By Hank Russell
On the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law a pair of bills introduced by local state legislators.
Hochul has signed legislation to extend accidental disability retirement benefits to the family of Suffolk County Deputy Sheriff Richard Stueber, a 9/11 first responder who participated in World Trade Center rescue, recovery and cleanup operations.
The bill, sponsored by state Senator Monica R. Martinez (D-Brentwood) and Assemblymember Joe DeStefano (R-Medford), provides Stueber’s surviving spouse with the 75% accidental disability retirement benefits he earned through his service.
“For responders of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the pain of that day has never faded, nor have the physical and emotional burdens they’ve carried in the years since,” Martinez said. “Deputy Sheriff Richard Stueber served with honor at Ground Zero, but the toll of that commitment was the loss of his life and a financial hardship left to his family. I thank Gov. Hochul for signing this legislation to provide Stacie Stueber with the benefits her husband earned through his service and sacrifice.”
Stueber served as a New York City Police Department officer from 1996 to 2002 and as a Suffolk County Deputy Sheriff from 2002 to 2019. He developed severe health complications tied to his service at the World Trade Center site, was accepted into the Zadroga World Trade Center Program, and became permanently disabled as a result. While he was awarded a 75% 9/11 accidental disability retirement by the New York State and Local Retirement System in 2020, he was ultimately ruled ineligible for the benefits due to a technical change in the law. He died in December 2024 before the error was able to be corrected.
Deputy Sheriff Stueber is survived by his wife of more than 25 years, Stacie, and their four children: Richard (RJ), Robert, Delanie and Ryan.
“Today’s bill signing is about justice, compassion, and keeping faith with those who answered the call after 9/11. Deputy Sheriff Stueber gave everything he had to his community and his country, and this law ensures that his family will finally receive the benefits he earned,” DeStefano said. “This legislation is a promise kept — that New York will not forget its 9/11 heroes. It is a pledge to the Stueber family and to all first responders that their service and sacrifice will always be honored.”
Hochul also signed into law legislation sponsored by Martinez and Assemblyman Michael Durso (R-Massapequa Park) that renames the Route 231 Bridge over the Southern State Parkway in North Babylon in honor of fallen September 11, 2001 responder Port Authority Detective Thomas M. Inman. The bill passed both houses of the state legislature earlier this year. The legislation dedicating the bridge was signed on the 24th anniversary of the attacks.
Inman was a Vietnam veteran and a decorated member of the Port Authority Police Department, where he served for more than three decades. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, he worked 15 months at Ground Zero and in the morgue, helping to recover remains and bring closure to grieving families. He later developed cancer tied to his work at the Ground Zero site and died in 2020.
“Detective Thomas M. Inman’s career was defined by bravery, dedication, and unwavering service to our community,” Durso said. “Let this dedication ensure his legacy of service may never be forgotten.”
“Port Authority Detective Thomas M. Inman’s life was defined by his service to our nation, his neighbors, and all New Yorkers,” Martinez added. “That service ultimately claimed his life due to cancer linked to his work at Ground Zero following the September 11th attacks. Today, his legacy stands as a tribute to his strength, courage, and compassion during those darkest days and I thank Gov. Hochul for signing this legislation to ensure Detective Inman’s name and sacrifice are forever remembered.”
Leonard Marone, President of the Port Authority Detectives Endowment Association, said, “This dedication ensures that Detective Inman’s heroism will never be forgotten. His actions exemplify the sacrifice and strength of our law enforcement community.”
Inman served in the U.S. Army at age 17 before joining the Port Authority Police Department, where he rose to the rank of detective. He retired in 2003 after 32 years of service. He is survived by his wife Diane, his partner of 50 years, as well as nieces, nephews, extended family, friends, and former colleagues.
The September 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people, including 72 law enforcement officers and 343 members of the New York City Fire Department. Thousands more first responders later suffered illnesses caused by exposure to toxic debris at Ground Zero.
A dedication ceremony for the Port Authority Detective Thomas M. Inman Memorial Bridge will be held at a later date, in conjunction with the installation of signage by the New York State Department of Transportation.