Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, a new digital archive is giving names, faces and personal stories to 411 victims identified as Italian or Italian American, preserving a powerful chapter of the community’s history for future generations.
The nonprofit initiative, called “Non dimenticheremo” – “We Will Not Forget” – was presented at the Consulate General of Italy in New York during the commemorations marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
The project is the result of years of research led by Giulio Picolli, who examined official records, photographs and family histories while contacting relatives to reconstruct the backgrounds of victims connected to Italy. The figure of 411 is not an official count of Italian citizens killed on September 11. It reflects an independent effort to identify people with Italian birth or ancestry and remains open to corrections and additional information.
Among the stories is Arturo Angelo Sereno, 29, who was working near the World Trade Center when the first plane struck. Sereno, who dreamed of becoming a firefighter, reportedly ran toward the North Tower to help rescuers and never returned.
Another was Joseph Agnello, a firefighter with Brooklyn’s Engine 118. Although his shift had already ended, Agnello joined his colleagues responding to the disaster. He died during the rescue operation.
Luigi Calvi, 34, was born in Naples and worked for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor of the North Tower. He had joined the company only 3 months earlier.
The archive includes photographs, ages, residences and biographical information whenever available. A special Italian tricolor has also been created using the victims’ names, inspired by the American Flag of Honor.
The project transforms statistics into individual memories – ensuring that the Italian and Italian American lives lost on September 11 remain part of the story shared by Italy and the United States.
