By Cindy J. Roth
At 7:20 a.m. Sept. 11, the Cantor Fitzgerald senior vice president working on the 101st floor called home to say hello to his children before they left for school. That would be the last time his family heard his voice. Mr. Vignola, 44, is one of the more than 4,000 missing since the World Trade Center terrorist attacks two months ago.
"It still doesn't feel real," said Lynn Vignola, Mr. Vignola's wife. "I still wait for him to come in the door at night. I know it's two months later. It's strange."
Ms. Vignola first heard of a plane crashing into one of the World Trade Center towers while shopping for school supplies at Staples for her two children, Sarah, 13, and Anthony, 8. Ms. Vignola said at first she did not think it was a major catastrophe. She assumed it was a small plane or helicopter, which often get into accidents.
"Then, I went into the parking lot and heard a man yelling into his cell phone, 'We're under attack,' and I questioned him what type of plane it was," she said. "I was crazed and went home to watch TV."
Panicked, Ms. Vignola tried to reach her husband at work, but he did not pick up his extension. A call to his cell phone only reached his voice-mail. Worried about what the children would be told in school about the attacks, Ms. Vignola rushed to pick up Sarah and Anthony.
"My son didn't understand, so I let him look at the TV for a minute, and that's when the building came crashing down," said Ms. Vignola. "I sent him out to play. I was standing dumbfounded at the TV after the building came crashing down."
The days after Sept. 11 were especially hard for Ms. Vignola.
"I couldn't go out of the house," the Merrick resident said. "No matter where you went, people were always talking about it. I didn't know how to shelter the kids."
Now two months later, Ms. Vignola speaks of her husband openly as fun loving, a huge Jets fan and above all, a true family man. It was common for Mr. Vignola to wake at 6 a.m. on days when a new Star Wars or X-Men movie came out to ensure his children got the best seats.
"He was a devoted father who worked hard during the week, but the weekends were devoted to the kids," said Diane Antolos, Mr. Vignola's sister. "He was really a child at heart."
Madeline and Tom Barry, friends of Mr. Vignola's since college, said he could always be counted on for support. Madeline Barry remembers when she and her husband bought their house and they were moving, they invited Mr. Vignola for dinner. When he heard the Barrys were moving in, he jumped in his car and headed to help.
"He was not just there for celebrations, he was there for everything," said Madeline Barry. "For Frank, the most important thing was family, and we were such good friends we became family."
Several other of Mr. Vignola's friends said they would miss his smile, and passion for good food, wine and company.
"Frank was the most wonderful, beautiful, easy-going person," said Rosalie Persico, a family friend from Merrick. "You hugged him and wanted to melt because he was so warm. He always had a kind word for people."
"If he was your friend, he would do just about anything for you," said Mark Rozell, a friend of Frank's for more than 20 years. "He helped me buy my first car and computer, and we would always go out to dinner. I loved keeping in touch with him, even if we had nothing to say."
A fundraiser was held Sunday to benefit the Vignola family. BOLD (See story page ???)UNBOLD. Organized by Jennifer O'Driscoll, one of Anthony's teachers at Jacob Gunther Elementary School, the New York Police Department Precinct 115 and New York Fire Department Ladder 42, Engine 73 played a "Battle of the Badges" hockey game at Newbridge Arena in Bellmore. The event raised $8,000 to $10,000, which will go directly to the family.
"[Frank is] looking down and smiling, proud of all the people that helped [the family] get through this tragedy," said Antolos.
A memorial service was held for Mr. Vignola on Sept. 29. In addition to his wife, Lynn, and two children, Sarah and Anthony, he is survived by his mother, Frances Vignola; sister, Diane Antolos and her husband, Jerry Antolos, of Bellmore; brother, James Vignola, his wife, Valerie, and their children Nicole, 4, and Daniel, 3, of Merrick.
