StoryCorps 9/11: Arlene Sullivan and Norene Schneider

From: StoryCorps
Series: StoryCorps
Length: 01:25

Arlene Sullivan remembers her son, Tommy Sullivan, in an interview with her daughter Norene Schneider. Tommy was killed in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: StoryCorps 9/11: Arlene Sullivan and Norene Schneider
From: StoryCorps

Schneider_small Tommy Sullivan was a stockbroker at Harvey Young and Yurman. On Sept. 11, 2001, he was having his weekly breakfast at Windows on the World when the terrorist attacks began. Recently, Sullivan's mother, Arlene Sullivan, and sister, Norene Schneider, discussed what Tommy was like as a little boy. When he died, Tommy Sullivan, who was 38, also left a wife and two sons.

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Piece Description

Tommy Sullivan was a stockbroker at Harvey Young and Yurman. On Sept. 11, 2001, he was having his weekly breakfast at Windows on the World when the terrorist attacks began. Recently, Sullivan's mother, Arlene Sullivan, and sister, Norene Schneider, discussed what Tommy was like as a little boy. When he died, Tommy Sullivan, who was 38, also left a wife and two sons.

Broadcast History

NPR's Morning Edition 9/8/06

Transcript

Arlene Sullivan: He was always very smart, very bright boy. When he was
five, we went into a candy store one day and the man had a sign:
'Pretzels - 2 cents each or 2 for 5 cents.' And he said to the man,
'That sign's not right, mister.' He said, 'It's 2 cents each or 3 for 5
cents.' So the man said, 'My sign's not wrong.' And Tommy said, 'Well
then I want one for 2 cents and another one for 2 cents.' He didn't
wanna give him that extra penny. So maybe--maybe he was cut out for
finance even at that age.

Norene Schneider: Yeah I think Daddy probably said, 'Yeah, my boy's
going to Wall Street.'

AS: But I think the big thing was with Tommy was his first summer job
when he was 13. Dad worked for the first discount brokerage house, and
the broker said 'We need somebody to come take lunch orders for us.' And
that person turned out to be Tommy. And the brokers used to say, 'My
gosh, this kid...
Read the full transcript