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Bus driver a quick thinking hero
Anthony Mocerino thinks of himself as just a good Brooklyn boy, but leaders of the nation’s biggest transportation system call him a hero.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board yesterday recognized Mocerino for coming to the rescue of a woman who had her purse snatched last month.
“I was happy, shocked and overwhelmed,” said Mocerino, 42, a father of two and an MTA driver since 2002.
On Jan. 19, Mocerino’s B36 bus had broken down in Coney Island and he was sitting in the bus waiting for a tow truck when he heard a woman scream. Looking outside, he spotted a teenager grab the purse of a middle-aged woman walking down the street, according to the MTA.As the thief fled, Mocerino quickly jumped out of the bus in pursuit, the MTA said. He flagged down a police car during the chase, and as officers approached, the boy ended up running directly toward Mocerino. The driver grabbed him and held on until police arrived.
“It was just a reaction,” Mocerino said. “My nature is to help people out if I can.”
The woman’s purse was recovered, the teen arrested and Mocerino returned to his bus. But Mocerino’s actions continued to resonate with the victim’s son, who called New York City Transit to report the driver’s good deed.
The MTA board yesterday called Mocerino a hero, applauding vigorously before giving Mocerino a blue glass plaque. The agency has recognized 19 workers for going above the call of duty in the last year.
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