At the reading of the names at the New York City ceremony, the sister of Marsh & McLennan employee Sal Tieri Jr. said her brother left behind two sons who were ages 7 and 5 in 2001.
“I searched for 10 days in this city, looking in every hospital imaginable, looking for my brother who was my best friend and rock,” she said.
Roses stand on the 9/11 Memorial for the South Tower ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center on September 7, 2026, in New York City.
Gary Hershorn/ABC News
She then pleaded with politicians to recognize 9/11 as a day of remembrance.
“Please, dignitaries who are listening and are in attendance today: We, the family members and U.S. citizens who voted you into office, in our strongest possible voice — we are demanding, pleading, insisting that the federal and local government agencies, with their respective lawmakers, designate, orchestrate and finally implement … mark this day, Sept. 11, as a day of atonement, recognition, remembrance and reflection for all the souls lost.”
Many in the crowd applauded, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
