Martin Egan Jr.: Fraternal
Inspiration
If
Martin Egan Jr. had a notion to do something, he went for
it.
On a whim, the fire department captain tried bungee
jumping. Then sky diving. He ran the New York City
Marathon in 2000.
When he saw a near- century-old colonial-style house
next to a pond in Great Kills, Staten Island, he decided
he would buy it, completely gut it and put it back
together again.
The only issue was that Captain Egan, 36, had no
construction experience. Undeterred, he studied how-to
books and magazines to learn to rebuild the structure's
interior. "He wasn't afraid to try new things," said his
wife, Diane. "He did a beautiful job, and I'll live here
forever."
Captain Egan was also the first of his childhood
friends from Midland Beach, Staten Island, to join the
New York City Fire Department. His two younger brothers
also became firefighters.
"He showed us the way," said John Mahon, a firefighter
and longtime friend. "We saw how much he loved the job
and what it did for him. The rest of us said we've got to
get this job."
Martin Egan was promoted to captain in Division 15 not
long before Sept. 11. On the 11th, he was on
administrative duty when he decided to answer the call
for help at the World Trade Center.
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