Keith Gonyou vividly remembers the day that he first met the late Vincent Neglia 30 years ago.
“I had just become a member of the North Bergen Volunteer Ambulance Squad,” said Gonyou, now a captain with the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue. “He said he was going to try to become a firefighter like I was. I’ll always remember that I told him it was a good choice.”
The two became close friends and comrades, first on the ambulance squad, then in the North Bergen Fire Department and finally with the NHRFR, which it was formed by combining several local fire departments in 1999.
So when Neglia first went into a burning building on Bergenline Avenue in Union City on Sept. 9, 2006, only to tragically lose his life, Gonyou was hoping and praying his friend was alright.
“No one ever hated Vinnie,” Gonyou said. “He never carried a grudge and with him, no matter what, you always ended up laughing. He was a real good guy and I miss him.”
The boat
Late last year, Gonyou, who is also an avid boater and a Coast Guard certified boat captain, was given the duty of taking command of the purchase of a new fireboat for the NHRFR.
“The purchase of the boat was about two and a half years in the making,” Gonyou said.
Once the boat was purchased from the New Jersey State Police in December, it was Gonyou’s job to get the vessel water-ready – cleaned, painted, fitted with the proper equipment. He received assistance from two other NHRFR firefighters, Keith Mezzina and Ralph Peralta, and began working on the boat as it was parked inside the NHRFR firehouse in Weehawken.
While Gonyou was working on getting the boat ready, he threw out an idea.
“I thought it would be nice if they named the boat after Vinnie,” Gonyou said. “After all, Vinnie liked boats and had a small one of his own. I ran the idea by the chief [Chief Brion McEldowney] and he liked the idea.”
Last Thursday, in a moving ceremony at the Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club in Weehawken, the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue christened their new fireboat, the F.F. Vincent Neglia, in front of about 300 people, including members of Neglia’s family.
“I thought it was great that we were able to do this to honor Vinnie,” said Gonyou, who commandeered the boat into the Hudson River for its first official tour. “Once we knew that this boat was going to be named after Vinnie, the guys really got into fixing it in his memory. We worked long hours, sometimes until 1 or 2 in the morning, but we had a good time doing it. Once we knew it was going to be named for Vinnie, it really hit home.”
Street to be named in UC
The ceremony brought out all the dignitaries, like the mayors of the five municipalities of which the NHRFR provides service coverage.
“Nothing could be more appropriate than naming this rescue boat in his honor,” said Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, the chairman of the NHRFR. “It’s a tremendous tribute and from all of us, I give our heartfelt thanks to his family.”
“You hope and pray that a day like this never comes,” said North Bergen Mayor and State Sen. Nicholas Sacco. “We lost one of our bravest and our best. Vinnie was a totally wonderful and giving person. Here’s hoping that a day like this never happens again to anyone.”
Union City Mayor Brian Stack said that his municipality would be renaming a street in Neglia’s honor in the near future, more than likely 18th Street.
Two other rescue vessels joined in the ceremony, namely the Yonkers (N.Y.) Fire Boat and the New Jersey State Police Unit.
McEldowney spoke of how much the new vessel meant to the Regional.
“When we purchased our new fire boat, we knew that it was more than just a boat,” McEldowney said. “It was going to be a tribute and a memorial. Just like Vinnie Neglia, its duty will be to serve the public and protect the public. It will efficiently patrol the waterfront of Hudson County. So right now, Firefighter Vinnie Neglia is back on duty once again, serving the public, serving as a guiding light.”
NHRFR officials said that there will be extensive training for certain members of the Regional to become familiar with the new firefighting and rescue equipment.
“It’s not easy to operate,” said NHRFR captain Ron Tompkins, who commands the water patrol. “Unless you’re aware of what you can and can’t do, it can be difficult.”
The family
Neglia’s daughter, Nicole Patilla, expressed her gratitude to the NHRFR for naming the boat after her father.
“It still hurts that he’s gone,” Patilla said. “But it’s good to know that he will never be forgotten. He knows he was loved and supported. He lives on with his name on this boat.”
Patilla christened the boat with a bottle of champagne, then turned toward the family members who stood beside. It was an emotional scene.
“We’re all very appreciative of this honor,” said Neglia’s sister, Nancy Failla. “We want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts.”
Gonyou said that the fireboat was a joint effort, as the NHRFR received assistance from NY Waterway, which donated the special boat paint, and the Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club, owned by Steve Israel, which donated the slip to dock the boat.
“Without them, it would have cost us a lot of money,” Gonyou said. “Everyone was good to us.”
Just the way Neglia was to the fellow members of the NHRFR, who sorely miss him.
Jim Hague can be reached via e-mail at either OGSMAR@aol.com or jhague@hudsonreporter.com