FP's commemorative issue from September 11, 2006

8/4/2019 FP's commemorative issue from September 11, 2006

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DEFIANT

HPs handling of probe into

leaks triggers queries about

boards effectiveness.FP6

U.S. Marines couldnt

keep me away from trial,

Conrad Blacksays.FP3

SleuthingFINANCIAL POST

Softwood-dutypayoutsU.S.board to handle US$450M from Canadian firms.FP3

FP1 N A T I O N A L P O S T S A T U R D A Y , S E P T E M B E R 9 , 2 0 0 6

9/11 not over, everBY PETER NOWAK

in New York

New York heaveswith life on a sun-nyThursdaymorn-ing. Hordes ofcommuters cram

into Penn Station as street ven-dors peddle sweet-smelling hon-ey-roasted peanuts nearby. In

Times Square, aspiring rapperstry to hock demo CDs to early-morning shoppers. Downtown, an

armyofsuited soldiers marches

along Broadway toward their

appointed posts on Wall and

Broad Streets.Nearby, JeffPucillo is also get-

ting to work. He and two friendstake up position on the GroundZero viewing platform and take

turns reading from theNew YorkTimes bookPortraits: 9/11/01, acollection ofshort tributes to the2,973 victims ofthe World TradeCenter attack.

Some passersby stop and lis-ten for awhile, but most glancecuriously perhaps as theywould at street preachers rantingabout the coming apocalypse then continue on their way.

Mr. Pucillo is no preacher, butit was on amorning just like thisone that he lost two cousins inthe attack that destroyed the

World Trade Center. He has beenpaying this tribute to them, and

all the victims, every year for thepast five years amarathon taskthat takes five days, with14hoursofreadingeach day.Its not apay-ing job, but one that needs to bedone, he says.

These people should never beforgotten. I hope this is going on

when Im dead.Mr. Pucillo begins to read.

David Alger, the entry says, was57and the chief executive ofFredAlger Management Inc., a bou-tique investment firm on the93rd floor ofthe North Tower. Hewas charismatic, full of jokes andseemed to begin every story withthe catchphrase: That remindsmeofsomething .

Mr. Algers firm was one of ahandful nearlydestroyed by theattacks. Almost afifth ofthe com-panys staffand its headquarterswere wiped out. Brokerage firmCa

ntorF

itzgera

ldLP

, mea

nwhile,suffered the heaviest human toll,losing 658 of its 1,000 employeesin NewYork. Both firms strug-gled to survive in the weeks and

months to follow, but have perse-vered and, to a large extent, re-

bounded.Five years later, the firms ex-

ecutives share their experiencesand stories ofsurvival.

Dan Chung shifts uneasilyin hisleather office chair as he remem-

bers Mr. Alger. The young presi-dent ofFred Alger Managementis lost in amemory; his eyes red-den. The firm lost 35 of230 em-ployees on Sept. 11, including

David the younger brother offounder Fred, and Mr. Chungsmentor. Five years on, the sur-

vivors stillfeel the painintensely.The effects ofa loss like that

are not really over, ever, Mr.Chung says between long pauses.These people were myfriends ormentors, and myboss. Its hard

to replace the camaraderie andeven the conflict that comes withagroup o f professionals.

By virtue of its small size, thefirm was more of an extendedfamily than a business.And like afamily, everyone had a role toplay.

Someone becomes the disci-plinarian, someone becomes thecentre ofwhats happening thereceiver of gossip thearrangers ofoffbeat parties, somelend some seriousness, some areteachers, he sa ys. They wereunique people and had enough

continuityacross their genera-tions, from very senior to veryin-experienced, to be kind of like afamily.

Mr. Chung, 44, is far awayashe recalls the events of Sept. 11,

2001. He was an analyst with thefirm at the time and, as fortunehad it, was at an uptown hotel

that morning attending apresen-

tation bya Tyco executive. Themeeting had just started when anaide interrupted to announcethat the North Tower had justbeenhitbyaplane.

The executives and analystscrowded around the televisionand watched in stunned silencefirst as the North Tower burned,then as the South Tower was hit.

Mr. Chung tried calling his of-ficesbut couldnt get through. Thefirst plane had struckbetween the90th and 92nd floor his officeswere on thenext floor above.

He tried to

cont

act his f

amily,buthenowhas trouble recalling it.

SeeNEWYORKonPageFP4

Businessbooming,PageFP5

How twoNewYork companies survivedandrecoveredfrom the terroristattacks of five yearsago

STAN HONDA / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

A charreddocumentlies in the soot near the destroyedWorldTradeCenter inNewYorkon Sept. 12, 2001.


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FP's commemorative issue from September 11, 2006

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