New Sports-Related Artifacts Installed in the “In Memoriam” Gallery

Each year, the 9/11 Memorial Museum rotates the objects on display in its In Memoriam gallery. The objects on view once belonged to, or were created in memory of, the victims of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and Feb. 26, 1993.

A new installation was put on view last week featuring artifacts related to 15 victims, which help convey the story of each person’s relationship to sports, whether as athlete, devoted fan or ardent hobbyist. The items were chosen to coincide with the opening of “Comeback Season: Sports After 9/11,” a special exhibition that explores the role sports played in aftermath of the 2001 attacks. The exhibition opens Wednesday.

Paul Regan Cascio’s high school varsity letter, adorned with pins for his participation in cross-country, swimming and baseball, represents both his athleticism and his devotion to his friends. According to Cascio’s friend Ryan Cremins, “[Paul] just loved being on teams with his best buddies.” As an adult, he was known for bringing his friends together for impromptu trips and barbecues on his SoHo roof deck. Cascio worked in the World Trade Center’s South Tower as a Vice President for Euro Brokers.

A fishing reel belonging to Stephen A. Knapp speaks to his lifelong love of fishing. A Staten Island resident and maintenance supervisor for the Port Authority who was killed in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, Knapp looked forward to taking his boat out on Raritan Bay in pursuit of striped bass and bluefish. He passed his love of fishing along to his son Stephen Knapp Jr., who remains an avid fisherman today. 

A set of inline skates belonging to Melissa Cándida Doi helps tell the story of her passion for Rollerblading. She would sometimes skate more than 10 miles from her home in the Bronx to her job at IQ Financial Systems in the World Trade Center’s South Tower. Doi also taught children in her neighborhood how to skate, and she was known to have bought Rollerblades for some neighborhood children so they could keep up with the hobby.

These artifacts, and 12 other highlighted objects related to victims, will remain on view in the gallery for one year. Visitors to In Memoriam can learn more about each of the 2,983 people killed on 9/11 and in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center by exploring the interactive tables in the gallery.

Anyone interested in donating materials in memory of a loved one—objects, photographs or audio remembrances—is encouraged to contact collections@911memorial.org.

By Kirsten Madsen, Assistant Manager of Memorial Exhibition, 9/11 Memorial Museum