

The necessary blog of the trials and tribulations of a twenty-something college student struggling to figure out her version of the road of life.



So many of us were so far away from NYC on that tragic day eight years ago. Even though I was a thousand miles away, I still cry today when I see the footage just as I did as a wide-eyed innocent 17 year old high school senior. But even though I have never stepped foot on an inch of NYC soil or saw the twin towers with my own two eyes, I still feel connected to all of the victims and thier families, especially Michael. It is through this process of learning about him and his family that I too feel like I lost someone special eight years ago. All of America mourns for you and your families. We never forgot...nor will we ever forget.
Michael David Ferugio was a 37 year old insurance broker for Swett and Crawford and was at a meeting in the Aon Corporation offices on the 105th floor in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. He was a high school graduate of Pottsville Area High School and a 1987 graduate of Penn State. He continued to be a Penn State fanatic after graduation and his love for the university and football program was apparent to everyone who knew him. His wife had found an entry in his address book that read: "Ludmilla, cleaning woman, 31st floor-WT2, son is at Penn State!" Notes like this were only a small example of his kind nature and care for other people. Michael grew up remembering his roots and had never forgotten where he had come from, regardless of where his life would take him. His grandfather had been a coal miner and his father, a steam pipe fitter. It was from these humble beginnings that Michael got his down to earth demeanor.
Michael met his wife in 1991 where they worked at the same insurance company in the World Trade Center following his graduation and move to Brooklyn Heights. His wife described him as "bright-eyed, bushy-tailed kid from Pottsville" where she was the conscious city kid who made decisions with her head. They would each find other jbos outside of the World Trade Center. Despite their different approaches to life, the couple married on New Years Eve 1997.
I found a few quotes made by family that seemed to paint a picture of the person that Michael was:
"Mike loved people and all walks of life. None was too high, and none was too low." --Michael's mother.
"Michael didn't have to be reminded to call his mother, or to hold a door open for an elderly gentleman, or to volunteer his time." Tony Sleva, Michael's Brother in-law
In a story on Michael, Tony gave a suggestion for the best tribute to Michael's memory. "The most fitting tribute to Ferugio would be to imitate him by treating everyone with respect, love, and understanding." There were three requests that he made for the tribute: "When you finish reading, call your mother and tell her you love her. When you see someone in need, help them, before you retire for the night, ask yourself, 'What did I do for my fellow man today?"