FGF Board

John Feal

Founder and President
Director of the Zadroga Bill

As the Founder of the FealGood Foundation John has had incredible achievements and continues the tremendous goals he’s set for himself either by choice or challenge.
John’s determination as an individual was obvious and blatant as a High School student. He excelled in sports where he was Captain and All County 2x of his wrestling team, and served his community proudly. His was a reputation of a fighter as much as one of fortitude. Years after having graduated, CHS called its Alumnus back to be recognized as an ‘Alumni of Recognition.’ John was honored to receive this award, and is one of only 47 past Alumni to have been awarded such recognition. John has also received the NYS Congressional ‘Medal of Honor for Civilians Above & Beyond’ for his continuous advocacy and for donating a kidney to a complete stranger.On September, 12th 2001 John and his team of Construction Demolition experts were called to Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan to aid in the cleanup & recovery mission. The greatest City in the world needed expert hands to remove twisted steel, rubble and debris from atop the thousands of people thought to be lost underneath. Having no hesitation, John rushed down to direct his team. Tragically, on Day 5 of the mission John became the mission. While supervising his team roughly 8,000 pounds of Steel came loose from the huge pile and crushed his left foot. After 11 weeks in the hospital Doctors amputated half of John’s left foot. John went through years of surgeries and innumerable hours of therapy; as well as extensive stays in the hospital.

What John did next was true to his nature; he turned his personal drama into public success. He experienced hurdle after hurdle with medical bills, time lost from work, overtime not gotten and bills piling up. He heard the word ‘No’ too many times from Insurance Companies, Doctors, & Elected Officials, and John decided right then and there that no American, after serving honorably at Ground Zero for the good of our nation, should be treated like a junk yard dog looking for scraps. The irony is John’s own reputation closely resembles that same junk yard dog when a member of the US Senate or Congress pushes him aside. In the end it was Mr. Feal standing on the steps of US Congress with a new Law proudly and securely in his hands.

John learned, while serving in the US Army’s Airborne Division that failure is not an option. He brings that tenacity to his work ethic and every meeting he attends. Once out of the hospital, and without the aid of pain-killers John made it his mission to alleviate the Heroes of 9/11 from the burdens and hurdles he experienced, and created the FealGood Foundation. Surrounding himself with the best of the best, John has reached plateaus not known to many. His team, led by John’s example, put together a package of gut and will to make sure each and every United States Senator, Congressman and Congresswoman knew the FealGood Foundation’s name, their determination and their inflexibility to never accept ‘No.’

On December 22rd, 2010, just three days before Christmas and while holding the US Senate & Congress from starting their holiday break, John and his team of Responders and Volunteers watched the proud moment of a Unanimous vote by the entire Senate to pass HR 847.

Coming full circle to 2011 the FealGood Foundation and Mr. John Feal have now made it their mission to assure transparency in the new ‘James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation’ law. John spreads himself between fund-raising for incredibly important causes directly related to the Responders and all those affected by 9/11 and its aftermath, to lobbying the many sub-committees involving the Zadroga law to holding forums to make sure the Responders know their rights as they pertain to the law. John has now been influential in the passing of 2 bills since 2004, and continues to strive with his grass roots activism.

Being on top of a pile of rubble can change a man in many ways. Seeing what John saw on those horrific days and smelling and hearing all he did can change you in so many different ways. John realizes his place in this world and is stead-fast in the mission he has been tasked with, in just two words… the Responders.

Press Coverage

John Feal has been prominently featured in two documentaries: Robert Greenwald’s Sierra Club Chronicles 9/11 Forgotten Heroes; and in Heidi-Dehncke-Fisher’s Dust to Dust: The Health Effects of 9/11. John has also been interviewed by WPIX, NEWS12, CNN, FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC, Air America Radio, Nightline, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, the New York Daily News, the NY Post, New York Newsday, all major radio & print, and by Michael Moore for his film Sicko. As one of the Ground Zero movement’s most passionate and informed spokespersons, he is high sought after by the print and broadcast media.

Public Contact

John Feal can be contacted at either the below phone number, postal address or e-mail. Please be assured if John’s board member replies to your request it is by John’s own direction. Each and every contact John receives is answered in a timely fashion.

144 Shenandoah Boulevard

Nesconset, NY 11767

Phone: 631-724-3320

Email: Feal13@aol.com

“In my mind, people like John Feal have really become heroes twice: because in their own pain, in their own grief, in their own distress over their loss of health, they’re still fighting. They’re not just fighting for themselves, they’re fighting for everyone.”

AnneMarie Bowmann

Senior Vice President.

No one understands the impact, and the hardships that our families have to go through in our daily lives. When someone says, “ get over it”, “move on” or “Iam so tired of hearing about that”, they make my passion grow stronger. Mother of 2 beautiful children ages 18 & 16. Married to Christopher Baumann, A NYC Police Officer for 24 yrs. Christopher was injured on 9/11/01, at the World Trade Center with physical and psychological injuries. Our lives have changed so much in the past 9 years with my husbands health constantly changing. I have taken this position as the Senior Vice President for the FealGood Foundation because it is something that I believe in, and I know that there are so many others out there still hurting from the fallout of 9/11.

Phone : 516-551-0986

Anthony Flammia
Director of Community Outreach.
Director of Police Personal and Assistant to Vice PresidentAnthony Flammia served with distinction as a police officer with the NYPD from 1984-2001, primarily assigned to Highway Patrol Unit 3 based in Queens. On September 11, 2001, Officer Flammia, like many of his brother and sister officers, were dispatched to lower Manhattan. While he responded into the area he assisted and directed many away from the disaster site and provided many medical and emergency responders escorts in and out of the area prior to the first tower collapsing.Anthony assisted in the evacuation and was on standby for medical escorts when the Second tower started to collapse he ran with his partner at the time barely escaping the collapse of the second tower and evacuated into a nearby building with other officers. While in the building Anthony and fellow members of the Highway Patrol Unit were attempting to setup a temporary command post, the building that they evacuated into suddenly exploded around them due to numerous gas explosions within the building forcing them to again to evacuate to a safer location.Among his other duties there included escorting the remains of firefighters, police officers and others to the morgue with dignity and respect. He also accompanied many families of deceased police officers to and from the scene, so that they could pay respect to their loved ones who gave their lives serving the people of the City of New York. He spent approximately 200 hours at various locations in and around Ground Zero from September to December 2001.

In December 2001, Officer Flammia left the NYPD, taking a police officer position in Centre Island, a small affluent Long Island suburb near Oyster Bay. He realized the beginning of his post-9/11 injuries when one night on routine motor patrol he fell asleep in his patrol
car. A passerby called 911 and a fellow police officer woke him up. Officer Flammia was subsequently disciplined, but the incident forced him to seek help from the WTC monitoring program where he was diagnosed with serious sleep apnea, PTSD, Reactive
airway disease, numerous scarring and nodules on his lungs, GERD, Sinusitis, Rhinitis, Chemical bronchitis, and other emerging conditions that are still emerging. In February of 2007 while on duty Officer Flammia responded to a house fire in nearby Bayville and entered the burning dwelling to search for victims. He has no recollection of the fire in which he suffered numerous injuries. As a result of that event, which also further exacerbated his existing WTC injuries, Officer Flammia became disabled and in September 2008 was forced to retire due to those injuries from the job he loved so dearly.
His goal with the Fealgood Foundation is to help and counsel other 1st responders, and to offer support and assistance to them in there time of need.

Anthony Flammia currently resides in Suffolk County, NY with his wife Wendy and three daughters, Gianna who is eight and identical twins Gabriella and Grace, who are three years old.
In addition to spending time with his family, Anthony enjoys golf and various automotive interests and is active in causes relating to children with epilepsy, a condition that affects his oldest daughter.

Phone: 631 445 3944

Email: wamflame@gmail.com

Sean Riordan
Legal Counsel to the FGFSpecial Assistant of the Zadroga Bill to the President Mr. Riordan graduated Summa Cum Laude from Molloy College in 2000 and received his law degree from St. John’s University School of Law in 2004, where he was a member of the Journal of Legal Commentary. Upon admission to the practice of law, Mr. Riordan began representing claimants before the Social Security Administrations Office of Disability Adjudication & Review and the various New York State/City Retirement Boards. He has also represented many people in Article 78 Appeals before the Supreme Court of New York as well as the Appellate Division 3rd Department. He has lectured before many unions, including Correction Officers, Police Officers, Detectives, Firefighters, Teachers and Laborers, regarding their disability rights and is highly outspoken on issues involving labor. Sean is an outspoken advocate for First Responders, having joined with advocacy groups and Congressional leaders to help pass legislation that affords greater health care and benefits to men and women that respond to emergency situations. He has been interviewed by Court TV and Eyewitness News, as well as various other media outlets, regarding his work in this area. In 2010 the Feal Good Foundation presented Mr. Riordan with the Leadership Award for his legal work and advocacy.Mr. Riordan is also very involved in the Irish-American community.As Past-President of the Nassau County Brehon Law Society and member of Board of Trustee Member of The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Long Island, Sean has been an advocate for human and civil rights in Northern Ireland and a proponent of the continued peace process. In 2008 and 2009 Mr. Riordan was named one of the Top 100 Irish-American attorneys in the United States by Irish America Magazine and the Irish Voice.

Sean is also adjunct professor at Molloy College, teaching The Philosophy of Law and Political Philosophy. He is also a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; American Bar Association; New York State Bar Association and the New York County Lawyers Association. Mr. Riordan sits on the board of directors for the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Long Island, Irish Cultural Centre of Long Island and Great Hunger Memorial. He lives in Suffolk County with his wife and two children.

Please visit his website : http://www.nypoliceattorney.com/

Glenn Klein
Vice President
Director of Police PersonnelSpecial Assistant of the Zadroga Bill to the PresidentGlenn Klein is a 20 year veteran of the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit (ESU) the NYPD’s SWAT/rescue unit.. Glen was at Ground Zero on the morning of 9/11 and worked for over 700 hours trying to recover his 23 fellow officers and other victims lost on that terrible day.
During his 16 years in ESU Glen was certified as a Hazardous
Materials Specialist, Rescue SCUBA Diver, EMT and CPR instructor, Heavy Weapons Specialist, Hostage rescue and recovery, Emergency Psychological Technician (EPT) and several other phases of rescue work. He was also a PBA delegate for 15 years and a member of NY Task force 1 FEMA team. Glen is the father of 3 beautiful children and is married to Carole a Nurse Practitioner who donated her kidney to another 9/11 responder and member of the NYPD’S ESU Joe Wittleder.As a result of his work at Ground Zero Glen now suffers from several gastro intestinal disorders, exercise induced asthma, scaring and nodules on his lungs, high blood pressure and PTSD. In the past Glen also worked as an EMT CC at North Shore University hospitals ER and on the ambulance at St. John’s Hospital in Queens NY. Although he can no longer work, Glen volunteers some of his time as the Director of Police personel for the Fealgood Foundation. Glen finds his work with the FGF therapeutic and rewarding. He also enjoys boats, riding his Harley and studying martial arts on his free time.Glen can be reached at- Officerdown1013@aol.com

Trublueny@aol.com

Or cell-516 655-1478

Frank Andrea
Legal CounselA partner with the Andera & Towsky law firm located in Garden City, NY.Villanova University – BSBA – 1978; Delaware Law School – JD – 1981; New York State Bar Association; New York State Trial Lawyers Association; American Trail Lawyers Association; Nassau County Bar Association; United States Federal Court (Southern & Eastern District of new York).

Phil Rizzo
Director and Special Assistant to Sr. Vice PresidentPhil Rizzo was a member of the New York City Department of Correction for 24 years. The last 12 of those were spent as the training Captain in the Emergency Service Unit. During those years he received specialized training in many areas of emergency response. On 9/11 Captain Rizzo responded to the W.T.C. site along with other N.Y.C. correction personnel. He worked over 700 hrs at the site.In 2005 he lead a team of correction officers to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.In 2008 he was forced to retire due to his 9/11 injuries. After many years of traveling with the Feal Good Foundation to Washington D.C. to support the Zadroga Bill he has seen first hand the hard work and dedication the board has demonstrated towards all responders and believes in the cause and would like to help other 9/11 responders.

Phil resides in Nassau County with his wife and 4 children

Phone: 516-724-4711

Email: cca1380@aol.com

Captain Michael McPhillips
Director of Social Services and BenefitsI grew up on the ocean in Point Lookout, New York. Because I lived on the water and had a father who was an avid sailor, my entire life has been dedicated to our waterways. At the age of sixteen, I begin my professional career on the water by joining the Maritime industry.The latter part of my nautical career was with NY Waterway as a Captain on the ferries. In 1999 I promoted to Port Captain and in this new role I was now in charge of vessel deployment, terminal
oversight, management of the Captains and Deckhand, vessel maintenance and Coast Guard Compliance. On an average day we transported sixty thousand people to and from NYC.On September 11, 2001 I became one of many 911 responders. On 9/11, after the first plane hit, I was responsible for the evacuation of victims, arranged a triage area at Colgate and Newport Harbor, NJ along with a decontamination pit in Hoboken where victims were treated from the debris of the towers.
On 9/11 we evacuated over 260,000 people from New York City on 21 Boats. It was the largest marine evacuation in the history. With the path train destroyed on 9/11 we were required to work 24/7 to
transport commuters to and from NY. After 9/11 we were responsible for troop movements for the New York National Guard to and from the site every day from Governors’ Island. Because off the service to New York and our Country I was honored with a 9/11 medal from the department of transportation NY Waterway was part of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) for NYC and transported people to and from Pier 90 to World trade Center. Several weeks after the tragedy we took the families of the lost to the site. We did approximately eight trips per day and I was part of 2-3 trips per day. I was down at ground zero every day for months on end. In December 2001 I was very ill due to pneumonia and subsequently bed ridden for 2 weeks. To date, I am disabled to due to several 9/11 related diseases.

My wife, Karina Norr and I live in Massapequa New York. I have two sons; Michael 20 and James 15.

Phone : 917-921-0731