Syosset Filmmaker Brings 9/11 Doc to Town

On September 11, 2001, Brooklyn homicide detective Vito Friscia was only a block away when the second of the Twin Towers collapsed. Engulfed in a perilous cloud, he was one of 7,000 NYPD detectives who put his life on the line to try to find survivors.

Friscia worked at Ground Zero for about a week after the terrorists' attack, then was sent to Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island to sift through toxic rubble, an assignment that eventually led to health problems.

Exploring brother-in-law Friscia's personal struggles and the 9/11 health crisis, Syosset documentary filmmaker Maria Pusateri gives viewers an up-close and personal look in Vito After. The film will be shown on the big screen at the Syosset Public Library on the upcoming 9/11 anniversary at 2 p.m., with Pusateri and Friscia attending to answer questions after. 

Vito After premiered in 2005, and Pusateri is thrilled about having it screened in her hometown.

"I am so happy," Pusateri says. "I really wanted to share it with the community. It's an engaging film and a story that needs to be told. The film remains as relevant today as it was when it began screening at film festivals in 2005, perhaps even more so because of the ongoing health crisis from World Trade Center toxic dust exposures." 

Pusateri was motivated to create Vito After after reading a Newsday article titled "Landfill Safety Concerns" about the growing number of first responders getting sick.

"I called Lisa [the sister of Pusateri's husband, Donald] and said maybe this is why Vito keeps getting sick," Pusateri says. "It made me think about filming Vito. At first Vito turned me down to do the documentary in November 2001, so I kept asking and by April 2002, he said OK. I think he realized how many people were getting sick and at the time, his lungs were really bad."

Now 44 years old, Friscia suffers from chronic sinusitis and deals with shortness of breath. He chose to open up about his life largely because he wanted to share the mental and physical struggles from the detectives' point of view. Describing the horrific experience as just doing his job, Friscia does not view himself as a hero.

Sadly, sick 9/11 responders are growing each day, and Pusateri admits that just making the documentary took  a toll on her.

"This film took over my life emotionally," Pusateri says. "I had to sift through news footage of people jumping to their death [which she didn't include in the documentary] and deal with Vito's emotions. By watching this film, I want the audience to experience what the responders lived through and are still coping with today. You should never forget. I am so glad that President Obama is trying to pass the 9/11 Health Bill." 

As the winner for Best Documentary from the Long Island Film Expo in 2006, Pusateri couldn't be prouder of Vito After. "It was very rewarding to have my work recognized." FilmCritic.com gave the film four stars, calling it "an intriguing and powerful documentary that uses one man's story to personalize the devastating aftermath from [9/11]."

The film will also be shown in London on the same day.

"This is the first showing of Vito After in a theater internationally. It's great," says Pusateri.

For more information, visit www.vitoafter.com.

Download the movie

Download the movie