STILL DOING GOOD
Staub’s legacy of love endures 3 years after his death
Three years after his death, Rusty Staub lives in the hearts of those who loved him.
The revered Mets star endures in the home of Theresa Giammona, whose firefighter husband died on 9/11 at the twin towers. Staub remains a lasting influence on former teammate Keith Hernandez. And Rusty still inspires Steven Dannhauser, who heads Staub’s long-running charity to assist the families of lost firefighters and other first responders.
“He was a man of faith,” recalled Hernandez, who was embraced by new teammate Staub after a 1983 trade to the Mets. “And he lived the faith. He didn’t talk the talk, he walked the walk. An extraordinary man.”
Tangible proof of Staub’s postmortem philanthropy emerged across the months of the pandemic, when his nonprofit, New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, provided $400,000 each to the families of 12 first responders killed by COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty.
The famously redheaded Staub, known as Le Grande Orange during his days with the Montreal Expos, embraced charity work after a family tragedy: His uncle, New Orleans police department motorcycle officer Marvin Morton, was killed in the line of duty when Rusty was just 6 years old.
His first responders fund, founded in 1985, dispensed more than $160 million over the ensuing years. But Staub was no mere fund-raiser: He organized an annual picnic at Shea Stadium for family members to gather and enjoy a day at the ballpark.
The event remains part of his legacy, too: The gathering continues to this day at Citi Field.
Giammona met Staub after her husband, FDNY Capt. Vincent Giammona, died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks — on his 40th birthday.
“I think the first time we met was probably the following spring when I went to Shea Stadium with the kids,” she recalled. “Rusty was such a gentleman, so kind to my kids. He was not pretentious at all. Such a kind and gentle soul.”
Theresa went on to run in the 2015 New York City Marathon, raising funds for Staub’s charity.
Dannhauser, the fund’s chairman of the board, recalled Staub’s tireless efforts on behalf of the families across the decades. And he recounted how people were drawn to Staub in a way that transcended his 23year career in the big leagues, including nine years in two stints with the Mets.
“I was always impressed by how often people came up to say hello just because they held him in such high regard,” said Dannhauser. “There was something special about the man. People wanted to be near him. He was quite gracious, and he understood the need to give back.”
In the days after the World Trade Center toppled nearly 20 years ago, Staub threw himself into the aid efforts for the lost heroes of the terrorist attack that killed 343 members of the FDNY and 23 NYPD officers. When the Mets returned to the field on Sept. 21, the entire team donated their $450,000 salaries for the day to Staub’s fund.
“He essentially lived in my conference room for 12 hours a day after 9/11,” recalled Dannhauser. “He was all over town, raising money for the heroes.”
The 73-year-old Staub died on March 29, 2018, and was honored with a memorial Mass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The crowd featured a legion of admirers, all gathered to express their love for Rusty: Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, ex-FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassano, NYPD Commissioner
James O’Neill. Teammates Ron Darling, John Franco and Lee Mazzilli also attended, along with ex-Mets manager Bobby Valentine.
As Hernandez recalled, all were touched across the years by their friend Staub. And Rusty never had to ask anyone twice for help.
“He didn’t have to schmooze me,” said Hernandez, now an announcer for the Mets. “I always came.”