Though he had bachelor’s degrees in two other disciplines‚ Virgilio chose firefighting. He had a physical therapy degree from New York University‚ minored in dance at Queens College‚ and performed in community theater.
The 13-year FDNY veteran excelled‚ as an advanced rescue specialist with Squad 18. He had recently been bestowed the honor of training to join the elite FDNY team that responds to disasters outside New York City.