The heroic story of Christopher Amoroso on 9/11

We will never forget the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11.

Yet, there’s one story that I can’t stop thinking about — the story of Port Authority Police Officer Christopher Amoroso.

Christopher Charles Amoroso was the kind of guy you could easily picture growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey — down to earth, with a love for the New York Yankees and an endless passion for sports like hockey, football, and baseball.

Chris came from a large family with four brothers and two sisters. History fascinated him, and one of his favorite pastimes was watching the History Channel with his daughter, Sophia Rose.

Loved his job

He worked hard, first as a route manager for Consolidated Dairies, then chasing his dream of becoming a police officer. After five and a half years of dedication, he entered the Port Authority Police Academy in 1999, graduating in January 2000, ready to serve with the same selflessness that would define his legacy.

Christopher loved his job, and on the morning of September 11, he was working a rotation that had him assigned to the World Trade Center that fateful day. He could have just as easily been assigned to Newark Airport, but fate had other plans.

Along with several colleagues, Christopher made his way from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown, arriving at the Twin Towers just moments before the second jet struck.

The last time anyone saw him, he was guiding a group of people to safety. Then, he raced back into the chaos.

Final moments

In his final moments, his heroism was immortalized by photographer Todd Maisel, who captured a powerful image of Christopher helping a woman to safety, with a brutal welt under his eye, before heading back to the towers.