. That was a regular day for me, when I woke up in the morning I didnt feel well, but I still went to work, Capestro said. "Phil was with me on the best day of my life," she said, "and the worst day of my life." Joanne Capestro narrowly escaped the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. And since then, the duo has remained in touch close enough that Capestro asked Penman to photograph her wedding. September 11, 2001 began as any other day for Joanne Jojo Capestro. 'I love to talk to other survivors as it makes us feel good,' she said. So I said, 'Hmm, I know who's gonna film my wedding.'" She explained that she didnt recall Penman at the scene and didnt know he took that photo of her until three years ago when she was connected with the photographer by staff members at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Crystalinks - First Hand Accounts, Prophecy, More, var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? View the profiles of people named Joanne Vasquez. The horrific 9/11 attacks left an estimated 2,996 people dead and more than 6,000 others injured. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. When she eventually made it outside the building and to ground level, she ran into a friend, and the two made a dash to leave Ground Zero, just as the South Tower collapsed. Capestro said it took her a long time to come to terms with what had happened but a major turning point came with her first meeting with Penman. The institution trod a difficult path to opening, facing delays and controversy. And in coming full circle, on August 11th of this year,. pg.acq.push(function() { } While on the call, hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower six floors above Capestros office for the May Davis Group where she was an assistant secretary. Phil Penman, the photographer who captured this iconic photo of Joanne "JoJo" Capestro in 2001, took Capestro's wedding photos 17 years later. Its reported that three years ago, Joanne and Phil met for the first time and have ever since, kept in touch. Capestro explained that September 11, 2001 began like any other day for her. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); There are sad events, there are shocking events; there are tragedies and then, theres the 9/11 tragedy. 'We have a great friendship. "I was standing by my desk and boom, the plane hit," Capestro recalled. 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It's a bond that can't be broken," she added. They must have left already!". Joanne Capestro was on the 87th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center. Facebook. Legal Statement. She is now happily married with nine grandchildren, still lives in her native New York and still works on Wall Street after 40 years, Capestro with husband Robert Vasquez on their wedding day in 2018 (left). ET and will be available to stream exclusively on Peacock. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { PressReader. She was there on that fateful morning when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into her office building. Joanne Edge is on Facebook. Capestro said she doesn't know what to say when people ask her how her life changed after 9/11. Despite not feeling well, she went to work in her office on the 87th floor of the World Trade Centers North Tower. A video shows him windsurfing up to the beach in a wet suit. Six weeks ago, at her request, he was the photographer at her August 11 wedding. Joanne Capestro runs barefoot with a colleague from the World Trade Center's North Tower, moments before it collapsed on 9/11. "The work carries a lot of weight. Capestro pictured on her wedding day. Joanne has many family members and associates who include Neil Grippa, William Cadestro, Debra Capestro, June Capestro and Elizabeth Cogan. Just in a picture alone.'. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of Interestingly, the very same man whod taken her photo back then captured her once again on the lens. Years later, Penman's photos were shown at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in a 2015 exhibit. "Phil was with me on the best day of my life and the worst day of my life," Joanne Capestro told the Daily Mirror. Not long ago some of Joanne's belongings, long thought lost that day, were returned to her. 'He was with me for one of the best days of my life,' she said. But the phone rang and he answered, then the plane hit five or six floors above us," Joanne recalled. Market data provided by Factset. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up, Hershey's Canada releases HER for SHE bars featuring a trans activist, Ukrainian soldier takes out five tanks with Javelin missiles, Do not sell or share my personal information. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Speaking to DailyMail.com, Capestro said: 'Phil was with me on the best day of my life and the worst day of my life. She is pictured above left with Penman on her wedding day, August 11th. Capestro, then 39, worked at the World Trade Center, on the 87th floor of the north tower. Photographer who captured iconic image of woman on 9/11 returns to shoot her wedding. When Capestro married her fianc Robert Vasquez last month, she asked Penman to be her wedding photographer. To this day, Capestro said she doesn't know if the officer who helped her survived. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! "I feel like I'm giving back. Joanne was 39 years old at the time and was working in her office on the 87th floor of the World Trade Centers North Tower moments before the attack took place. A 28-year-old self-taught photographer, Jack Alexander specialises in intimate portraits with musicians, actors, and models. 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. "Phil was with me on the best day of my life and the worst day of my life," Capestro said. (Phil Penman). On Sept. 11, 2001, Joanne "JoJo" Capestro arrived to her job as an executive assistant at the May Davis Group on the 87th floor of the North Tower with a cup of take-out tea, feeling run down from a case of bronchitis. Watch popular content from the following creators: archie(@_911_footage_), Gianna Ciappa(@giannaciappa), Jo-An Castro(@joancastroparker), Joann Cavarro(@joanncavarro), joanna caputo(@jjoannacaputo) . Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. 'I remember as a young girl we would go and look at the new buildings being built in the city. }); Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up, Hershey's Canada releases HER for SHE bars featuring a trans activist, Ukrainian soldier takes out five tanks with Javelin missiles, Do not sell or share my personal information. 'Once the pictures were in the museum, and I met Phil and I had donated my belongings recovered from the 9/11 site I turned a corner,' she said. Phil is someone I'll be friends with for the rest of my life.". ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); ", 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. She felt ill but still decided to go to into work from her home in Brooklyn. It was the photographer's first day off in a long time after he had spent months working nonstop. 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. 'So I put my best foot forward every day and I wake up with a genuine smile on my face and I just want everyone to keep smiling and love one another,' she told DailyMail.com. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. }); Capestro, who now lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, is happily married, has ninegrandchildren through marriage and is still working on Wall Street in a job she finds 'very rewarding'. Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #joanne_castro, #joannacastro, #canestro, #joannecorpuz . All rights reserved. Joanne Sarli Vasquez (Sarli) See Photos. Catalog; For You; Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland) . She explained how two out of three stairwell exits were blocked and damaged as a result of the crash. 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. And on the best day of my life.". 'I saw my life in front of me three times that day. Seventeen years on, the man who took that picture on the worst . }) Capestro said 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, New Yorkers stare up at the Twin Towers from the corner of West Broadway and Canal Street on 9/11 after two hijacked planes flew into the World Trade Center in New York City, 'I woke up andthought I was in heaven,' she said. Joanne Capestro (on left with a coworker) is photographed by Phil Penman on 9/11 covered head to toe in thick dust and debris seconds after the South Tower fell as she fled from the World Trade Center, Capestro, now 59, returned to the same spot two decades on to be photographed by Penman - who is now a close friend - to mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks, Capestro in 2021 the same area on Park Row where she was captured in the harrowing photo (left). They rushed to a third stairwell that was completely empty at the moment. At this point, Capestro said she had 'no clue' as to the extent of the disaster. The Photo of Joanne Jojo CapestroPhoto Credit is Phil Penman who also photographed her wedding years later. hitType: 'event', Shortly afterward, Penman, then 24, received a phone call. Capestro and her colleagues fled the building using the stairs. "); "But once I went in there, and I saw, I said, 'My clothes belong there.' After seeing the new National September 11 Memorial Museum, one victim's widow decided to donate one of her husband's FDNY paramedic shirts, karate uniforms and beloved baseball jersey. eventAction: 'view' As detailed in a blog post by the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Capestro rushed downstairs after she felt a jolt at 8:46 a.m., just as the first tower was hit. She began her descent with several colleagues and reached the street level just as the South Tower collapsed. Some victims' relatives still bitterly oppose it as more tourist attraction than tribute. Your email address will not be published. Cookie Notice When Capestro married her fianc Robert Vasquez on August 11, she asked Penman to be her photographer. She barely made it outside of the building before it began to collapse. } ', 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. Capestro said she 'can't believe it's been 20 years already' as she said she hopes people will remember how the city and the nation was in the days after 9/11 when people came together to help each other in their darkest hours. It was the museum's curator who recognized Capestro and connected her with Penman. Indeed. Capestro said. Capestro said she took refuge inside a car, where she fainted again from the trauma. "When we're gone, it needs to be somewhere where it can be seen, where it will be safe," Fajardo said. Much to his astonishment, the staff there recognized Joanne and united Penman and her around three years ago. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 'When I got to the stairwell no one was coming down from above and we were like "Where is everybody? After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001, a dust-covered Joanne Capestro was photographed by street photographer Phil Penman as she stumbled away from Ground Zero. "That's how it all started and we stayed in touch for all of these years. hitType: 'event', if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ 'We were rocked again when the second tower was hit and that made me run,' Capestro told DailyMail.com. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Capestro recalled how she ran down the stairwell as quickly as she could, passing floors where some had been impacted by the plane's striking them while others seemed almost like nothing had happened. She revealed it was only when she came out onto the concourse at ground level that she saw the true scale of the devastation. The image, taken seconds after the collapse of the South Tower and captured by photographer Phil Penman, was among some of the most shocking pictures showing survivors helping each other escape the area around Ground Zero. Much to his astonishment, the staff there recognized Joanne and united Penman and her around three years ago. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ Back then, she had no idea that it was renowned street photographer Penman that had captured her in the moment of crisis. A Federal Aviation Administration worker's hard hat now speaks to his agency's contributions to the recovery effort.