The FDNY held an emotional street naming ceremony in Queens on Wednesday honoring Capt. Alison Russo, a beloved medic who was murdered in a random stabbing attack outside her stationhouse just over a year ago.
Officials from the FDNY gathered alongside Russo’s family at Station 49 in Astoria to share stories about the “bravery, brilliance, leadership” she exhibited during a 24-year career bookended by front-lines responses to the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“For Captain Russo, the story will be one of bravery, of courage, of dedication,” FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh told the crowd of hundreds at the ceremony.
“The people she served in this community knew they were safe and protected with her in their streets, delivering a level of care that she would bring to her own friends and family,” she said.
Russo’s daughter, 41-year-old Danielle Fuoco, broke down in tears as “Taps” was played during the plaque dedication, and when bagpipes answered with a stirring rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
The ceremony then moved outside the station house to unveil the new name of 42nd Street between 19th and 20th Streets – “Captain Alison Russo Way.”
Russo was just six-months away from retiring when she stepped out for lunch on September 29, 2022, and encountered 36-year-old Peter Zisopoulos, who allegedly leapt on her and stabbed her 19 times in an unprovoked attack caught on camera.
The 61-year-old veteran EMT was known in the FDNY and the communities she served for her dedication to service and mentorship, her unwavering smile and the expertise she showed in the field again and again.
“Her legacy will be that of a witty leader, who led the members of Station 49 as they responded to thousands of patients fighting to stay alive during a once in a lifetime pandemic,” said FDNY Chief of EMS Operations Michael Fields.
“Her legacy is her bravery she showed as she responded to the World Trace Center attacks, her unwavering commitment to being the best of the best, and becoming one of the elite FDNY rescue medics. Her legacy will be the dozens of EMTs and paramedics she mentored,” Fields said.
“To Captain Alison Russo, the FDNY promises, that you will never be forgotten,” he concluded.
Russo joined the FDNY in 1998 as an EMT, and was one of the first responders to arrive at Ground Zero after the Twin Towers fell on 9/11.
After serving in numerous FDNY stations across New York City, she was promoted to lieutenant in 2016.
Russo was posthumously promoted to Captain.
Her alleged killer has pleaded not guilty to the slaying.
He was recently found mentally fit for trial after stints at the upstate Mid-Hudson Psychiatric Center.
