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Family, Sports, Firefighting

Joseph Agnello was a firefighter with Ladder Company 118 in Brooklyn Heights with a 36th birthday coming up in October. But he was not a man who was defined by his job — he was a guy who loved his kids, his dogs, his life.

"People on my block didn't know my husband was a fireman," said his wife, Vinnie Carla Agnello. "He never need to talk about himself or the job. He wasn't the type of person who needed attention."

Mr. Agnello loved to spend time with Chelsea and Durante, the boxers he and his wife doted on before their sons Salvatore, who is just 3, and Vincent, 19 months, came along.

"Those dogs have been all over the country with us," Mrs. Agnello said.

But he was also into boogie boarding with his wife in the summer, skiing and snowboarding with a small group of friends in the winter.

"We spent some time together on the slopes," said Anthony Carbone, a firefighter who met Mr. Agnello at Ladder Company 118 eight years ago. "He turned into a pretty good skier, but then he felt it was time to move on to snowboarding. He was a quiet, very confident and very determined guy."

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on November 27, 2001.