Latest / Sid & Friends In The Morning / Frank Siller | CEO of Tunnel to Towers Foundation Speaks to S&FIM Live From Ground Zero 25 Years After 9/11

Transcript

Frank Siller | CEO of Tunnel to Towers Foundation Speaks to S&FIM Live From Ground Zero 25 Years After 9/11 · Sid & Friends In The Morning

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: There was one firefighter in particular, and we love, I
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: guess the number is 343 that died. One that really
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: didn't die in vain. The job his family has done
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: since Stephen Siller died heroically and tragically that day is
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  Speaker 1: one that you can't even do a movie. I guess
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  Speaker 1: you can write a book about it. I know Frank Siller,
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  Speaker 1: his memoir is out now, but the job that Frank
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  Speaker 1: and his family have done in remembering Steven Siller and
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: all the firefighters and cops and first responders and civilians
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  Speaker 1: that died that day. Could never really be put in words.
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  Speaker 1: It's the greatest charity anywhere in the world. What they
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  Speaker 1: do for families of first responders who have been killed,
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  Speaker 1: catastrophically injured veterans, smart homes and paying off mortgages. And
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  Speaker 1: I know Frank hears this all the time, but good
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  Speaker 1: luck finding a better soul than Frank Siller. He's just
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  Speaker 1: a beautiful man. And I make sure he's on this
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  Speaker 1: show every 9-11. And he's joining me right now. I
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  Speaker 1: imagine he's down by the Freedom Tower. This is Frank Siller,
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  Speaker 1: the man who started Tunnel to Towers. Frank, good morning, pal.
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  Speaker 1: How are you?
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  Speaker 2: Good morning, Sid. Sad day, to say the least. Can't
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  Speaker 2: believe it's 25 years. My brother made that run through
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  Speaker 2: the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel with his fire gear on his
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  Speaker 2: back and So many other good souls died that day. Heroes,
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  Speaker 2: you know, that, you know, they had to know that
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  Speaker 2: they were almost certain to die and they still went
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  Speaker 2: there and did what they did. And it's just an
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  Speaker 2: incredible act of love that so many did. And for
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  Speaker 2: me to lose my youngest brother, he was a father
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  Speaker 2: of five. It's crushing. But we're down here, of course,
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  Speaker 2: at ground zero and We walked through the tunnel early
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  Speaker 2: this morning with a piece of steel from the South
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  Speaker 2: Tower that we brought all around the United States. His
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  Speaker 2: children were with us, with my kids, my grandkids. You know,
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  Speaker 2: we had a lot of sellers going through there this
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  Speaker 2: morning walking with that piece of steel. They've grown up now.
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  Speaker 2: They're married. Some are married. Some are having kids. And
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  Speaker 2: so life has changed, for sure. But you never really
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  Speaker 2: get over the loss that we had.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sure. And I saw the beautiful presentation and ceremony
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  Speaker 1: you guys had with the president a couple of days
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  Speaker 1: ago in Washington, D.C., when we first saw that piece
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  Speaker 1: of steel.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it was unbelievable. He was so gracious, so magnanimous.
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  Speaker 2: He and I had met him at the Oval Office.
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  Speaker 2: And he says, you know, Frank, what do you what
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  Speaker 2: can I do for you? And I said, I just
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  Speaker 2: all I want, Mr. President, I want to bring a
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  Speaker 2: piece of steel to the White House. because America has
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  Speaker 2: to remember what happened 25 years ago. I'd like to
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  Speaker 2: bring it a couple days before we bring it up
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  Speaker 2: to ground zero on 9-11 when I'm going to walk
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  Speaker 2: through with it. And he graciously reaches across the Resolute desk,
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  Speaker 2: shakes my hand, and says, yes, no problem, Frank, we're
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  Speaker 2: going to get it done. So he was great. It
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  Speaker 2: brought so many people together. I mean, there was 120
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  Speaker 2: different outlets there that were– you know, that came and
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  Speaker 2: covered it. So, you know, mission accomplished. I want people
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  Speaker 2: to wake up and remember what happened 25 years ago.
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  Speaker 2: A third of the country wasn't even born. There's others
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  Speaker 2: that were and are losing sight of it. And we
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  Speaker 2: can't let that happen. And that's what that steel represented,
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  Speaker 2: a tremendous sacrifice and to have it at the White
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  Speaker 2: House for him to speak. and be there with me,
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  Speaker 2: it was, I'll never forget it.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, that's great. You know, give me, if you will,
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  Speaker 1: I know this is the painful part of the conversation,
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  Speaker 1: but again, your brother, Stephen Siller, is the motivation behind
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  Speaker 1: this amazing charity. I know that you do a lot
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  Speaker 1: of the work, Frank, but your whole family gets involved
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  Speaker 1: and helps you out with this. When was the last
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  Speaker 1: time you did speak to Stephen before he died that day?
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  Speaker 2: I spoke to him the day before. We went for lunch.
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  Speaker 2: We were at a place called Toto's on Staten Island
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  Speaker 2: where my business was. He was in business with me.
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  Speaker 2: Besides being a firefighter, you know, firefighters have to work
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  Speaker 2: two jobs. But he's been in business with me since
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  Speaker 2: he was 15 years old. He started to work with me.
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  Speaker 2: You know, people, your listeners, just to remind them that
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  Speaker 2: my parents died when he was a little boy. So
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  Speaker 2: we raised him. He was much younger than all his
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  Speaker 2: older siblings. And we raised him. He was as much
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  Speaker 2: a son to us as he was a brother. And,
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  Speaker 2: you know, so we went to lunch the day before
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  Speaker 2: to talk about business. We said we're going to talk
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  Speaker 2: about business. But what we were really talking about was
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  Speaker 2: golf the next day. We're going to play golf. The
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  Speaker 2: four brothers, we're going to play golf. And, you know,
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  Speaker 2: where we're going to go, what time we're going to meet.
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  Speaker 2: He said, listen, I'm leaving right from work. He said,
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  Speaker 2: the night tour. He says, you know, I get off
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  Speaker 2: at 8 o'clock. I'll get to your house. You know,
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  Speaker 2: it's so-and-so time, whatever it may be. And on his
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  Speaker 2: way home, on the scanner that he heard, you know,
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  Speaker 2: the North Tower was heading, he turned around and called
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  Speaker 2: his wife and he said, I'll tell my brothers, I'll
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  Speaker 2: try to catch up with them later. And he was very,
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  Speaker 2: you know, low key and not upbeat like he normally
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  Speaker 2: was because he knew this, the seriousness of of, of,
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  Speaker 2: of what happened. And so I, we, but in, in this,
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  Speaker 2: in this, uh, breakfast, lunch that we had together, the
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  Speaker 2: last words that we, that we, uh, with that we
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  Speaker 2: said was, um, I said, I'll see you tomorrow, brother.
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  Speaker 2: I love you. And we hugged each other. You know
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  Speaker 2: how brothers, you clench your hands and you pull each
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  Speaker 2: other in, you smack each other on the back as
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  Speaker 2: hard as you can as, you know, as brothers. And,
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  Speaker 2: you know, we both did that and smacked each other.
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  Speaker 2: And he said, I love you too. And, and, um,
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  Speaker 2: So it was very, thank you for asking that because
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  Speaker 2: I don't often say that because I've not asked that
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  Speaker 2: question too often, to be honest with you, Sid. So
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  Speaker 2: you think tomorrow, you don't know what tomorrow brings. You
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  Speaker 2: just don't know what tomorrow brings.
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  Speaker 1: You know, and I'm glad I asked that question. I'm
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  Speaker 1: glad you answered it so honestly and so beautifully. And
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  Speaker 1: I'm sure your brother is very proud of you. Tell me,
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  Speaker 1: Frank Siller, where you were, what you were doing the
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  Speaker 1: moment you tunnel to towers was born. It came into
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  Speaker 1: your mind. I got to do this for Stevie. We
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  Speaker 1: got to make this happen. And how did you make
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  Speaker 1: it happen? How did it actually start?
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  Speaker 2: Well, uh, it wasn't long after nine 11 that, um,
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  Speaker 2: that I said, uh, I asked my sister, Laura, I said, uh,
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  Speaker 2: Sally is, you know, can we start a foundation, uh,
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  Speaker 2: to honor Steven and what he did? And, um, And
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  Speaker 2: she said, yeah. I said, listen, we're just going to
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  Speaker 2: do really, we're not going to do a lot. We
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  Speaker 2: just want to honor him. We start out, we just
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  Speaker 2: want to do a little small acts of kindness. We're
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  Speaker 2: going to do $ 1, 000 scholarships for kids going from the
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: eighth grade to high school that lost a parent or parents.
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  Speaker 2: And because my brother lost, you know, parents. And she
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  Speaker 2: said yes. And then I went and talked to my
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  Speaker 2: siblings and said yes. Sally said we could do this
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  Speaker 2: and let's do it. And we sat and we said, well,
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  Speaker 2: all right, now what are we going to do? How
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  Speaker 2: are we going to fund this thing? And we didn't
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  Speaker 2: know what from Shia La, but we had the love
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  Speaker 2: of my brother and we wanted to do something just
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  Speaker 2: to honor him. And look, we honestly said the first
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  Speaker 2: 10 years, we weren't doing a lot. I mean, we
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  Speaker 2: were doing important things, don't get me wrong, but the
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  Speaker 2: most important thing we were doing was making sure we
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  Speaker 2: never forget. And financially, we didn't have to raise a
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  Speaker 2: lot of money, but we had to run every year. And,
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  Speaker 2: you know, to make sure the banners of those who
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  Speaker 2: perished on 9-11, the first responders, you know, people pay
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  Speaker 2: their respects and honor, and then we celebrate their lives.
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  Speaker 2: So that was the first thing, yes. But when the
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  Speaker 2: first quadruple amputee to ever survive any war was from
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  Speaker 2: Staten Island, where Stephen was born, where I was born,
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  Speaker 2: where the Silvers were born, I went down to visit
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  Speaker 2: him at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and I asked
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  Speaker 2: him if we could build him a house in Staten.
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  Speaker 2: And he humbly accepted, and we built the first smart
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  Speaker 2: home in 2011. June 11, 2011 is when we delivered
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  Speaker 2: the first smart home. So up to then, the first
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  Speaker 2: 10 years, basically, we didn't do mortgage-free homes. We didn't
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  Speaker 2: do it. But when I met so many others in
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  Speaker 2: Walter Reed, I said, hey, you know, if we're building
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  Speaker 2: for Brendan, we better build for these others, other quadruples.
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  Speaker 2: There were triple amputees. And I was at the St.
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  Speaker 2: George Theater for the 10th anniversary. Rudy was with us.
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  Speaker 2: We had John Voight was there. He was speaking. We
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  Speaker 2: had Fifa Fighting singing. We talked about some families that
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  Speaker 2: were lost. Not about Stephen, because Stephen was always talked
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  Speaker 2: about a lot. We talked about other families. And I
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  Speaker 2: was on the stage, and I said, I met 38
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  Speaker 2: triple MPTs. Now we're going to bill for them. So
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: now we have to raise like $ 40 million. Raising a
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: million dollars to $ 40 million is a big jump. And
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: every time I open my mouth, I spend millions of dollars. And, and, and,
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  Speaker 2: and I can't, I can't, we can't help it. You
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  Speaker 2: see these heroes. So this year, 343 mortgage-free homes this year,
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  Speaker 2: 55 today, 55 today. Cause I refuse as a family,
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  Speaker 2: we refuse to let evil, evil exist. We're going to
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  Speaker 2: triumph over evil with goodness and kindness and And that's
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  Speaker 2: why we did 55 today. 55 today. And 340, almost
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  Speaker 2: a house a day. Almost a house a day. So that,
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  Speaker 2: you know, and we're proud. Over 2,000 houses, 27,500 homeless
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  Speaker 2: veterans off the street in LA. three years. And now
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  Speaker 2: we promise scholarships to all these kids on a line
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  Speaker 2: of duty that, you know, that lost their mom or
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  Speaker 2: dad protecting us. We're going to pay for that college tuition.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, come on. This is where people, you know,
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  Speaker 2: that join us, people who join us, this is the results.
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  Speaker 2: You want to do something good? Come to us because
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  Speaker 2: we promise you that we are going to make sure
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  Speaker 2: that we honor these great heroes in a positive and
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  Speaker 2: beautiful way. Wow.
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  Speaker 1: Frank, you're an amazing man. I know that scholarship is
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: named after your mom and dad, and I talk about
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  Speaker 1: that on this show quite a bit. Also, you mentioned
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: the run, and we got the run walk coming up
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: on my wife's birthday. My beautiful wife, Danielle, Sunday, September
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: the 27th.
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  Speaker 2: You're telling her that you're throwing her a big party.
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  Speaker 1: She's going to run for you. She's going to run
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  Speaker 1: that day.
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  Speaker 2: Big and Rich is coming. Big and Rich is playing
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  Speaker 2: this year.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, is that right? I love Big and Rich.
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  Speaker 2: That's great. I know, I know.
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  Speaker 1: That's a great event.
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  Speaker 2: Yes.
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  Speaker 1: It's a great event.
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  Speaker 2: We honor, we cry, we see them come through the tunnel,
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  Speaker 2: we see all the pictures, all those who died for us,
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  Speaker 2: and then we celebrate their lives and have a big party.
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  Speaker 2: The miracle of the loaves and fishes, we feed them all,
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  Speaker 2: and all my firefighter buddies are cooking, and kids maybe
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  Speaker 2: that I coach in sports, they're in there flipping burgers
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  Speaker 2: and cooking hot dogs and ribs, so many ribs. We
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  Speaker 2: give out so many ribs that day, it's like, You know,
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  Speaker 2: it's incredible.
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  Speaker 1: It is fun. It's on Bessie Street, that party. That
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  Speaker 1: party's on Bessie Street. All right, so on the way out,
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  Speaker 1: I know they're starting to read the names, and you've
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  Speaker 1: got to run Frank Siller, but in the final 60
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: seconds or 30 seconds, I'm going to assume that Stephen Siller,
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  Speaker 1: your brother, is listening right now. What is the message
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  Speaker 1: you want to send your brother on this 25-year commemoration?
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: Stephen, your children are phenomenal. Your wife is doing phenomenal.
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  Speaker 2: and you should be so proud of them. And I
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: know you are proud of them and you're going to
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: be a grandfather soon. And, and it's, uh, I know
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: it'll be the happiest day in your life. If you
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: were here with us, I know you're smiling now and
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  Speaker 2: I promise you for the rest of my life. And
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  Speaker 2: we will continue doing what we do.
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  Speaker 1: Frank Siller. You're an amazing man.
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  Speaker 2: I love you.
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  Speaker 1: I really do love you. Thank you so much. And, uh,
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  Speaker 1: Good luck today, okay, pal?
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  Speaker 2: Thank you. Bye.
• 12:21
  Speaker 3: Bye-bye.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: Frank Siller, right there. The man who started Tunnel to Towers,
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: inspired by his courageous brother, FDNY firefighter, Stephen Siller.
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: Thanks for listening to Sid and Friends in the Morning.
• 12:34
  Speaker 3: You can hear Sid and Friends in the Morning weekday
• 12:37
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• 12:40
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• 12:45
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• 12:47
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• 12:51
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• 12:56
  Speaker 4: See you next time for a new episode so you
• 12:59
  Speaker 4: never have to wonder.
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: What the heck is going on here?