The Kneeling Fireman was commissioned by the Fire Fighters Memorial Foundation of Missouri.  It was at Kennedy Airport where it was in transit from Parma, Italy–where it was cast–to Missouri, when it was diverted temporarily to the front of the Milford Plaza Hotel in Midtown on Sept 17, 2001. It was eventually donated to the City of NY and is now situated in front of the Emigrant Bank building in 43rd Street between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue.

On 8/18/2007 Firefighter Joseph Graffagnino, an eight year veteran and Firefighter Robert Beddia a twenty-three year veteran, both assigned to Engine 24 and Ladder 5 and Battalion 2 in SoHo — a fire house that lost 11 firefighters on Sept. 11– died while fighting a fire at the vacant Deutsche Bank Building damaged on 9-11.