(STATEN ISLAND, New York) - There is always one kid who is the last to be picked when it comes to athletic contests. Inevitably, when Chuck Margiotta was the captain, he would make that kid his first choice.
“Chuck was always a champion of the underdog,” said his brother Mike.
It was that spirit that led Chuck Margiotta to make a fateful decision. Chuck, a 20-year veteran of the NYFD serving with Battalion 22, had volunteered to fill a shift for a fellow firefighter in Brooklyn. Following the shift, Chuck was on his way home to Staten Island early on the morning of September 11, 2001.
He learned of the attacks on the World Trade Center on his car radio and turned around and headed for the nearest fire station. He caught a ride with Rescue 5 near the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and went into the devastation to help. Chuck made a last call to his mother, Molly, and said, “Ma, it’s bad.”
Chuck, along with another 342 firefighters, lost his life that day. None of the 11 men on board the truck with Chuck that day ever returned home.
On Monday, April 18, his daughter’s 23rd birthday, Chuck Margiotta was honored when a new AstroTurf® field at Prall Playground and IS 27 was dedicated in his name. His brother Mike is a teacher at the school.
Although Margiotta has been honored many times over the past decade, naming a field after him is a fitting tribute.
“That’s where I want his name,” said his father, Charlie, Sr. “It’s an honor for our family and for Chuck to be associated with anything like this that is for the kids.”
Mike found out two years ago that city planners were planning to renovate the field and got involved with the project on an almost daily basis. The decision was made to name the field in honor of Chuck.
“This is the perfect place,” said Mike. “He was a tremendous athlete, a great coach, and a great educator. As a brother, I couldn’t be more proud.”
Chuck was a star athlete at Monsignor Farrell and went on to play football at Brown University, where they won the Ivy League Championship in 1976. In addition to a 20-year career as a firefighter, Chuck was a 20-year substitute teacher, a private investigator, and had small roles in movies such as Frequency and Hannibal.
Margiotta also served as the director of basketball for St. Rita’s parish and coached any number of sports from basketball to softball to soccer. Despite the gruff voice and burly physique, everyone took to Chuck. One friend said he was the nicest tough guy ever.
Now, a new generation of young athletes and sports enthusiasts will be able to play on the new field and will always be reminded of Chuck Margiotta’s sacrifice when they are at Lieutenant Charles Margiotta Field.
“We are so proud to have been selected to provide the AstroTurf® for this field, said Bryan Peeples, President of AstroTurf®. “But we are more proud of the fact that it has been named in honor of a true American hero, a family man, and a community leader dedicated to giving his all. God Bless Chuck Margiotta.”
“Chuck believed it was his obligation to life, to fill it up,” said lifelong friend Steve Gallira.
Because of the new AstroTurf® at Lieutenant Charles Margiotta Field, hundreds of people will be able to fill their lives with the joy of competition. And you can bet that Chuck Margiotta will be looking down, rooting for the underdog.
About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s only vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf® include GameDay Grass™ 3D with RootZone®, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; TurfAide™, a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and AstroFlect™ Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.
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