by Peter N. Spencer
The families of two firefighters killed in the Deutsche Bank fire in August today notified the city they plan to file $180 million dollar wrongful death lawsuits.
Among the more than dozen defendants to be named in the lawsuit for the kin of 53-year-old Robert Beddia of the South Beach section of Staten Island and 33-year-old Joseph Graffagnino of Brooklyn are Mayor Mike Bloomberg, former Governor George Pataki, Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, the city Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Emergency Management, Buildings Dept. and the lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which owns the building.
According to the notice of claim filed in Manhattan Superior Court this morning, the family members said these city, state and private agencies neglected to properly inspect the Deutsche Bank building, to heed safety warnings or enforce violations there and to create a fire escape and emergency plan.
The documents also cited the hiring of "corrupt and incompetent firms" to perform the deconstruction and decontamination - namely, John Galt Corp. and Safeway Environmental Corp.
Graffagnino's wife, Linda, may seek a total of $150 million. Beddia's sister, Barbara Crocco, could file for $30 million in damages, but could increase that amount, her attorney said.
"We are protection the rights of a widow and two infant children...What happened here, we don't want to happen to other firefighters or first responders," said Mrs. Graffagnino's Manhattan attorney, John Meringolo.
A spokesperson from the mayor's office and the FDNY could not be immediately reached for comment.
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