, said his brother, who looked up to him as a hero who set a good example in everything he did -- cop, firefighter, husband, father.
"Anyone who knew him, knew him as a friend," said his sister, Loretta Halpert. "I feel blessed that I had him as a brother and that he was part of my daughter's and husband's life."
There were only 11 months between them, and Mrs. Halpert emphasized how much family meant to her brother. He would do things like switch his schedule to be at her daughter's birthday party, she said.
Mr. Pansini would often take his kids to the park or bike riding, and he shared his passion for fishing with his son. He was on the board of trustees of the Wagner College Gunn Run, a fund-raiser for the daughter of Billy Gunn, a police officer killed in the line of duty. Money also went to a burn center and the Thomas Elsassen Fund.
A big Bruce Springsteen fan, he was the one to stand in line for tickets to the Boss' concerts.
A wrestler while he was at Tottenville High School, Mr. Pansini was drawn to judo. A member of the New York Dojang Institute and a black belt, he earned a bronze medal in 1991 at the World Firefighters Games in Memphis, Tenn., and a silver medal at the Las Vegas games in 1992.
At the Las Vegas games, he and a fireman from New Zealand became friends. One morning soon after Sept. 11, a call came to Mrs. Pansini at 4 a.m. to inquire if Mr. Pansini was all right. The friend from New Zealand had lost track of the time difference.
Joseph Pansini had a lot of good times and a lot of laughs with his brother no matter what they were doing. As she gathered pictures for the memorial, his wife has found pictures "all with smiles."
"He had a wonderful sense of humor," said Mrs. Halpert. "He could make people laugh at the drop of a hat."
Mr. Pansini's mother, Mary, died in 1982. His father, Jack, died in 1992. In addition to his wife, Janice; his brother, Joseph, and his sister, Loretta, surviving are his son, Paul Jack (P.J.); his twin daughters, Anna and Claire Pansini, and another brother, Robert.
Staten Island Advance, 2001