Jan 1, 2008 4:00 am US/Eastern
NYPD Officers Remember '82 New Year's Eve Bombings
Badly Injured Men Honored On 25th Anniversary Of Attacks
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Twenty-five years ago to the day, as a city was preparing to party, terrorists made their presence known with bombings at various areas of the city. While no one was killed, some of the city's finest were critically hurt. On Monday, they were honored.
The four bombs that struck at the heart of New York's law enforcement on New Year's Eve 1982 changed the lives of three city cops who each paid a heavy price.
"They put themselves directly in harms way to defeat a terrorist attack against the city," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
After a bomb went off at FBI headquarters, Det. Rocco Pascarella found a suspicious package at police headquarters.
"And as I was approaching it, I guess it went off," Pascarella said. "After that I had no recollection."
Pascarella lost vision in an eye, and part of a leg. Bomb squad members Anthony Senft and Richie Pastorella tried to defuse another device but it, too, went off, costing Senft vision in an eye.
"All I do remember is the explosion," Senft said. "After the explosion you don't remember anything."
Pastorella lost his right fingers, and vision in both eyes.
"The first few years, I had night terrors," Pastorella said. "I can remember walking up to it, approaching it, and waking up screaming in the middle of the night."
A fourth bomb went off at a courthouse in Brooklyn.
That same night, a terrorist group targeting New York City landmarks immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but they were never caught.
For their bravery 25 years ago, the trio was honored with the dedication of the visitors entrance to police headquarters.
"It's wonderful to be remembered by this phenomenal organization," Pastorella said.
The three detectives are retired from the streets but work with the city's self support group aimed at helping officers hurt in the line of duty.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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