47. Mario Misturini (1974-1975)
Served 2 Years
Mario Misturini was born November 4, 1921, in Astoria, Queens and was the son of Luigi and Brice (Palladini) Misturini. He first married Francis Heppell in 1946. They lived at 57 Edward Avenue. Francis passed away at an early age in 1969. Mario would then marry Lillian Bernaudo. Mario retired from the New York Daily Newspaper as a photo engraver. While at the Daily News he was the inventor of the Fran Dee Color Process, which is a color separating process method used for many years.
Mario was a Veteran of World War II and served in the United States Navy from September of 1942 through February of 1944. During World War II he was one of the survivors who served on the destroyer, USS Strong, a fighting ship that was torpedoed and sunk in the pacific battle of Kila Gulf.
Mario joined Chemical Engine Company 3 in May 1954, and he served as 2nd Lieutenant, 1st Lieutenant and as their Captain from 1967-1969. He was elected as 3rd Assistant Chief 1970-1971, 2nd Assistant Chief 1972-1973, 1st Assistant Chief 1972-1973 and sworn in as the 47th Fire Chief in 1974 through 1975. His Assistant Chiefs were Roy Schaaf, William Ferber and James Huttle.
During his tenure as Chief, Mario responded to an explosion on April 8, when a blast and fire destroyed the Stericola building at 38 West Cherry Street. A tank of extremely flammable gas ethylene oxide was leaking and was set off by a spark. The gas is used to sterilize medical instruments. The explosion injured nine people and five were taken to the County Burn Center and other local hospitals for treatment. Two of the victims were in serious condition from the blast which lifted the roof up and caved in the block walls. Debris from the blast crushed swings in an adjacent playground and damaged a home next door. It was a miracle no one was killed. The explosion prompted a brave rescue of the workers by Ex-Chief Walter Werthessen and Firefighter Robert Rose from Company 3. They risked their own lives to be able to rescue several workers from the blaze.
Just two weeks had passed since a fire was reported at 173 Levittown Parkway when firemen responded again to a general alarm blaze at the Sherwood Forest Tavern on Levittown Parkway on July 13th. The alarm was reported at 4:58 AM and the fire had been burning for some time before it was discovered.
On July 3, a smoke bomb device was set off in the boy’s bathroom at Holy Trinity High School, sending seven people to local hospitals and forced an evacuation of 2,000 students. It was a store purchased smoke bomb made of Sulphur and phosphorous that was similar to the ingredients in road flares.
A extraordinary blaze on July 24 gutted a 2nd story house which was converted into a store. The fire, at 169 Old Country Rd., injured eight firemen. All injured firefighters were treated at local hospitals and released. The repairman from the Bronx was in the store and received serious burns. He was listed in poor condition at the County Medical Center. Before being reported, the fire gained considerable headway. By the time the Hicksville fire dispatcher was called the building was totally involved in fire. 75 firefighters, 10 pieces of apparatus responded. The building contained the mini mart, a combination fruit stand and dairy barn.
A fire caused moderate damage to the roof of the Royal Diner located on Old Country Road near South Oyster Bay Road. The alarm was received on March 28th at 10:50 AM and the first arriving units on the scene found a deep-seated fire in the cockloft, the space between the ceiling and the roof. Firemen battled the fire for over an hour and confined it to one wall and a section of roof in the rear of the building. Efforts were hampered by double walls and a double metal re-enforced roof.
An early morning fire caused heavy damage to the Bisque Box and the Ceramic Shop at 12 West Marie Street. The fire was discovered by a Plainview fireman who was passing by on June 19 and the fire apparently started in Johns Tavern next door to the Ceramic Shop. The building, which was very old, had metal walls and ceilings. The fire was believed to have been burning for hours within the walls and ceiling before being spotted.
On January 27, six firemen graduated as Advanced Medical Technicians (AMT’s) following an intensive 5 1⁄2 month training program conducted through the Nassau County Firemen’s Training Center in conjunction with Nassau County Medical Center. The firemen were awarded their diplomas by Nassau County Executive Ralph G. Caso in a graduation ceremony. The graduates received their instruction from Deputy Chief Arthur Gladstone, Dr. Costas Lambrew-Chief of Medicine at the Nassau County Medical Center and Dr. Harry Malasky, Hicksville Fire Department Surgeon. The members learned and practiced their skills while riding on Nassau County Police ambulances during assigned tours of duty where they applied their classroom skills during actual emergencies in the field. In addition, they were assigned observation time in the Coronary Intensive Care units of local hospitals and in the Psychiatric Emergency areas. Although the training was painful at times to the AMT’s, they developed a deeper appreciation of this special skill. The introduction of the AMT program also brought the necessary telemetry equipment and drug supplies to apply this program to Hicksville residents.
In March of 1975 there were two local graduates, all of whom had previously completed the 180-hour emergency medical technician course, the first on Long Island to be certified by the New York State Department of Health as paramedics. Their training included such techniques as: defibrillating victims of cardiac arrest, stabilizing heart patients at the scene of heart attacks, and they will be in constant communication through Nassau County’s Emergency Service System with cardiologists and emergency personnel at the hospital of destination.
Mario was a member of the Rescue Squad where he served as their Secretary and Treasurer. He worked tirelessly as the Department Chief Fire Inspector for 8 years and was Chairman of Annual Fire Prevention Open House. He would also find time to play on the department’s Bowling Team.
Chief Misturini retired to Boynton Beach, Florida where he passed away on December 10, 2002, and he is interred at the Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York.
