Stephen Huczko
A bass drummer in the Port Authority Pipes and Drums, Huczko is survived by his wife, Kate McGuire, and their four children, Kaitlyn, Liam, Cullen and Aidan.
Police Officer Stephen Huczko, 44, was a fifteen-year veteran of the Port Authority Police. He was last seen by his wife, Kathleen, before he went to work on September 11, 2001. He, along with colleagues Officer James Parham, Chief James Romito, Lieutenant Robert Cirri, and Captain Kathy Mazza were found buried with a woman they were trying to rescue.
Huczko was born on Staten Island. While studying nursing, he worked as a police officer on the night shift at Newark International Airport. He graduated with a nursing degree from Raritan Valley Community College in Somerville, New Jersey, in 1995. Huczko was with the Port Authority during the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the Federal Express plane crash in 1997 in which an MD-11 cargo plane carrying hazardous materials flipped onto its roof and burst into flames at Newark International Airport. All five people aboard the plane climbed to safety.
PORT AUTHORITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
PIPES & DRUMS ~ EST 1979
On September 11, 2001, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey lost 75 members of their organization. Of those, 37 were members of the Port Authority Police Department, including the three drummers above: Liam Callahan, Steven Huczko and Richard Rodriguez. This devastation did not prevent the band from performing its most solemn task- a funeral for a fallen police officer. In the months following the attack, the PAPD Pipes and Drums, with the assistance of the New Jersey United Pipe Band, played at over forty funerals and memorial services, sometimes two, three, or even up to five in a single day.
Port Authority Police Officers Liam Callahan, Steve Huczko and Richie Rodriguez were on duty and responded to the World Trade Center to assist in the evacuation and rescue of thousands of people inside the buildings of the World Trade Center. Tragically, they were inside the buildings when they collapsed, never losing sight of the opportunity to help one more person. Rest In Peace to our fellow band mates, officers and friends.
Liam Callahan
A snare drummer in the Port Authority Pipes and Drums, Callahan was an Irishman who was proud of his heritage and held the position of Drum Sergeant for the Port Authority Pipes and Drums band. He is survived by his wife, Joan, and his four children, Brian, Bridget, Ellen and James.
Officer Liam Callahan, 44, was a member of the Port Authority ESU. On September 11, 2001, he responded to the World Trade Center to assist in the rescue efforts.
Callahan had over 20 years of service in law enforcement. With the Port Authority, he once saved the life of a man who tried to jump off a roof of the Port Authority Bus Terminal. He earned the Award for Valor in 1993 for rescuing disabled people during the World Trade Center bombing. A frequent volunteer at his children's school, he was often a chaperone on cafeteria lunch duty. He was an active member of St. Cecilia Church of Rockaway, and was well known for the pancakes he cooked at church functions.
Richie Rodriguez
A snare drummer in the Port Authority Pipes and Drums, Rodriguez is survived by his wife, Cindy.
Police Officer Richie Rodriguez, 31, was hired by the Port Authority Police Department in April, 1993. On September 11, 2001, he responded to the World Trade Center with Captain Kathy Mazza .
Rodriguez was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He graduated from Perth Amboy Vocational Technical High School and attended Middlesex County Community College in New Jersey. Though he studied technical drafting at school, he found an interest in public service while volunteering with the first-aid squad in Perth Amboy. He told people he knew he’d won the lottery when he was offered a position with the Port Authority as his ambitions became reality. His first assignment at the Port Authority was in the tactical response bureau, where he trained for special duty to protect the U.S. President at Newark International Airport. Three years ago, he became an instructor at the Police Academy, where he taught patrol operations, motor vehicle stops, water rescue, emergency vehicle operation and radio procedures. He also coordinated the installation of and training on mobile video cameras.