There are so many former Mets players whose personal stories have gone sideways. It’s nice to be able read about someone being a good guy and giving back. Here are some excerpts from a Daily News profile of John Franco
(Rusty) Staub founded the New York Police and Fire Widow’s and Children’s Benefit Fund Foundation, Inc. in 1986, raising more than $150 million for the families of first responders killed in the line of duty.
“That’s one of the reasons I really got involved in a lot of charities,” said Franco. “I saw what Rusty did, and I helped Rusty out so much. Rusty was very influential to me in getting involved with the community.”
“He was there when we were working on the pile,” recalled ex-FDNY Commissioner Sal Cassano of Franco’s visits to Ground Zero. “And it did not end on 9/11. He didn’t do a drive by. His father was a blue-collar guy, and he’s a regular guy. He identifies with us for sure.”