NYC-WTC_000230670

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2001 Bush talks yesterday with Robin Fraund, whose husband, 3 liretighter, Is missing. Ponl Palos Mike Albans He Brings Solace Second Time Around By Ron Howell STAF? WRITER President George W. Bush went to a fire- house in Little Ita taly yesterday and restored some comfort to aching souls. People in the area said New York would ben- efit greatly if the nation’ s jammanderin- chief would visit more frequen Five firefighters from the Broome Street ata- tion were missing after they apparcntly rushed into Tower One of the World Trade Center just minutes after it was hit by a hi- jacked airliner. Just two daye ago, the body of one firefight- er, Faustino Aposiile, was identified afer being pulled from the rubble, said firefighter John &ii livero. The other four remain missing. Olivero, who said he has cried a river of tears since the attacks, said spirits at the fire station were revived yesterday as Bush ate pizza and laughed along with firefighters and grieving relatives of the missing. “It's very reassunng, It has 9 strong impact on all of the guys,” Olivero said. Bush paid special attention to Robin Fre- und, wife of missing Lt. Peter Freund. He told her how beautiful her children were, that he was praying for the whole family, and that the country appreciated her husband's cour- age, Robin Freund aaid later. Freund said she was still in unspeakable pain. She praised her husband, 45, as a hero ~ who “gave his life to save other people.” f According to those who ate pizze with them, yaa Bush lightened the mood somewhat when he asked one of Freund's children where he was planning to go to college. When the boy said University, Bush, a Yale graduate, said, “Wrong choice.” Before visiting the fire station Bush met with business executives at Federal Hall in the Wall Street area, discussing how to revive the economy in the wake of the Sept. 11 at- tacks. In Chinatown, he also spoke briefly about patriotism to first- graders and kinder- ; gartners at PS 130. - Among those whe strong! ey felt Bush ought to cume back tu New more regularly were the owners of al 8 pizza shop on Broome Street, which prepared the firehouse luncheon. “If he came back a couple more times it would de wonders Jor the city,” said Peter Amone, a relative of the owners and the guy who keeps the books at Sal's. “His presence ie like saying, ‘It’s safe. We need to stimulate business.’ if he starts coming back, then a lot of other people will start coming back.” Business et Sal’a, which dropped 70 percent in the week after the attacks, waa back to its normal lev level yesterday, Arnone said. who made the five presidential piz- 288 Th, waa Francesco Triclo. “An FBI agent was watching me the whole time ] was doing it,” he said, still beaming with pride later in the day. “He was a very nice guy, but he didn’t let his eyes off for 4 minute. it was the first time I made pizzas under aurveil- ce.” 1 NYC-WTC_000230670 CITY_21MC100_011830712