Memorial Unveiled for Stephen Livecchi at College Point Depot
All work at the sprawling College Point MTA bus depot came to halt at 10:30 a.m. this morning (Thursday, March 28th) in a solemn tribute to veteran Maintainer Helper Stephen Livecchi, who was killed on the job as he was directing bus traffic one year ago on March 27, 2018. Brother Livecchi had worked at the Depot for 37 years.
Many of the depot’s workers, from both transportation and maintenance, gathered for the unveiling of an engraved memorial to the fallen transit worker, near the entrance to the facility on 28th Avenue.
Livecchi’s wife, Donna, surrounded by union officers, MTA officials and scores of Local 100 members, sobbed quietly as a lone piper from the NYC Transit Pipe and Drum band, Tom Gervin from Gun Hill Depot, played a soulful ballad.
Local 100 President Tony Utano, Administrative Vice President Nelson Rivera, Vice President Peter Rosconi, and MTA Bus Division and Depot officers attended, along with Darryl Irick, President of the MTA Bus Company and George Menduina, Vice President of MTA Facilities. President Utano offered comforting words as he addressed the family. “TWU will always be here for you. You are part of the TWU family,” said Utano. “And it’s a big family.” Utano also said that the memorial would ensure that “Stephen Livecchi will never be forgotten.” He said that new workers coming on the job would pass by the memorial every day as they arrive at work, and ask “what happened here; what is this all about?” Utano said that they would be told the story and “be reminded just how dangerous our jobs are.”
The MTA’s Menduina said that he was at College Point the day of the tragedy in March 2018. “out of this tragedy came some good,” said Menduina. “The MTA, working with the union, has developed new safety protocols for bus movement not only at College Point depot but at every MTA bus facility throughout the city.” NYC Transit Police Officer J.W. Cortez closed the ceremony with a beautiful rendition of “God Bless America.”