William Lopez thought he would never see a prized plaque from his 9/11 experience again.
The wooden plaque features a photo encased in plexiglass of Firefighter Paul Finochiaro of Ladder Company 78, embracing a civilian at the debris-strewn World Trade Center site on 9/11. Next to the photo is a likeness of the Twin Towers made of twisted steel that firefighters recovered and fabricated from the deadly collapse that killed 2,996 people that day.
Lopez, who was at Ground Zero the day of the terror attack, was a younger, less seasoned photojournalist then, and snapped the photo as the emotional scene unfolded before him.
The commemoration was given to Lopez and 20 other news photographers who participated in the Bolivar Arellano Gallery 9/11 photo exhibit on the Lower East Side and a fundraiser that raised more than $50,000 to help first responders. While the plaque brought back bitter memories of a terrible day, it also reminded us of the bravery of first responders and those who lost their lives and the hope of those working to recover.
A decade ago, Lopez, now 57, had a falling out with his mentally ill brother-in-law, who changed the locks and seized his apartment on 13th Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The acrimony was so bad that his brother-in-law (whose name we are withholding for privacy) began throwing Lopez’s property in the trash – including his life’s work of photo negatives and the plaque.
After his brother-in-law died in that same apartment about three years ago, Lopez scoured the inside of the dwelling but did not find the prized icon.
A short time later, East Williamsburg resident Sheena Pisarro, 51, was walking in an industrial section of her community when she spotted something leaning against black trash bags in front of 262 Meserole St. It turned out to be Lopez’s plaque.
“I was just walking on this industrial street and normally, I stay away from the garbage because I’m terrified of rats and I don’t bring things home because of bedbugs. But this was different – mind-blowing,” said Pisarro. “It was in front of an old brewery that housed a rehearsal studio where she had just exited from band practice. It’s crazy that it ended up here. Despite my fear of the trash bags and rats, I grabbed it and took it home.”
The plaque itself weighs several pounds because of the World Trade Center steel, so she put it on a shelf in a prominent place in her apartment, where it remained for another seven years.
That was until last week, when she moved it because she was planning to paint her apartment. She noticed a label on the back that she said she missed, reading “Bolivar Arellano Gallery.”
Pisarro, a social media director, took to Reddit to find the owner. That’s when Bolivar’s son, Robert, wrote back, referring her to this reporter as an authority on photographers in New York City.
A search of the Library of Congress quickly identified the photo belonging to William Lopez, a freelance photographer for the New York Post; The caption read:
“Two firefighters embrace upon being reunited, after each feared the other was lost, following September 11th terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, New York City] / William C. Lopez” in the Library of Congress.
Lopez had given up hope of ever finding the prized plaque.
“I never thought I was going to see this plaque again,” Lopez said. “My brother-in-law really gave me a hard time and he was really the only one in the world who I really hated. He was just throwing away all my stuff and I was finding it in the street and even after he killed himself, we didn’t find it. We didn’t realize just how mentally ill he was.”
Then last week, Lopez received a text message from Pisarro.
“It was from someone I didn’t know – I thought it was a scam and was going to delete it, but then, there was the photo,” he said. “I was stunned. How is this possible – you can’t make this stuff up.”
Pisarro returned the plaque to Lopez on Tuesday at the Meserole Street location where she found it, now a bustling metropolis of bars and nightlife. The two embraced, and the memories of that day briefly engulfed Lopez, who has avoided the difficult memories. She said it was important to reunite this artifact with its owner.
Also on hand was a tearful Bolivar Arellano, the organizer and host of the then exhibit. As having been a photographer for the New York Post that day, he said it was a “terrible experience he will never forget.” He praised Pisarro for reaching out and was gratified that the plaque was returned to Lopez.
Pisarro was also elated to return the plaque to Lopez.
“As a social media director, I see the narrative of that day getting twisted with some young people having conspiracy theories and some even making jokes. Young people need to know the truth and I do it with social media. What was also important was to have this plaque returned to its owner,” she said.
Lopez recalled 9/11 and how it changed his life.
“I had quit as a photojournalist for about a year at that time (he was working doing social media and web services for a bicycle shop), but it was that day that I got on my bike, took the train to the city and spent my time with firefighters that terrible time,” he said. “It got me back into photojournalism because I realized how important it was, and I have been working to document the news ever since.”
Lopez said the plaque will have a cherished space in his current home in Park Slope and will remain with his family to remember that dark day in history.
As for the mystery of how it ended up in East Williamsburg, Lopez said, “It may have been stolen, but I guess the answer is buried with my brother-in-law.”
