WTC Victim Was Son Of Shulmans Driver

"Im getting the hell out of here." Those were the last words Ralph Licciardis wife heard from her 30-year-old husband on Sept. 11 just before the World Trade Center collapsed. The young electricians death sent shock waves through his family and friends and even in Borough Hall.
His father, Sebastiano, said he did not realize that on Sept.11 his son was working on the 92nd floor of the WTC.
"He was a handsome son of a gun," Sebastiano said. "He was very much a family-oriented person."
Ralph was born and raised in Floral Park, attending Our Lady of the Snows Catholic School in Floral Park, and Archbishop Molloy and Martin Van Buren High Schools.
Sebastiano drove for Borough President Claire Shulman for 20 years before he retired in 1995.
Shulman recalled the Licciardi family. She said of the calamity, "I greatly regret Ralphs tragic death. He is one of so many friends we lost as a result of this terrible disaster."
Sebastiano told The Queens Courier that Ralph enjoyed playing the drums and playing basketball. His brother would play the the keyboard and Ralph played the drums.
Sebastiano also said that Ralph loved being an electrician.
"He was one of the few lucky people in life who got paid for doing what he loved to do," his father said. "It gave him a sense of self worth.
But clearly Ralphs life was focused on his wife, Jennifer, and his two children, Ralph, 2, and Michael 1. The young family would visit Sebastiano and his wife regularly.
"After they left," Sebastiano said, "my wife and I would sit and talk about how lucky we were."