Angels Of Courage

Arthur Piccolo of the Bowling Green Association of Lower Manhattan developed an idea that was a perfect demonstration of love for those who gave of their lives on September 11, 2001. (9/11/01)  Arthur located the silver and gold bullion that was originally buried by the collapse of the World Trade Center and subsequently recovered at Ground Zero.  It belonged to the Bank of Nova Scotia who agreed to make 3800 ounces of the silver available.  It was the Bowling Green Association's goal to honor the Fallen Heroes by making angel figures for each of the Fallen Heroes to adorn the annual Bowling Green Christmas Tree at the tip of Broadway, at the site where New York City was founded, in the shadow of the World Trade Center site. Arthur then searched desperately to find a manufacturer who would turn these Ground Zero pure bars of silver into Angels in time for Christmas. Just before Thanksgiving deciding to make just one more call before giving up he found the Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers Association of America headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, by searching on the Internet.   The association immediately embraced the project and put Arthur in touch with two member firms LDC Inc. and Morvillo & Sons. They both agreed to do the job whatever it took working closely with their Association. Since this turned out to be a very expensive project Arthur called Richard A. Grace, President of Grace Industries, Inc. as a potential sponsor.  Since Grace was the prime Heavy Contractor, working for Bovis Lend Lease, the Construction Manager in charge or the rescue and recovery at Ground Zero, Arthur thought it a perfect match.  However, since 78 countries were victimized by this disaster Richard Grace felt that this honor needed a broader ethnic base and as Vice Chairman The National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) Richard Grace reached out to this well respected organization to sponsor the Angels of Courage project.  Vice Chairman Richard called NECO's Chairman William Denis Fugazy who immediately pledged full support.

Within days, during Thanksgiving the Bank of Nova Scotia shipped the silver bars under guard to Morvillo & Sons in Providence, Rhode Island, who melted the silver and reformed these bars into sheets of pure silver. The coiled sheets were then delivered to LDC Inc. also of Providence where the Angels of Courage were manufactured in an intricate process.  One for each member of the Fire and Police Department who so gallantly and so courageously gave up their lives in the line of duty.  While everyone was running away these men and women ran straight into this disaster knowing full well that at least some of the buildings were collapsing.  Saving lives was the only thing on their minds as the Twin Towers collapsed.  Hence, the name Angels of Courage.

The National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, along with the Bank of Scotia and Bowling Green Association as co-sponsors and with the assistance of the Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers Association of America, LDC, Inc. and Morvillo & Sons  Inc. took 3,800 ounces of pure silver and turned it into Angels of Courage.  50 Angels were brought to Washington and presented to the President to adorn forever The White House Christmas tree.  These 50 precious silver Angels were each engraved with the names of the 50 States in this country.  Twelve Angels were delivered to the Pope in Rome for the Christmas Tree at the Vatican.  These Special 12 Angels had the names of the 12 Apostles engraved on them.   A very limited numbed of very special people also received an engraved Angel.  Among them were the then Mayor & Governor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, and George Pataki as well as the Fire & Police Commissioners of New York, Thomas Von Essen and Bernard Keric.  But most important of all by far,  427 Angels were also manufactured for the 75 foot Christmas tree at Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan which was Lighted with great ceremony to honor these Fallen Heroes of 9/11.  After the Tree Lighting Ceremony, Grace Industries, Inc. hosted a reception at the U.S. Custom House at Bowling Green for members of the Police and Fire Departments, NECO,  Bowling Green Association, the Bank of Nova Scotia, and the Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers Association of America  who came in large numbers from Rhode Island for the Tree Lighting Ceremony and the hanging of The Angels of Courage on  Monday evening, December 10, 2001.

Once the tree was dismantled in early January, 2002,  all the over 400+ Angels which had decorated the Christmas Tree at Bowling Green were then taken back to Providence, Rhode Island, and L.D.C. for re-polishing and final engraving of the names of those special Fallen Heroes who gave their lives while saving thousands that day we will never forget,  9/11/01.  We will have a very special ceremony and NECO will present each family who lost a loved one with an Angel of Courage with their loved ones name engraved on it.  What makes these Angels so special is the silver was buried by the collapse of the Twin Towers that fateful day 9/11/01 and only recovered from below the millions of tons of rubble just shortly before this project unfolded.  While the silver and gold was recovered from Ground Zero, unfortunately many of the true heroes of that day were never recovered.  This unique even sacred precious silver maybe more symbolism attached to it than any other on earth has become a never to be forgotten tribute to their ultimate sacrifice. God Bless them forever.

Inscription: 

Angel of Courage

9/11/01

Name: 

God Bless America

Inscription:

Fine Silver Recovered from the Site of

The World Trade Center

Donated By

The National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations,Inc

N.E.C.O.

LDC .999

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