Engine 26: A Story of Loss, Duty and Memory

No amount of worry could have prepared her for September 11th.

You remember where you were that morning. The images seared into memory, the silence that followed, the questions that never got answered. But for Mary Farino-Thomas, September 11th, 2001, was not a moment captured on television. It was the day her husband, Tom, the captain of Engine Company 26, walked into the towers and never came home. For over two decades, Mary carried the weight of unanswered questions: Where was Tom that day? What was Engine 26 doing? Why was it so impossibly difficult to find out?

Engine 26 is the memoir Mary always needed to write and was terrified to begin. Co-authored with her cousin, Robert Trotta, this deeply personal account traces the life Mary and Tom built together, from two kids growing up blocks apart in South Ozone Park, Queens, through Tom's journey from the NYPD to the FDNY, and into the unimaginable aftermath that followed. It is a story about love that endures beyond loss, a widow's relentless search for truth, and the courage it takes to set the record straight when others have spoken for the silent.

Inside these pages, you will find:

- A firsthand account of life before, during, and after 9/11 from the perspective of a firefighter's wife

- The untold story of Engine Company 26 and the search for answers that spanned more than two decades

- A testament to resilience, family, and the healing power of finally telling your own story

When the towers fell, Mary lost her husband, Tom, the captain of Engine Company 26. For over two decades, she carried unanswered questions about where he was that day and why the truth was so hard to find. Written with her cousin, Robert Trotta, who knew Tom personally, Engine 26 is a memoir of grief, resilience, and the fierce need to set the record straight.