My Dad, Anthony Nespoli.  

I remember the days growing up when my father would to take me to Kennedy Airport to watch the airplanes  take off; It was truly an exciting time for us.. I must have been 5 or 6 years old. 
A proud son with his dad. Watching these tremendous metal birds fly was so inspiring.
The roar of the engines was amazing. He promised me that one-day I would be on one
of those planes. When I turned 15 He kept his promise and sent me to Florida. 
My dad was a simple man. He worked as a long shoreman on the docks in New York 
He was a hard worker.  He loved his family.  He didn't verbalize his feelings
He showed his love in other ways.  My dad was my hero. I looked up to him. 
He was big and strong. Yet he was a soft-spoken man.  
My buddies would say that my dad was a great guy. He was also a generous man.. .
He wasn't prejudice towards people, , He loved everyone..
Unfortunately, that gave some people the chance to take advantage of him. 
I witnessed that on a few occasions. I would see the disappointment in his eyes. He warned me how cruel people can be.

At age 23 I decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue an acting / stunt career. He was very sad.  He missed me very much. Mom told me that he would sit in his room and cry.
He knew that I was happy living in California. He would record me on different TV shows. 
I would send him pictures of myself with different celebrities.
He would bring the photos to work and show his friends. He was proud.
When I took up skydiving he was excited but worried for my safety. 
I will never forget that time my father said he admired me because I had the balls 
to go for my dreams and how I never let anything stop me. 
That was undoubtedly the proudest moment in my life. I received approval from my dad.
That was priceless to me!

On Feb 10th 1994 the worst day of my life without doubt. New York suffered the worst snowstorm in recent history. My brother’s car would not start for some unknown reason.  My dad tried to help me get the car out of the snow. I asked him to stop pushing the car. to the mechanic around the corner.  He was determined to help me get back to Los Angeles on time.. 4 minutes before his death, I saw my dad was watching me from a distance,  I turned away to speak to the mechanic and then I heard the emergency sirens. I knew something terrible had happened. In a panic, I ran to my parent’s house only to find my mother over my dad's body crying, asking him not to leave us. My dad suffered a massive heart attack and died. A part of me died as well. I felt lost. My hero was gone.
My dad taught me another lesson in life. That lesson was that life is too short! Enjoy every second of it.
And to live while you can!  I also learned to live your life to the fullest and to appreciate your parents when they are still alive. He always told us to respect them when they are living and not when they are gone.

When I went back to the mechanic's garage the next day to pick up my brothers car. The mechanic told me there was nothing wrong with the car, it was fine. I guess it was God's way of keeping home in New York to be with my family. Yes, the Lord works in mysterious ways for sure.

Today, I  work as an aerial stuntman. I have jumped from thousands of planes, helicopters, hot air balloons, I driven cars out of planes, watched television on a falling living room set, rode bikes, boogie boards, sky surfing, falling bathrooms, played poker in free fall  for commercials, TV shows, movies & world records, plus I  get to work with the world's best skydivers. This has been a dream come true, thanks to the inspiration from my father whom I feel is with me on every single jump.
Thank you Anthony Nespoli for being my  dad, my inspiration, and my hero!  

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I'd like to also thank my dad's brother, Uncle Patty Nespoli. 

As a young boy, my Uncle Patty would let me drive the golf carts all around the Brooklyn docks, across from the  New York sky line. He would always give me a $5.00 bill.  Uncle Patty was a tough son of a gun, no one messed with him. he was well respected too. he also had a gentle side to him as well.  Like every young boy, I had my share of troubled times.  Running with the wrong crowd, I manage to get myself into trouble. Using drugs, counterfeit credit cards and being  falsely  accused of "ratting out" some people, It was my Uncle Patty who stepped in and defended me and my family's name.  He made sure that I was properly punished for the things I did do and NOT punished for someone else's wrong doing. I owe him love & life too. He was a great man. I was proud to have had called him Uncle Patty.

To her friends she’s was known as Kay, to us she was simply  “Mom”.

Everyone claims to have had the best Mom. And for the most part they may be right. I am definitely one of those people. How do you thank the women who not only gave you life but  carried you for nine months, changed hundreds of your diapers, loved & nurtured you all throughout your life? I find that more challenging than any other stunt I have done.  My mom was a gift sent from GOD. She never knew had to say “no” to us.  Mom wanted everything for her kids and she always found a way to give us everything. Mom has a gift and that gift is love, always having it, and always showing it.  Not just to her family but  to everyone she comes in contact with.   We were raised in a predominately white neighborhood. In grade school, I  remember my mom inviting my two black buddies Tracy Wright and Albert Hamilton for lunch, knowing that my friends were not as fortunate to have their parents prepare a warm lunch for them. Mom made them feel special. After preparing lunch for us, she kissed & hugged us all before sending us back to school. She was never prejudice and she demanded we'd be the same. She taught us to respect other people, and to help those less fortunate than us.  My mom had two deaf sisters whom she looked after as a young girl. Aunt Jenny & Aunt Josie. My mom wore a hearing aid, worried about me getting teased at school, she would take out and hide her hearing aid when she would pick me up. I remember walking in to my friends kitchen and hearing his mother and her friends making fun of my Mom for her hearing loss and imitating the way she speaks sign language to her sisters. I still remember the sadness I felt. 

My mom was being mocked on for  no reason. I couldn't understand that. I felt bad that I didn't defend her back then. I just pretended to not understand what they were talking about. Mom had a good heart, and a forgiving one too. Now looking back, I see the love and sacrifices my mother made for us. My buddies love my mom. She is warm, sincere, kind, caring, and thoughtful.  She possesses all the qualities to make a son or daughter proud to call her their mom. I was a wild child. I put my mom through some tough times. Times I wish I could erase. But I guess that is what “growing up” is all about. But through all those times, she never stopped being the loving mother. Like the song say's " I'll always love my Momma, she's my favorite girl, I'll always love my Momma, she brought me into this world". God truly blessed us giving us two wonderful parents.  She'll  always say  “For You? ………and I always  answer, ….Anything! (still to this day).

 In 2008, during the Memorial day weekend, Mom was rushed to the emergency room for respiratory problems. Three weeks later she had made a remarkable recovery and was excited to come home to us. However the hospital staff misdiagnosed her situation and caused internal bleeding which resulted in  the loss of vital organs and them having to  amputate her leg. She was hooked up to more machines then I cared to count. Her prognosis for returning to any type of normal life was doubtful.

On June 30, 2008. just 2 hours before her 80 Birthday, a nurse broke hospital code, risked her job and laid everything on the line for me. She brought me to the realization that an error was made and now they were just buying time. I should contact my siblings and do what is best for our mom. I found myself making the most difficult decision a son would ever had to make. My Mom was suffering with no signs of making any type of recovery. I was put in a position  to assist my Mom's wishes and releasing her from this world. Ending the life of someone who gave you life and loved us so much was..........heart wrenching!  

But I knew it was what she wanted.  Once again, a piece of my heart was tragically taken. We as a family had a choice to be angry at the hospital and towards the hospital staff as well. We believe that everyone who came to Moms aid had nothing but the best intentions for her, and adored her just as much as we did. She successfully won the hearts of everyone who came in contact with her. We know the nurse who may have made that error has enough to live with, we do not hold her accountable  for our Mom's death. Instead, we  are now comforted knowing that our Mom is with the Lord and our Dad watching over us.

  I will always love you Mom, with all my heart!

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I dedicate  my love to my littlest fans, my nieces & nephews.
John, Kristin, Louis, Nicholas & Briana, who constantly remind me that I am loved.
Without these wonderful kids my life would not be complete.
I've learned that no matter how tough my career gets and how lonely my life can get,
I am the luckiest guy alive to have them in my life.
My sister in-law's dad Al Ciccone would say that he was the wealthiest guy alive with
the love he received from his family. 
I now understand what he meant by that, because I truly feel the same. In these tough times I lean on my family a lot. They never let me down. 
I thank God everyday for blessing me with them.

I’ve known him as “cousin Bobby”, (his real name is Anthony) his mom is Aunt Betty (her real name is Maria).  No! they are not part of the Soprano family,...( It’s a New York thing.) I remember the day when I found out that he really wasn’t my cousin, just the son of a close family friend. I was really sad.                We are one month apart in age. He’s always been a part of my life. He moved to Long Island N.Y.            Our family remained close throughout the years. I was closer to him than any other blood relative.

I knew I was destined to become a stunt coordinator, because I convinced Bobby to let me push him down a flight of stairs ( 32 to be exact ) “backwards” at age 5.  To this day, he has never held that against me.  He never ratted on me neither!    After that, it was jumping roof to roof.   He is more than a “close family friend” he’s like a brother to me.  Through the years we’ve always kept in touch. In fact, he made me  Godfather to his son Vincent, carbon copy of the both of us.  In life  there are not too many people you can count on. Bobby Figaro is definitely someone I know I can count on anytime, any place, anywhere!   Bobby is a great businessman, and a generous one too. He gave me an opportunity to share in the profit of the business he started, and become his partner, with no investment, no contract, and no expectations. Just based on the simple fact that I was Bobby’s right hand man..( It’s an Italian thing…)  Having this partnership has allowed me to be follow my dreams, and support myself at the same time.  It is Bobby that I owe my deepest appreciation  for helping me live my dream.

Thanx Cuz!  

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Tommy Foley

I had the good fortune of meeting an American hero.  His name was Tommy Foley. Tommy was a “one of a kind” guy.  Tommy heroically risked his life to save others.

On September 11th, 200, having completed his shift at  9:00 Am, Tommy voluntarily responded to the attack on the World's Trade Center,. Tommy & his fellow fire fighting buddies of Rescue 3, headed towards NYC.

 That decision would prove to be a tragic one. Tommy and his Squad died  in the collapse of the  towers trying to save lives of the innocent people trapped in the buildings.  Tommy was not afraid of any challenges.  He was not only a brave fireman,  but a champion bull rider, stunt Man, football player, and People's magazine top ten "most eligible bachelors”.

Tommy had it all! But even with all those accomplishments, Tommy topped himself by becoming an American Hero, along with his brothers, on that tragic day.

You,  your brothers of Rescue 3, will never be forgotten!  We all Thank you!

Adriana Venuto, John & Silvia Resta and all that have died, you will never be forgotten.

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To my brother in-law Firefighter Tommy Cann

The best way to describe Tommy Cann is to call him an  original or genuine. We often hear the expression "he'll give you the shirt off of his back", well Tommy Cann would!  Tommy is one of a kind! He has a tremendous heart. He enjoys making people happy. That's what satisfies Tommy. He too was one of the firefighters at ground zero. He lost many of his firefighting brothers. Tragically his parents passed on shortly after that. Tommy had seen so much in his career as a fire fighter & privately.. But you would never know it by his personality. He has amazing inner strength and confidence. You can always count on Tommy. He is well respected within the fire community and amongst his friends & family. Tommy is golden!  He takes care of my sister, he loves her very much! My mom adores him and he adores my mom. Tommy loves to eat. When you are in New York, you have to go to Don Pepe's Italian restaurant for the best Italian food. He'll treat you like family! Forget ever paying for anything when you are with Tommy, You'll loose!  Tommy loves to make people laugh. He also does an amazing impersonation of the legendary Marlon Brando..  and there is nothing that Tommy wouldn't do to accomplish that. Acting crazy is what Tommy does best. He's a riot!  We love Tommy. We're very thankful he is a part of our family. I'm proud to say Tommy Cann is my brother in-law. You Rock Tommy!