RI DAILY

Manhattan's little, quieter island and beyond

Stories that matter, from the heart of the East River.

RI DAILY

Manhattan's little, quieter island and beyond

Reporting Roosevelt Island since sunrise.

Overcoming New York State resistance, one Roosevelt Islander made sure the community made a statement.

Notoriously hostile to genuine community engagement, RIOC denied Roosevelt Islanders any role in its 9/11 Tribute. But a determined Residents Association president Rossana Ceruzzi refused to be shunted aside. Ceruzzi placed flags around the 9/11 Memorial Tree, unassisted by RIOC....

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Notoriously hostile to genuine community engagement, RIOC denied Roosevelt Islanders any role in its 9/11 Tribute. But a determined Residents Association president Rossana Ceruzzi refused to be shunted aside.

Rossana Ceruzzi, RIRA’s president, arrived with a supply of flags. She was not greeted by the alleged Community Relations Team.

Ceruzzi placed flags around the 9/11 Memorial Tree, unassisted by RIOC.

Neither she nor any other resident was invited to participate in the official ceremony.

Ceruzzi took her place among the RIOC insiders, completing the Unsmiling Quartet, her flags tickled by a small breeze behind them.

More from the Roosevelt Island Daily

The Contractor RIOC Wasn’t Allowed to Remember

The Contractor RIOC Wasn’t Allowed to Remember

LiRo-Hill returned to RIOC’s panel despite earlier questions about its oversight. When directors challenged its inclusion, the explanation raised a new question about RIOC’s procurement rules.

Professor Lydia W. Tang recognized the name LiRo-Hill. During the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s September 10, 2026 board meeting, Chief Operating Officer Mary C. Cunneen presented eleven construction management firms recommended for contracts lasting up to six years.

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