Remembering 1993 Victim Monica Rodriquez Smith and Her Unborn Child

Monica Rodriquez and her husband Edward Smith pose for a photo during their wedding.
Wedding Photograph of Monica Rodriquez Smith and Ed Smith. Collection 9/11 Memorial Museum, Gift of Monica Rodriguez Family and Ed Smith.

Born in Manta, Ecuador, Monica Smith lived in Seaford, Long Island, with her husband, Edward. She was pregnant with their first child and had recently renovated their home and set up the baby’s room. Monica worked at the World Trade Center as a mechanical unit secretary for the Port Authority. She loved her job and even met her husband there when he made a sales call to her office. Edward pursued her for two years before she agreed to a date.

Monica had immigrated to the United States with her parents and four brothers. “My wife was the embodiment of the American Dream,” said Smith in a tribute to his wife. He remembers her as “a vivacious, outgoing person who was full of energy. She was the life of the party. At the same time, she was a natural mom to the people around her.”

On Feb. 26, 1993, her last day of work before maternity leave, she was having lunch in the complex’s basement when a bomb exploded in the nearby parking garage. She was 35 years old.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

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Remembering 1993 Victim Stephen Knapp

Stephen Knapp holds a pair of binoculars on the rooftop of the North Tower in this old photo. The South Tower can be seen off to the left. Aerial views of New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean are seen to the right.

Stephen Knapp lived with his wife, Louise, and their two children on Staten Island, where he was born. Stephen worked at the World Trade Center since its opening and was the Port Authority’s chief maintenance supervisor.

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9/11 Memorial Volunteer Survived Both WTC Attacks

Port Authority employee Philip Caffrey poses for a photo in a blue volunteer vest.

On Feb. 26, 1993, Port Authority employee Philip Caffrey was at his desk on the 69th floor of the North Tower when he heard a loud explosion and felt the building sway.

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