Bronx residents refl ect on 9/11 Fund
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Anthony Mazariello, a lifelong Bronx resident and FDNY fi refi ghter, who
responded on 9/11 and has since been diagnosed with thyroid cancer as
a result of his exposure to Ground Zero toxins. Courtesy of Barasch McGarry
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BY JASON COHEN
This past week marked the
one-year anniversary of the
reauthorization of the 9/11
Victim Compensation Fund.
The fund guarantees that
9/11 fi rst responders and survivors
poisoned by Ground
Zero toxins and their families
will have access to health care
and compensation for the rest
of their lives.
“That money coming
in the settlement is defi -
nitely huge” said Anthony
Mazariello, a lifelong Bronx
resident and FDNY fi refi ghter
who responded on 9/11 and
has since been diagnosed with
thyroid cancer as a result of
his exposure to Ground Zero
toxins. “Nothing can make up
for your own life.”
These protections are particularly
important now because
Ground Zero-related
diseases, including 68 types of
cancer and dozens of respiratory
ailments, leave 9/11 community
members uniquely
vulnerable to COVID-19.
On July 29, 2019, the president
signed into law The Never
Forget the Heroes: James
Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer and Luis
Alvarez Permanent Authorization
of the Sept. 11 Victim
Compensation Fund. The VCF
Permanent Authorization Act
extends the VCF’s claim fi ling
deadline from Dec. 18, to Oct.
1, 2090 and appropriates such
funds as may be necessary to
pay all approved claims.
Under the Act, the VCF is
required to issue payments to
any claimants who were impacted
by the reductions in order
to make up the difference
between the reduced award
and the unreduced value that
would have been awarded but
for the reductions.
Mazariello, 44, of Pelham
Parkway, was an EMT on 9/11
and just put his papers in to
retire with the FDNY. In addition
to thyroid cancer, he also
recently had a mass removed
from his testes due to 9/11.
He explained that if weren’t
for the compensation fund,
he would be buried in debt.
Mazariello stressed that it’s
important for anyone who was
near the towers on 9/11 to get
checked out.
“Even if there’s a chance to
qualify, you should look into
it,” he said. “Unfortunately
some of the conditions come
years later.”
Now that he’s on the mend,
he plans to enjoy life and spend
time with his wife Sandy and
son Matthew.
Michael Barasch of Barasch
McGarry is a lawyer,
who represents 20,000 fi rst responders
and survivors. According
to Barasch, the job is
not easy and is often emotionally
draining. But in the long
run, it is gratifying to know
that he and his colleagues are
helping thousands fi nd a way
to pay their medical bills.
“It’s a fi nancial security
for people who are dying,” he
said. “I want people to know
it’s not too late.”
Barasch explained that
most people do not realize that
the compensation fund does
not just apply to fi rst responders
but also the thousands
of downtown workers and
residents from Sept. 11.
Anyone who was near the
towers should get checked to
see if they have a 9/11 related
disease, he commented.
“I can’t imagine another
area of law that I could be involved
in that’s helped so many
people,” he said. “We take this
personally. I’m so lucky to be
able to do what I do.”