IFLODD: Firefighter Memorial


Firefighter Record

Firefighter Details

Name Mariano Leoni
Agency Evanston Fire Department
Rank Firefighter
Type of Firefighter Career
Age Range 26 to 30
Sex Male
Date of Birth 0/0/0
Date of Death 7/22/1985
Cause of Death Contact/Exposure
Nature of Death Burns
Attribute of Death [not applicable]
Type of Duty Search and rescue operations

Incident Details

Incident Name N/A
Incident City Evanston
Incident State IL
Incident Date 7/22/1985
Incident Location Residential
Incident Attribute Backdrafts , Fires

Incident Summary

On July 22, 1985, Firefighter Mariano “Marty” Leoni, Jr., of the Evanston Fire Department died in the line of duty while searching for a month-old baby during a residential fire.

Leoni was searching for the baby on the second floor of the house when he opened the door to a burning room. Leoni was fatally burned when the influx of oxygen to the flames created a backdraft explosion. Firefighters successfully rescued the baby from another room.

Funeral services for Leoni were held at St. Athanasius Catholic Church in Evanston on July 26, and he was interred at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines. Hundreds of firefighters attended his funeral service, and fire apparatus from seventy departments joined the funeral procession.

Citations:

Robert Enstad, “Firefighters pay final tribute to Marty Leoni Jr.,” Chicago Tribune, July 27, 1985.


Firefighter and Incident Images

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Firefighter and Incident Audio

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