However, at no point did she ever feel like fleeing New York City to escape the daily reminder of that day, she said. Now, 17 years later, the same photographer Phil Penman shot her wedding images six weeks ago. Capestro, who now lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, is happily married, has nine grandchildren through marriage and is still working on Wall Street in a job she finds 'very rewarding'. Capestro added that once they reached the 64th floor she began to notice more people crowding into the stairwell to escape. Friends," Penman said. 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Just in a picture alone.'. She revealed it was only when she came out onto the concourse at ground level that she saw the true scale of the devastation. As detailed in a blog post by the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Capestro rushed downstairs after she felt a jolt at 8:46 a.m., just as the first tower was hit. Theresa Caputo's daughter Victoria stuns in wedding dresses before big day (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); There are sad events, there are shocking events; there are tragedies and then, theres the 9/11 tragedy. She said she now puts 'my best foot forward every day now because we can't let terrorists win', 'I felt like I needed to be there. While she was on the call, the hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower only six floors above Joanne's office where she worked as an assistant secretary. document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); And since then, the duo has remained in touch close enough that Capestro asked Penman to photograph her wedding. Capestro said she took refuge inside a car, where she fainted again from the trauma. ". When Capestro married her fianc Robert Vasquez on August 11, she asked Penman to be her photographer. Read more 9/11 Museum Collection Grows: Survivors and victims' families donate their cherished mementos Epoch Times - September 10, 2014, Today Joanne is quoted in an AP article about donating personal items to the National September 11 Memorial Museum. May Davis Group employee Joanne "JoJo" Capestro began her evacuation on the 87th floor of the North Tower after experiencing what felt like an earthquake and smelling jet fuel. try { We didnt get to exit off the 87th floor until the second plane went into the other building, she recalled. It was the photographer's first day off in a long time after he had spent months working nonstop. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Grandmother with dementia died from face wound neglected by staff for days. That woman was Joanne Capestro. The comments below have been moderated in advance. This bond is especially strong with Penman whophotographed Capestro on her wedding day to husband Robert Vasquez in August 2018. All rights reserved. In a heart-touching note that might give some friendship goals, Joanne even mentioned the importance of her friendship with Phil: He was present with me on the best day of my life and also on the worst day of my life. Save Our History | Joanne Capestro | Commemorating the 20th Anniversary ga('ads.send', { Market data provided by Factset. What a strong and beautiful woman. 'There is a bond among survivors - we're like brothers and sisters and we'll get through it together and always be around for each other.'. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ pg.acq.push(function() { On 9/11 she ran down 84 floors in the North Tower to safety, defeating all odds as others died around her. A museum staffer recognized Capestro in the picture and helped make the connection. Probably, nothing can ever get worse than that. Phil was with me on the best day of my life and the worst day of my life". As seen in photographer Phil Penmans photo, she and a colleague were walking away from the site, clearly shaken up and covered in thick white dust and debris. "Phil was with me. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ You may remember this news photo. Something worth remembering for a lifetime , Man Orders $3,000 Sony Camera, Receives Bags of Mysterious White Powder Instead, Sony Announces the Xperia 1 Mark II: A Powerful Smartphone With Technology Taken From Its Best Cameras, Continuing the Legacy of the U.S. President's Photographer, Homeland Security Warns of Photography as a Potential Sign of Terrorism. "When we met, he came into my office and just looked at me and I looked at him and just started crying," Capestro shared referring to the first moment that they met. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. . 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Images used with permission of Phil Penman. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. When she reached daylight, she fainted . Address:***** Ainslie St, Brooklyn, NY. ga('ads.send', { Joanne Capestro (on left with a coworker) is photographed by Phil Penman on 9/11 covered head to toe in thick dust and debris seconds after the South Tower fell as she fled from the World Trade Center, Capestro, now 59, returned to the same spot two decades on to be photographed by Penman - who is now a close friend - to mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks, Capestro in 2021 the same area on Park Row where she was captured in the harrowing photo (left). reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. Capestro, then 39, worked at the World Trade Center, on the 87th floor of the north tower. 'I saw my life in front of me three times that day. 7 Best Relaxing Video Games To Help You Destress In 2023. Finding the displays tasteful, the relatives decided to contribute the items: his wallet, cards he carried, and pocket change. Three years ago she and Penman met for the first time and stayed in contact; he volunteered to take photographs for Capestro's wedding day on August 11, 2018 She told DailyMail.com: 'Phil was. Woman in 9/11 dust-covered photo has same photographer at wedding 17 Thats how it all started and we stayed in touch for all of these years. pg.acq.push(function() { ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); She added that it was an amazing experience to have him present when she married the love of her life, Robert Vasquez. Then we proceeded to go down the steps and I have to be honest with you, there was nobody coming from upstairs to go. "For me, looking over the images over the last 20 years, it's kind of helped me deal with it more," Penman reflected. Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of. document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ They must have left already!". Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. They stayed in touch and just last month, 17 years after the tragedy, Penman took photos of her wedding day. They're just sitting here, and they depress me to look at," the now-retired detective asked herself. The impact was so strong and the building was shaking until all of a sudden it stopped.. As reported by DailyMail, Joanne shared, "Phil and I stayed in touch all of these years. Capestro, who visits the memorial in lower Manhattan every year to recognize those who died including her co-worker Harry Ramos, explained in vivid detail how she survived. 9/11 survivor captured in harrowing image after escaping the North While there, he captured a scene that has since become an iconic image from the harrowing day. Want to advertise with us? Woman in Iconic 9/11 Photo Hires the Same Photographer for Her Wedding Capestro said. 9/11 - JoAnne's Contribution to the National September 11 - Crystalinks He didn't pick up but he checked the message anyway. was photographed that day covered head to toe in thick dust and debris as she fled from the World Trade Center with a coworker. The impact was so strong and the building was shaking until all of a sudden it stopped.. "Thats how it all started and we stayed in touch for all of these years. She explained those who could escape were running for their lives. See Photos. Capestro told how she has 'worked on myself', read a lot of self-help books and met with a lot of other survivors over the years. When I woke up in the morning, I didnt feel well, but I still went to work [] And I was standing at my desk with one of my co-workers, because we were going to go downstairs. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Capestro, then 39,was photographed that day covered head to toe in thick dust and debris as she fled from the World Trade Center with a coworker. Pictured above is an image Penman captured of the Twin Towers moments after the two hijacked planes hit both buildings, Capestro said it took her exactly 22 minutes to escape from the North Tower where she scrambled down the 87 flights of stairs. The third exit we never really used so we were lucky to even find that exit. The pair later formally met back in 2015 at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, where Penman's photo of Capestro was on display. And in coming full circle, on August 11th of this year,. But the family held off until visiting the museum. It was the museum's curator who recognized Capestro and connected her with Penman. VisitMy Modern Met Media. "Phil was with me on the best day of my life and the worst day of my life," Joanne Capestro told the Daily Mirror. He eventually donated his picture of Joanne tothe National September 11 Memorial & Museum. ga('ads.send', { A heartwarming tale of friendship, 17 years after the 9/11 tragedy hitType: 'event', Afterward, she donated everything she had on that day, including the heels, to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which History Channel says it is helping to support. Back then, she had no idea that it was renowned street photographer Penman that had captured her in the moment of crisis. 9/11 Phil Penman & Joanne Capestro wedding, with extra guests Receive our Weekly Newsletter. Phil was with me on the best day of my life, she said, and the worst day of my life., 10 Street Photographers Who Are Immortalizing Our Modern World, Interview: Dynamic Street Shots Document the Quirky Everyday Scenes of New York City, Street Photographer Captures Candid Photos of New York From 1969 to 2006. 'It's something I'm never going to forget but it has given me the strength and courage and resilience to put my best foot forward every day and thats what's important,' she said. Catalog; For You; Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland) . Legal Statement. Seventeen years on, the man who took that picture on the worst . Woman seen in iconic 9/11 photo gets the same photographer to shoot her wedding 17 years later. }); Indeed. 'I found a great partner who understands who I am - everybody has some sort of past and mine is 9/11,' she said. In the iconic picture, Capestro looks absolutely shell-shocked as she faces the camera, heels and purse in hand. Woman in 9/11 image is photographed by same man 17 years later hitType: 'event', eventAction: 'click_image_ads' ", How a 9/11 photo brought two people together, Capestro recounted on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna Friday, America prepares to mark 20th anniversary of 9/11, Officer who survived WTC collapse reflects on 20th anniversary of 9/11, An oral history of 9/11, as told by kindergarteners at ground zero 20 years ago, 12 defining photos we will never forget from 9/11. At 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the World Trade Center's south tower. Fast forward 17 years, and Capestro recently had Penman photograph her again this time for her wedding. "That's how it all started and we stayed in touch for all of these years. The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8. 'I'm so proud of myself as, 20 years ago, you wouldn't believe you're talking to the same strong woman here now. ', Capestro said she hopes people will remember how the city and the nation was in the days after 9/11 when people came together to help each other in their darkest hours, Survivors are seen arm in arm and covered head to toe in dust and rubble as they help each other escape from Ground Zero, Plumes of debris and dust billows into the air as the South Tower collapses on the morning of September 11 2001. The hijacked plane had struck the tower just a few floors above - between the 93rd and 99th floors - and smoke was pouring into the offices. Capestro with Phil Penman on her wedding day (right). Joanne Capestro was on the 87th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center. Interestingly, the very same man whod taken her photo back then captured her once again on the lens. 27.4m members in the pics community. "Then all of a sudden, you hear this rumble and the building's coming down as I'm shooting.". Email or phone: Password: . Pictured above is an image showing people crowding the streets of lower Manhattan while watching the scene unfold, Minutes after escaping onto the street, the North Tower completely collapsed, Capestro recalled. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Meet the eyewitnesses who share their stories in 'Memory Box: Echoes of On 9/11 she ran down 84 floors in the North Tower to safety, defeating all odds as others died around her. "So Phil actually filmed me on the worst day of my life. She is also a team leader at American Cancer Society and does real estate property management on the side 'as a hobby because I like finding people apartments'. "Nobody could understand that because they weren't there. She is also a. Three men walk past an entrance to a subway station which has a poster advertising the September 21 release of Denzel Washington's blockbuster hit movie Training Day, The heart-wrenching image above captured by Penman shows emergency personnel and civilians working alongside each other to help the injured near Ground Zero. Even though she wasn't feeling her best that day, she had decided to go to work anyway. Once outside Joanne ran and ran and ran then hid under a car as things collapsed around her, the wounded and dead all around, including co-workers. Much to his astonishment, the staff there recognized Joanne and united Penman and her around three years ago. Capestro explained that September 11, 2001 began like any other day for her. "That was a regular day for me when I woke up in the morning I didnt feel well, but I still went to work. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Pictured above is a gripping image captured by Penman showing the North Tower as it collapse and the South Tower still on fire, The September 11th terrorist attacks left 2,996 people dead and more than 6,000 others injured in the United States. Privacy Policy. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! How a 9/11 photo brought 2 strangers together - TODAY.com Discover joanne capestro 's popular videos | TikTok 9. So does Capestro. The two are now close friends and he photographed her wedding, 'I took an enormous turn and I'm very grateful for that as I get to tell my story to educate children who werent born yet what a horrific act it was.'. Joanne Capestro-Vasquez. But the phone rang and he answered, then the plane hit five or six floors above us. She began her descent with several colleagues and reached the street level just as the South Tower collapsed. "After many years, I decided, 'I want to get married.' ', Going into the 20th anniversary, Capestro said she feels 'really good' about her life and jokes that she is 'forever young.'. (Phil Penman). Joanne 'Jojo' Capestro managed to escape the World Trade Center's North. "We were waiting to see what the museum looked like" and how it handled people's possessions, said one of his sisters, Megan Fajardo. "You start reevaluating everything in life, what's important to you. Seventeen years on, the man who took that picture on the worst day of her . That's when photographer Phil Penman captured the iconic photograph of Capestro and her friend, who are seen covered in debris, ash and dirt. A look back at the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Can there be anything more beautiful than that? Victoria had a drive-by bridal shower last month with her mom Credit: Instagram/theresacaputo. Phone Number: (917) 952-**** Joanne A Capestro, age 60 View Full Report Address:***** 4th Ave, Apt 6k, Brooklyn, NY. Now. Right now, Joanne Capestro lives in Brooklyn, NY. And in that regard, it may not be incorrect to say, theyve moved on from the wake of the 9/11 tragedy quite well. 17 years on, as the world moves on, partly reminiscing, partly shaking the head, caught up in an amnesia of thoughts as to how on earth did such a tragedy strike America, there are some lives that have moved on. Two compelling reminders of the long manhunt that followed 9/11 went on display Sunday: a Navy SEAL's uniform shirt from the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and a CIA officer's special coin commemorating the operation. Joanne Capestro told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that she 'saw my life flash in front of me three times' in the 102 minutes on September 11 2001 between the moment the first hijacked plane struck a few floors above her office in the North Tower and when the two towers had collapsed. eventAction: 'view' I love it there, it's a beautiful experience going there where I feel a sense of serenity,' she said. Photo: Phil Penman pic.twitter.com/oTjNLN0e4Z. 'I would sit at the site and watch them dig the rubble - thats how traumatized I was,' she told DailyMail.com. ", For Capestro, Penman's photo has meant a lot. Is National Geographic Still Perpetuating Racist Stereotypes? pg.acq.push(function() { She explained that the first plane crashed into her tower about six floors above her office. ga('ads.send', { What would happen immediately, in the aftermath of the North Tower falling into dust, would be the emergence of an image of a tall, mid-aged woman, feeling lucky- as expected- at having escaped the incident, walking barefoot alongside her coworker, covered completely in dust and rubble. So I said, 'Hmm, I know who's gonna film my wedding.'" 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The photo Penman shot of Capestro and Davis was one of many he captured on that fateful day. Joanne A Capestro, 60 - Brooklyn, NY - Has Court or Arrest Records - MyLife "That's how it all started and we stayed in touch for all of these years. Photographer who captured iconic image of woman on 9/11 returns to shoot her wedding. She was there on that fateful morning when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into her office building. Woman Pictured in Iconic 9/11 Photo Hires Same Photographer for Wedding 'I was only out of the building for about 30 seconds when the South Tower collapsed,' she said. "Phil was with me on the best day of my life," she said, "and the worst day of my life." Joanne Capestro narrowly escaped the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. That was a regular day for me, when I woke up in the morning I didnt feel well, but I still went to work, Capestro recalled. "The work carries a lot of weight. Then, minutes later at 9.03am, the South Tower was struck by the second hijacked plane. Joanne Vasquez - Facebook For Capestro,the memorial at Ground Zero is now a positive place which she goes to spend time in around five or six times a year. ', Capestro photographed in front of One World Trade Center in 2021 - 20 years after surviving the 2001 terrorist attacks. "Not many people went through what we went through and survived. }); September 11, 2001, started out like any other day for Joanne Jojo Capestro but soon turned into a nightmare she can never forget. 'Then I heard dentist music on one floor - like that soft, calming music. 'He was with me for one of the best days of my life,' she said. Joanne "JoJo" Capestro was one of the lucky people who managed to make it out of the World Trade Centers North Tower alive. She was able to locate theonly available staircase exit and rushed down 87 flights of stairs while in high heels. pageTracker._trackPageview(); Bloomfield College Spends an Afternoon on Wall Street On September 11, 2001, Capestro was working as an assistant secretary on the 87th floor of the North Tower when the hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into it. And I was standing at my desk with one of my co-workers because we were going to go downstairs. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The consoler in chief: Rare and candid collection of images September 11 attacks: How 9/11 will be remembered around the Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. "The impact was so strong and the building was shaking until all of a sudden it stopped," she continued. eventAction: 'click_ads' ', Now, 20 years on, Capestro said the horrific experience has given her 'courage and resilience to put my best foot forward every day' and 'wake up with a genuine smile on my face', For Capestro, the memorial at Ground Zero is now a positive place which she goes to spend time in around six times a year. A woman who was captured in an iconic 9/11 dust-covered photo had the same photographer at her wedding 17 years on. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Years later, a museum curator interested in the photo connected . I said, 'You know what, let me go in,'" Capestro recounted on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna Friday. Years later, as both Penman and Capestro were donating their work and belongings related to the terror attacks to the 9/11 museum, the two decided to meet. 'And we were just hanging out waiting for the market to open when the plane struck at8.46am and my life changed forever.'. Legal Statement. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. For more information, please see our We are one of the worlds fastest growing Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Joanne Edge is on Facebook. She told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that she 'saw my life flash in front of me three times' that day. Working Overtime: Do You Have An Exit Strategy? Capestro, who now lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, is happily married, has ninegrandchildren through marriage and is still working on Wall Street in a job she finds 'very rewarding'. Capestro had no idea that Penman had captured the moment, and the two only met after his work was displayed in the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Capestro and her colleagues fled the building using the stairs. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ Today Joanne is quoted in an article by the AP. Joanne Vasquez (Joanne Hennessey) See Photos. Joanne Casapao - Vasquez. 'I've accomplished a lot in the last 20 years and I'm still going strong. With the National Sept. 11 Memorial Museum now visibly "occupying, in real space, leadership of this important national story, when people have items, they want that to be a part of that," President Joe Daniels said. Probably, there cannot be a better way to think of friendship from the perspective of the (time of) trials and tribulations that it manages to leapfrog. "My girlfriend yells, 'Joey, Joey,' and I turned around and I saw her and I was like, 'Oh my God, what are we going to do now?'". Seventeen years later, Capestro had Penman photograph her wedding. "That's where he died.". This was the start of how they stayed in touch through the years following. Others weren't ready earlier to part with the artifacts or wanted to view the museum before entrusting it with cherished, if wrenching, mementoes. ", September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks Wikipedia, Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance Wikipedia, September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks Consider Joanne Capestro. Now here we are today and six weeks ago, on August 11, he was the photographer at my wedding. Shortly afterward, Penman, then 24, received a phone call. Neil Matthew Dollard's relatives talked for years about donating the few possessions authorities found after the bond broker died at the trade center. 9/11's Iconic Photos, 20 Years Later | SGT Report But the phone rang and he answered, then the plane hit five or six floors above us. 'I just showered and put my clothes in plastic bags and put them in a bin in my basement and left them,' she said. She said her and her colleagues realized two of the three stairwell exits were inaccessible because they were damaged from the crash and melting. Phil Penman, the photographer who captured this iconic photo of Joanne "JoJo" Capestro in 2001, took Capestro's wedding photos 17 years later. EXCLUSIVE: Photographer who captured devastating images of 'I had a whole story in my head': Daughter of 9/11 victim America prepares to remember its darkest day: A Tower of Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' Capestro even credits the photographer for helping her heal in the traumatic aftermath of 9/11. I contemplated if I should go into the office or not. A news report published in the Daily Mail has also shared the following, in regards to the 9/11 tragedy: Philman spent much of the day taking photos of those who survived the terrorist attacks along with harrowing photos of rescue workers and civilians helping the thousands affected.