Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Ex-MLB pitcher-turned-Port Authority cop killed en route to 9/11 memorial ceremony
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Sep 11, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Justin K. Aller/Getty Images; Inset: Port Authority
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Sep 11, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A former Major League Baseball pitcher who retired to become a Port Authority police officer was killed on Sunday while driving to work at the September 11th memorial ceremony, authorities said.
Anthony Varvaro, a 37-year-old father of four, was fatally struck by a motorist driving the wrong way on the New Jersey Turnpike at 4:30 a.m., state police said. The wrong-way driver, Henry Plazas, was also killed in the crash.
A native of Staten Island, Varvaro spent six years as a professional baseball player, pitching for the Seattle Mariners, the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves confirmed his death on Twitter, noting that he was “en route to serve at the World Trade Center Command in commemoration of September 11, 2001 activities when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident.”
In 2016, Varvaro began a career in law enforcement, sitting for the Port Authority Police entrance exam just two days after pitching his final game, according to a profile published earlier this year by the American Police Beat.
He linked the unusual career change to growing up alongside 9/11 first responders on Staten Island. He worked as a Port Authority patrol officer for five years, much of it with the World Trade Center Command, before being transferred to an instructor role in the academy.
In a joint statement, Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole and Executive Director Rick Cotton described Varvaro as “the very best of this agency.”
“On this solemn occasion as the Port Authority mourns the loss of 84 employees in the attacks on the World Trade Center — including 37 members of the Port Authority Police Department — our grief only deepens today with the passing of Officer Varvaro,” the statement continued.
Varvaro also served as president of the Snug Harbor Little League. “Not only was Anthony the President he was a tremendous person,” the league wrote on social media.
Tagged
9/11
port authority
news
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man charged with hate crime at Jewish-owned bagel shop displaying Israeli flags
Prosecutors say the 22-year-old damaged property outside the Fresh Meadows shop twice in May.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 6:07 p.m. ET
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
News
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
High-ranking NYC officials to testify in ex-buildings boss Eric Ulrich's corruption trial
By
David Brand
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
By
Caroline Lewis
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .