When she came around, she tried to leave the area and a police officer spotted her in distress and struggling to run in her high heels - which she had to put back on because of the broken glass and debris everywhere. Joanne Capestro and Phil Penman first crossed paths unexpectedly on Sept. 11, 2001. Now here we are today and six weeks ago, on August 11, he was the photographer at my wedding. People immediately united together to support and comfort each other through the traumatic attacks on the country. Seventeen years on, the man who took that picture on the worst day of her . I never want to feel like that again.'. You may remember this news photo. While there, he captured a scene that has since become an iconic image from the harrowing day. Joanne Casapao - Vasquez. ", How a 9/11 photo brought two people together, Capestro recounted on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna Friday, America prepares to mark 20th anniversary of 9/11, Officer who survived WTC collapse reflects on 20th anniversary of 9/11, An oral history of 9/11, as told by kindergarteners at ground zero 20 years ago, 12 defining photos we will never forget from 9/11. When Capestro married her fianc Robert Vasquez on August 11, she asked Penman to be her photographer. "I was standing by my desk and boom, the plane hit," Capestro recalled. A look back at the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In ensuring the colloquial fascet of life that it does come a full circle, every now and again, we are reminded that how at the wake of the worlds worst disasters, people get to bond and exchange a smile. Joanne Capestro, meanwhile, was gearing up for another workday in the city. IE 11 is not supported. As seen in photographer Phil Penmans photo, she and a colleague were walking away from the site, clearly shaken up and covered in thick white dust and debris. ga('ads.send', { While she was on the call, the hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower only six floors above Joanne's office where she worked as an assistant secretary. Fast forward 17 years, and Capestro recently had Penman photograph her again this time for her wedding. ET and will be available to stream exclusively on Peacock. },false) eventAction: 'view' She was there on that fateful morning when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into her office building. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Can it? She revealed it was only when she came out onto the concourse at ground level that she saw the true scale of the devastation. Email or phone: Password: . Dark smoke pours from the North Tower while St. Paul's chapel stands in the foreground. With the National Sept. 11 Memorial Museum now visibly "occupying, in real space, leadership of this important national story, when people have items, they want that to be a part of that," President Joe Daniels said. JoAnne Capestro is a Director at Oppenheimer based in New York City, New York. Six weeks ago, Penman became the photographer at Joanne's wedding. It was the museum's curator who recognized Capestro and connected her with Penman. Relatives have brought new photos or recorded new remembrances to profiles of the nearly 3,000 victims. Living with survivor's guilt was not easy. Just in a picture alone.'. "My girlfriend yells, 'Joey, Joey,' and I turned around and I saw her and I was like, 'Oh my God, what are we going to do now?'". Capestro told DailyMail.com September 11 began like any other day in the city as she commuted to work at the May Davis Group offices on the 87th floor of the North Tower. In the days and weeks after the attack, Capestro said she was so traumatized that she would return to the area to watch the clear-up of Ground Zero and would constantly watch news coverage of the attacks. Capestro, then 39, worked at the World Trade Center, on the 87th floor of the north tower. 17 years after she became the subject of one of the most iconic photos from the 9/11 terror tragedy, a woman has hired the photographer behind the imageto be her wedding photographer. She told DailyMail.com it has taken time for her to deal with the trauma of her escape from the 87th floor, running out of the tower to see 'all the jumpers, the blood all over, the dead people' before the South Tower then crashed down around her. Penman agreed with Capestro on the bond and friendship that developed between them. That image was captured by a New York-based Philman and has, since then, gone on to become one of the most iconic images of individuals who emerged unscathed even at the wake of such a tumultuous incident. A video shows him windsurfing up to the beach in a wet suit. By Rachel Sharp For Dailymail.com and Jolie Novak For Dailymail.Com, Published: 12:23 GMT, 11 September 2021 | Updated: 03:02 GMT, 12 September 2021, A 9/11 survivor who was captured in a harrowing image after escaping the North Tower has spoken out to reveal the terror of that day and said she puts 'my best foot forward every day now because we can't let terrorists win.'. ', Capestro also spoke of her gratitude for her 'great husband. The fateful day has since been known as the worst domestic attack America has ever experienced. And I was standing at my desk with one of my co-workers because we were going to go downstairs. In the gripping image, Capestro looks completely shell-shocked while staring into the direction of the camera lens while walking barefoot and holding her heels and purse in one hand. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { pic.twitter.com/YTAvGncXFK. }); Then, minutes later at 9.03am, the South Tower was struck by the second hijacked plane. They stayed in touch and just last month, 17 years after the tragedy, Penman took photos of her wedding day. After finding the only available stairwell exit, Capestro rushed down the 87 flights of stairs, part of the way in high heels, before running out of the North Tower all within 22 minutes. Capestro, then 39,was photographed that day covered head to toe in thick dust and debris as she fled from the World Trade Center with a coworker. Joanne Capestro was on the 87th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center. Since the museum's May opening, victims' families, survivors, rescue workers and others have come forward to add about 135 new gifts to its collection, chief curator Jan Seidler Ramirez said. In the iconic picture, Capestro looks absolutely shell-shocked as she faces the camera, heels and purse in hand. A photographer who snapped an iconic photo of Joanne "JoJo" Capestro just moments after she escaped the collapsing towers in New York City on 9/11 has captured another memorable moment in the woman's lifeher wedding day. Want to advertise with us? All rights reserved. The Daily Mirror reports that Capestro and Penman were reunited three years ago after the photographers 9/11 photos were shown at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. 'Then I heard dentist music on one floor - like that soft, calming music. The impact was so strong and the building was shaking until all of a sudden it stopped.. to mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks. Back then, she had no idea that it was renowned street photographer Penman that had captured her in the moment of crisis. They rushed to a third stairwell that was completely empty at the moment. Now. } Working Overtime: Do You Have An Exit Strategy? 'We have a great friendship. ", Still, it was strangely hard to let go of her piece of Sept. 11 history, she says. "He was with me for the best day of my life and the worst day of my life," she added. Years later, as both Penman and Capestro were donating their work and belongings related to the terror attacks to the 9/11 museum, the two decided to meet. ', Capestro photographed in front of One World Trade Center in 2021 - 20 years after surviving the 2001 terrorist attacks. 16 years later. On 9/11 she ran down 84 floors in the North Tower to safety, defeating all odds as others died around her. Joanne Capestro-Vasquez. Street photographer Phil Penman was on the ground during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. "The power of a still image, you don't think about it when you're a photographer," Penman said. Join Facebook to connect with Joanne Vasquez and others you may know. Consider Joanne Capestro. "Then all of a sudden, you hear this rumble and the building's coming down as I'm shooting.". Photographer who captured iconic image of woman on 9/11 returns to shoot her wedding. She is also a team leader at American Cancer Society and does real estate property management on the side 'as a hobby because I like finding people apartments'. "But once I went in there, and I saw, I said, 'My clothes belong there.' Speaking to DailyMail.com about her life changing experience that occurred 17 years ago today, Capestro said: Phil and I stayed in touch all of these years. During some point when she was trying to escape the scene, she was unknowingly captured on camera along with one of her co-workers. (Phil Penman). 'I found a great partner who understands who I am - everybody has some sort of past and mine is 9/11,' she said. On September 11, 2001, Capestro was working as an assistant secretary on the 87th floor of the North Tower when the hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into it. Arguably, at the most important date of her life; can there be anything more important than a marriage, Phil was present to capture her on her wedding day. . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, But this meeting wasnt the last time that the photographer and Capestro would see each other. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ "For me, looking over the images over the last 20 years, it's kind of helped me deal with it more," Penman reflected. Capestro, who visits the memorial in lower Manhattan every year to recognize those who died including her co-worker Harry Ramos, explained in vivid detail how she survived. For Capestro,the memorial at Ground Zero is now a positive place which she goes to spend time in around five or six times a year. ', Now, 20 years on, Capestro said the horrific experience has given her 'courage and resilience to put my best foot forward every day' and 'wake up with a genuine smile on my face', For Capestro, the memorial at Ground Zero is now a positive place which she goes to spend time in around six times a year. See Photos . Penman was nearby and captured Capestro and her co-worker, Dominique Davis, as they escaped the World Trade Center. "Thats how it all started and we stayed in touch for all of these years. }); September 11, 2001, started out like any other day for Joanne Jojo Capestro but soon turned into a nightmare she can never forget. Penman captured Joanne Capestro and Dominique Davis after they escaped the World Trade Center following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. }); What would happen immediately, in the aftermath of the North Tower falling into dust, would be the emergence of an image of a tall, mid-aged woman, feeling lucky- as expected- at having escaped the incident, walking barefoot alongside her coworker, covered completely in dust and rubble. 27.4m members in the pics community. Receive our Weekly Newsletter. },false) Another person photographed in such a landscape was Joanne Capestro, who told the Journal that "Everything was white when I opened my eyes, I really thought I had died." Capestro was on the 87 th floor of the North Tower when the plane hit just six floors above. "Post-traumatic stress disorder is not easy. Yi-Jin Yu is an editor and reporter for TODAY Digital and leads digital coverage for Weekend TODAY on Saturday mornings. Once outside Joanne ran and ran and ran then hid under a car as things collapsed around her, the wounded and dead all around, including co-workers. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. "Phil was with me on the best day of my life and the worst day of my life," Joanne Capestro told the Daily Mirror. It's a bond that can't be broken," she added. Afterward, she donated everything she had on that day, including the heels, to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which History Channel says it is helping to support. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Capestro even credits the photographer for helping her heal in the traumatic aftermath of 9/11. "Memory Box: Echoes of 9/11" will air on MSNBC on Saturday and Sunday at 10 p.m. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. She began her descent with several colleagues and reached the street level just as the South Tower collapsed. Thats how it all started and we stayed in touch for all of these years. She explained that the first plane crashed into her tower about six floors above her office. Much to his astonishment, the staff there recognized Joanne and united Penman and her around three years ago. When Capestro married her fianc Robert Vasquez on August 11, she asked Penman to be her photographer. Six weeks ago, he was the photographer at my wedding. A place for pictures and photographs. Penman is a Leica photographer and Leica Fotografie International winner whos based in New York City. 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Were also on Pinterest, Tumblr, and Flipboard. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); There are sad events, there are shocking events; there are tragedies and then, theres the 9/11 tragedy. "Our heartfelt thanks to our friends at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., especially Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Stoltzfus, Mr. Whaley, and JoAnne Capestro, for their kind hospitality." This event was part of the College's year-long 150th anniversary celebration. Capestro added that once they reached the 64th floor she began to notice more people crowding into the stairwell to escape. Once there, he started capturing what was unfolding. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); 'There is a bond among survivors - we're like brothers and sisters and we'll get through it together and always be around for each other.'. Is National Geographic Still Perpetuating Racist Stereotypes? The comments below have not been moderated. let gads_event; 'I saw my life in front of me three times that day. It was after this that Penman snapped the portrait of Capestro barefoot and coated in toxic dust. Joanne Vasquez. It was the photographer's first day off in a long time after he had spent months working nonstop. },false) Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Smoke pours out of the North and South Tower of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan after they were struck by two hijacked airplanes, First responders and New Yorkers help and administer first aid to survivors of the terrorist attacks on America's darkest day, Mangled steel, dust and rubble litter the streets of the city after the Twin Towers were targeted in a terrorist attack. Joanne Sarli Vasquez (Sarli) See Photos. I wanted to share it with people. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. At 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the World Trade Center's south tower. That woman was Joanne Capestro. Zebediah Smith Dr. Robert Lahita, New York City Dr. Robert Lahita traveled to Ground Zero with two paramedics. PressReader. Instagram . See Photos. MSNBC and Peacock are part of our parent company, NBCUniversal. Penman spent the day taking pictures of survivors as well as pictures of rescue workers and civilians helping all those who were affected. hitType: 'event', The collision was above where Capestro stood. "When we met, he came into my office and just looked at me and I looked at him and just started crying," Capestro shared referring to the first moment that they met. She barely made it outside of the building before it began to collapse. She fled down 87 flights of stairsand was only just outside the building when it began to collapse. And it's a bond. var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-7775239-1"); Capestro said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Seventeen years on, the man who took that picture on the worst . And on the best day of my life.". Catalog; For You; Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland) . ", Capestro added, "I love the fact that I could call somebody up that went through what I went through, and he understands, and he's always there for me. She said she now puts 'my best foot forward every day now because we can't let terrorists win', 'I felt like I needed to be there. "Phil was with me on the best day of my life and the worst day of my life," Joanne Capestro told the Daily Mirror. And I was standing at my desk with one of my co-workers because we were going to go downstairs. Phil Penman's iconic 9/11 photo of Joanne Capestro. She is also a. Penman eventually donated the photo he captured of Capestro along with others to be displayed inside the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. try { Join Facebook to connect with Joanne Edge and others you may know. Two of the three exits to the office were melted shut from the heat of the fire above, she said. Pictured above is a gripping image captured by Penman showing the North Tower as it collapse and the South Tower still on fire, The September 11th terrorist attacks left 2,996 people dead and more than 6,000 others injured in the United States. It features a dust-covered Joanne Jojo Capestro as she and her friend walked awaydazed, but unharmedfrom Ground Zero. As reported by DailyMail, Joanne shared, "Phil and I stayed in touch all of these years. However, at no point did she ever feel like fleeing New York City to escape the daily reminder of that day, she said. At 8:46 a.m., a ferocious jolt toppled Capestro from her seat, spilling her tea. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Image courtesy Phil Penman. The impact was so strong and the building was shaking, until all of a sudden, it stopped. Joanne Capestro-Vasquez. "When we met, he came into my office and just looked at me and I look at him and just started crying," Capestro told the Daily Mirror. Cookie Notice Interestingly, the very same man whod taken her photo back then captured her once again on the lens. document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ 11M views, 130K likes, 60K loves, 4.5K comments, 58K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from HISTORY: On Sept. 11, 2001, Joanne Capestro arrived to her job at the May Davis Group on the 87th floor of the. }); Phil is someone I'll be friends with for the rest of my life.". Capestro pictured on her wedding day. Phone Number: (347) 497-**** Joanne Anne Capestro, age 60, Brooklyn, NY Background Check Locations: Brooklyn NY Possible Relatives: Christina Capestro, Debra Capestro Sponsored by BeenVerified The Mirror writes that this August Capestro married "the love of her life." And according to her, the photographer Phil Penman was with her "on the best day of her life and the worst day of her life." [via FStoppers] FIND THIS INTERESTING? Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Joanne has many family members and associates who include Neil Grippa, William Cadestro, Debra Capestro, June Capestro and Elizabeth Cogan. The photo Penman shot of Capestro and Davis was one of many he captured on that fateful day. So I said, 'Hmm, I know who's gonna film my wedding.'" "All of a sudden, you just start seeing like, the emergence of people kind of walking towards you," Penman said. Moments later the tower collapsed. "When we're gone, it needs to be somewhere where it can be seen, where it will be safe," Fajardo said. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The horrific 9/11 attacks left an estimated 2,996 people dead and more than 6,000 others injured. As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts.