Carl Bini was no stranger to heroism.
A firefighter with Rescue Co. 5, he twice participated as a diver in plane-crash rescue and recovery efforts; helped during an upstate weather disaster; and last year was called in to find the body of a 14-year-old girl who drowned off Crookes Point in Great Kills. There were countless other incidents during his 18-year career as a firefighter, situations that didn't generate headlines, which required great amounts of courage and concern for human life.
On the morning of Sept. 11, Mr. Bini showed his true colors again. He and his childhood friend, Joseph Mascali, were at Tower East Construction Co. — the Great Kills-based business the two men owned — when they heard the news about the World Trade Center.
Mr. Bini's concern was immediately for his wife, the former Christine Hyjek, who was passing through the area on her way to work.
"At around 9:15 a.m. when I called him back, he said he was on his way to the firehouse," said Mrs. Bini. "I told him to be careful."
Mr. Bini is now among the thousands missing as a result of the attack on the World Trade Center, and one of 11 Rescue 5 members lost.
Born in Brooklyn, Mr. Bini moved to Bay Terrace in 1987.
After graduating Lafayette High School in Brooklyn, Mr. Bini attended classes at the College of Staten Island.
In 1983, he began his firefighting career at Ladder Co. 172, Brooklyn. He was assigned to Rescue 5, the elite unit based in Concord, in 1991.
His fellow firefighters were his brothers, Mrs. Bini said.
While at Rescue 5, he was one of the Fire Department divers who searched the submerged US Air Flight 405 after it slid off a LaGuardia Airport runway and into Flushing Bay in 1992, killing 27 people.
He also helped deliver emergency medical care to upstate New York during an ice storm in 1998.
He received a letter and a certificate of appreciation from then-FBI Director Louis J. Freeh for demonstrating "the effectiveness of this nation's military and law enforcement resources in responding to emergencies" for his role in the 1996 rescue and recovery efforts following the explosion and crash of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island.
Mr. Bini, 44, and his wife started dating when they were still very young — they only lived four blocks apart. "We started to go out when we were 12 years old and I've loved him since then," said Mrs. Bini, his wife of 23 years.
In spite of working at both the firehouse and his own business, Mr. Bini was a devoted family man who spent much of time with his wife and two children.
"He enjoyed taking us out to dinner and on vacations, and never missed a softball, basketball or soccer game," said his daughter, Desiree Bini.
In 1995, Mr. Bini reestablished the track and field team at St. Charles School, Oakwood. The following year, with the assistance of his close friend, Rick Marchi, Mr. Bini coached his daughter Stefanie's CYO basketball team to the only state championship in St. Charles' history.
He was also very involved with his extended family, including his wife's family. "We came as a package deal when we did anything," said his sister, Rosemarie Corvino.
His niece, Sandra Immella, said: "My Uncle Carl is a true hero and I am extremely proud of him. I will always remember his warm smile and his kind heart."
"My Uncle Carl was a hero. I've always known that, and now the rest of the world knows," said his niece, Valerie Corvino.
Mr. Bini's nephew, Eddie Russello, said, "I have great respect for my Uncle Carl. I will always look up to him, and I will admire his bravery forever." Ray Corvino idolized his uncle. "I wanna be just like him," he said.
"He used to say, 'There's not enough time in the day,' " Mrs. Bini recalled, but still he kept going.
He would stop in the middle of whatever he was doing to help others. "He had so much energy that everyone fed off his," Mrs. Corvino, his sister, recalled. Mr. Bini was a member of the FDNY Columbia Association.
He enjoyed jogging, and ran in the New York City Marathon in 1998. He also encouraged fitness, spending time with his family in the gym and running while Desiree Rollerbladed alongside him.
"Everything he did, he did from his heart, and with determination he followed it through," said his wife.
"[His family] asked him for a closet and he doubled the size of their house," said Mrs. Corvino.
He was looking forward to retiring from the Fire Department in two years, and working on his business.
"Everyone says that I should be grateful that I had so much time with him, but I wanted more," Mrs. Bini said. "It wasn't enough."
Staten Island Advance, 2001