Print

In 1993, Richard Liverano worked as an operating engineer (Local 40) at the World Trade Center. He was then part of a crew employed by Ogden Allied Maintenance Corporation, a contractor to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that provided infrastructure maintenance and building engineering service within the multi-building complex. On Friday, February 26th, Liverano and several coworkers had gone out for lunch when they learned that an explosion had devastated the garage area next to their shop. Four members of the Port Authority’s maintenance department, a loading-dock employee, and a visitor who had just parked his car were killed.

Given the depth of the crater created by the bomb, the structural repair was challenging and, for a period of time, required Liverano and his team to navigate the area using safety ropes and harnesses. He estimated that 18 months of repairs were needed before the Port Authority would be ready to place a temporary plaque honoring the six victims of the attack. First, a draft print appeared, which made its way to the metal-working shop for fixtures and assessment for a more durable, brass-plated replacement. Liverano retained the draft print after the final plaque was produced. He held onto the draft for several decades and subsequently donated it to the Museum.