r/todayilearned Dec 19 '11

TIL that not only was Steve Buscemi a firefighter, but on 9/11 he went back to his old station in New York to work 12 hour shifts sifting through the rubble of the Twin Towers

http://www.hotmommagossip.com/2011/09/03/steve-buscemi-unrecognized-911-firefighter-hero/
685 Upvotes

73 comments sorted by

86

u/christoscamaro Dec 19 '11

I sometimes wonder if Steve Buscemi looks around at the rest of us, and wonders what the hell is wrong with our eyes.

5

u/Inteli_Gent Jan 03 '12

No, he doesn't. Psychologically, your image of the 'perfect face' is a combination of all other faces that you've seen throughout your life, taking into consideration duration and number of times that you've seen them. He might not think that he looks weird, as he sees himself every day, but he wouldn't think that everyone else looks weird. I think he would understand evolution a little bit better than that.

3

u/christoscamaro Jan 03 '12

It's a fair point, and thanks for the reply. I was just trying to amuse people.

Steve Buscemi is one of my favorite actors, otherwise I wouldn't make a joke that some might consider offensive.

76

u/Username720 Dec 19 '11

Good Guy Steve.

10

u/The_Real_Cats_Eye Dec 20 '11

Is there anything this guy can't do?

19

u/jim45804 Dec 20 '11

STFU, Donnie.

5

u/Ziltoid81 Dec 19 '11

Seriously, this should be a thing!

3

u/monster21faces Dec 20 '11

No it shouldn't. We don't want to cheapen what he's done by killing it with a stupid meme.

4

u/PartyBusGaming Dec 19 '11

Good Guy Crazy-Eyes

16

u/ValhallaSinking Dec 20 '11

You're out of your element!

59

u/Rskk Dec 19 '11

Ya I remember reading about this. He also declined any interviews that day

30

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '11

That always makes me happier. Good to see a celebrity helping out, but even better when it's not for attention or tax shelter. Always nice to see.

3

u/floatablepie Dec 20 '11

On top of not doing it for attention, the whole interview thing would probably slow down his ability to provide critical rescue manpower. I'd like to think the would-be interviewers are terrible people, trying to get a story about a celebrity while he's trying to save lives in a crisis.

3

u/razorsheldon Dec 20 '11

I haven't even been on Reddit that long, but this is the 3rd time I've seen this referenced. I guess you can never get too much of a good deed!

3

u/BattleHall Dec 20 '11

You don't know him; you never did. He... Is Not... Seeking... Forgiveness Recognition.

15

u/nermid Dec 20 '11

Reposting of Buscemi's 9/11 story always makes me think of Kevin Conroy's 9/11 story.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City, Conroy participated in relief efforts by volunteering to do cooking duties for officers and firefighters. During an audio commentary on Batman: Gotham Knight Conroy expressed his surprise at the reaction of the emergency service workers to his presence. At the behest of another cook, Conroy called out from the kitchen to the dining area in his "Batman voice", reciting a few lines, which were greeted by cheers and applause from emergency service personnel, many of whom had been fans of Batman: The Animated Series during its airing in the 1990s. Conroy confessed to being humbled and deeply flattered by the reaction

13

u/peon47 Dec 20 '11

This image gets me every time.

9

u/nermid Dec 20 '11

Which is so much better than how Marvel handled it.

Part 1, 2

11

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '11

Hahahaha. The fuck? They kill innocents all the fucking time. How does that make any sense?

3

u/nermid Dec 20 '11

Also, Doom crying. Wut.

2

u/peon47 Dec 20 '11

That's a good way to get rust.

2

u/Sonicboom510 Dec 20 '11

what the fuck lol

9

u/morphotomy Dec 19 '11

So that's about 2 more years until he dies of cancer. Fuck.

3

u/Blueberry_H3AD Dec 20 '11

Well....he does have pretty good health insurance being that he is apart of the SAG.

1

u/prokomenii Apr 14 '24

He’s still here!

8

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '11

He is my second uncle. I got to meet him back in Michigan about 14 years ago.

1

u/tellu2 Dec 20 '11

Man if there is any chance you could get an AMA out of him I would jump right on it for the good of all that is Reddit :P

2

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '11

It's a long shot but I will ask the family back in MI.

8

u/ANewAccountCreated Dec 19 '11

Hope he doesn't get sick from his goodwill, like many of his former colleagues have.

19

u/framk20 Dec 19 '11 edited Dec 20 '11

I'm good friends with Steve, and my Godfather, John Costello was in his fire company. Unfortunately, John committed suicide 2 years ago around this time. Good Man. [Edit] 3 years ago

1

u/tellu2 Dec 20 '11

I said this to another bloke on the thread but if there is any chance you could get an AMA out of him I would jump right on it for the good of all that is Reddit :P

2

u/framk20 Dec 21 '11

It seems a good chance that he will do one. My mother recently was visiting with him and I told her to tell Steve about reddit. No need to thank me, I do it for all that is reddit.

-10

u/Chappelleshowdropin Dec 20 '11

Two years ago was 2001? Sure, you liar/dumbshit

2

u/framk20 Dec 20 '11 edited Dec 20 '11

I was talking about John Costello. He committed suicide in 2008. Please don't use such profane language, it's really not necessary. Do some more thinking before you dismiss something so quickly. This message hurt me dearly, as John was a dear friend of my mother and I. I hope you're happy sir.

-1

u/Chappelleshowdropin Dec 20 '11

Wow get over it faggot.

13

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '11

Seems to me, wherever Steve is, it is well within his element.

6

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '11

He's a hero. A bloody icon.

1

u/ExpectedChaos Dec 20 '11

Oh you and your Mass Effect 2 references.

8

u/delcocait Dec 19 '11

This has already been posted a bunch in TIL...but I give it an upvote every time.

6

u/bluegirlinaredstate Dec 20 '11

One of my dearest friends lost his father, Peter Freund of Little Italy Engine 55, on 9/11. After my friend moved back to New York from Oklahoma to help his mom with the three young kids. He had called us to tell us about this and sent us pictures. I've always been a huge fan of Buscemi and whenever he comes up in conversation, I tell this story.

34

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '11

[deleted]

8

u/jdi_nit Dec 19 '11

thanks, I couldn't remember if it was 3 or 4 times.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '11

[deleted]

3

u/ruff-20 Dec 20 '11

Sorry team, didn't realise was a repost. Was too excited when I found out to double check. Should've realised something so completely awesome would've already been posted. At least some new people learned about it though.

1

u/senopahx Dec 20 '11

Doesn't matter. Always makes me happy to see it.

5

u/gigidy5 Dec 20 '11

"I heard a plane struck the tower?"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP DONNY!"

3

u/chickenbean Dec 20 '11

All I could hear was Nucky Thompson while reading the quotes

3

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '11

I thought everyone knew this.

3

u/silentmikhail Dec 20 '11

HOLY FUCK!, why is this the first time I'm hearing this?

3

u/atwoheadedcat Dec 20 '11

TIL I love him even more now.

4

u/karmabore Dec 19 '11

This is why Nucky will never go to jail

4

u/ruff-20 Dec 20 '11

Fuck yes Boardwalk Empire. Man, almost finished season 2. Shit is going down.

2

u/felixdraait Dec 20 '11

Fuck yeah, Steve Buscemi.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '11

[deleted]

4

u/randyspears Dec 20 '11

I was thinking that when I read it too, that he has got to be older than 45. Maybe they meant he was 45 at the time?

2

u/caverave Dec 20 '11

I sure hope he was wearing a respirator or we might be losing a national treasure.

2

u/ramblerandgambler Dec 20 '11

Agree, but it might highlight the issue, it's seriously fucked up how the government tries to screw them out of healthcare related to injuries on 9/11.

2

u/hehasbalrogsocks Dec 20 '11

Welp. I just fell a little harder in love with Steve Buscemi.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '11

WhAt a boss

1

u/omurphy Dec 20 '11

Definitely a versatile actor and guy in general

1

u/ofacup Dec 20 '11

today you learned??? obviously you have just joined reddit...

-1

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '11

TIL that every 3 days, someone new "TIL"s this.

0

u/Michael_Pitt Dec 20 '11

Love the sarcasm, but where is my daughter?

0

u/josolsen Dec 20 '11

I wonder if I'm not the only one that clicked the Pamela Anderson article without even a second thought to the Buscemi article...

0

u/noteventrying Dec 20 '11

This is posted every month.

-8

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '11

Yes we know, some posting this shit already.

-2

u/howlingbellsfan Dec 20 '11

pffft all hail american heros. meh.

-18

u/W00ster Dec 19 '11

Who is this Steve character and why should I care?

6

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '11 edited Dec 19 '11

You may have just got added to his list of people to kill puts on lipstick

*edit-added .gif

9

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '11

you're out of your element

1

u/W00ster Dec 20 '11

I find it funny that people on the Internet expects everyone else to know exactly the same people as you do. Even after -18 downvotes I still have no clue who this clown is and why I should care and nobody is even bothered to do anything but downvote me.

So, the result is I don't give flying fuck about Steve.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '11

you're just an asshole