KIERAN CROWLEY
NY Post Online
Terrorists who took the lives of heroes like Thomas Gambino Jr., on Sept. 11 were inspired by "the devil - Satan and his demons," a priest said at the firefighter's Long Island funeral yesterday.
During the funeral Mass at the Ave Maria Chapel in Westbury, attended by Gambino's widow, Janet, sons Brian, 15, and Thomas, 21, and hundreds of mourners, the Rev. Gommar DePauw referred to questions often asked after such a tragedy - such as why God didn't prevent it.
"It was the abuse of demon-possessed human beings, abusing their God-given free will - that's the answer. Demon-possessed, because the devil is real, my dear people," he said.
The priest called the fallen firefighter from Rescue 3 "Tommy" and praised him as a devoted husband and father. He said God had already welcomed him and his brother firefighters and police officers into heaven.
"And so, with our broken voices, and our tearing eyes and our bleeding hearts, we still must shout for friend and foe alike to hear," DePauw said.
"Congratulations, Tommy, and all you fallen heroes of the Twin Towers. Congratulations, you made it, and with flying colors, to boot. God bless you all."
In upstate Washingtonville, more than 1,000 mourners gathered at a funeral Mass at St. Mary's Church for FDNY Lt. Glenn Perry, who comes from a family of firefighters and police officers.
It was the fifth funeral for a firefighter from the parish killed in the Twin Towers attack, and the Rev. John Keaveney paid tribute to Perry and other heroes "who ran towards danger while others were running away from it."
Also remembered in services yesterday were FDNY Capt. Joseph Farrelly of Engine Co. 4, and firefighter John Tipping of Ladder Co. 4.
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