On the morning of the attacks , Ganci 's best friend and executive assistant , Steve Mosiello , was going to drive Ganci to court , where Ganci had been scheduled for jury duty . Immediately after American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower ( 1 World Trade Center ) , however , Ganci , Mosiello , and Chief of Operations Danny Nigro rushed there from their command post in downtown Brooklyn . Driving there in Ganci 's car , they arrived on the scene in less than 10 minutes , and set up a command post on a ramp leading to a garage near the North Tower , in time to see United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower . According to '' Newsday '' , Ganci and others were in the basement of the South Tower when it collapsed , but they dug themselves out of the rubble that had caved in on them . Ganci ordered his men to set up a different command post in a safer location , further north of the buildings , and ordered Mosiello to acquire backup . However , Ganci himself returned to the buildings , coming to stand in front of 1 World Trade Center , where he was directing the rescue efforts with a multichannel radio , when the building collapsed . He and Mayor Rudy Giuliani had spoken just minutes before , when Giuliani had left for his command post , following Ganci 's instruction to Giuliani , the fire commissioners and others to clear the area because it was apparent the North Tower would fall . However , Ganci himself did not evacuate the area , saying , " I 'm not leaving my men " , and remained at that location with William Feehan , first deputy commissioner of the fire department
American Airlines Flight 11
American Airlines Flight 11
Peter J. Ganci Jr.