9/11 Families Laud the First Book to Chronicle the Behind the Scenes Story of the Building of the 9/11 Memorial

NEW YORK, October 28, 2011 -

“AN UNBROKEN BOND”: THE UNTOLD STORY OF HOW THE 658 CANTOR FITZGERALD FAMILIES FACED THE TRAGEDY OF 9/11 AND BEYOND LAUNCHES

Together with 9/11 families, Edie Lutnick, Executive Director of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, yesterday celebrated the launch of her book, “An Unbroken Bond: The Untold Story of How the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald Families Faced the Tragedy of 9/11 and Beyond.”

“An Unbroken Bond” exposes the obstacles the 9/11 families faced in dealing with politicians and bureaucrats as they struggled to rebuild their lives and ensure that a fitting memorial for the 9/11 victims was built at Ground Zero-a place where all Americans could honor the victims and connect to the 9/11 story.

“This is the 9/11 story the public does not know and deserves to know,” said Ms. Lutnick, whose brother Howard is Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald. Howard’s and Edie’s brother Gary perished in the 9/11 attacks.

Ms. Lutnick brings readers inside closed door meetings with elected and redevelopment officials like Mayor Bloomberg, leaders of the 9/11 Memorial Foundation, LMDC bureaucrats, memorial designers including Michael Arad among others. Following is a sampling of some of the behind the scenes commentary:

“I think the one thing that you have to remember is that you are not dignifying and respecting the lives that we have lost if you run roughshod over the people that they loved most in the world…  And that includes a bus depot below one of the Towers.”  (Pg 172)

“Before Michael Bloomberg took control of the WTC Memorial Foundation, the Executive Committee of this same board agreed to list the names the way the families wanted. Once he was in charge agreement was nullified.” (Pg 238)

Ms. Lutnick read an excerpt to nearly 250 guests and Howard Lutnick, Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P., introduced her, along with Clarence B. Jones, Co-author of “Behind The Dream: The Making of the Speech that Transformed a Nation.”

“An Unbroken Bond: The Untold Story of How the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald Families Faced the Tragedy of 9/11 and Beyond” (ISBN 9780983926603) can be purchased online at: www.cantorrelief.org, www.anunbrokenbond.com, and Amazon.com.  50% of the proceeds from the book will be donated to the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund.

About the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund:

Founded in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Relief Fund has raised and distributed $180 million to over 800 families and 932 children of the victims of that tragedy. The Relief Fund’s expanded scope has included such natural disasters as the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast, the tsunami of 2004, the Haiti earthquake and the recent events in Japan, as well as wounded members of our military. In addition, the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund supports a wide variety of other charitable organizations that provide assistance to those in need.

The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund is unique in that it often provides assistance directly to the people affected by these tragedies without intermediary or secondary organizational involvement: 100% of the money donated to the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund is disbursed directly to those in need or to other charitable organizations providing assistance to people in need. Cantor Fitzgerald Chairman and CEO Howard Lutnick and the partners of Cantor Fitzgerald underwrite all the expenses of the fund so that 100% of each and every dollar raised goes directly to supported causes.

Lana Raymin, Cantor Fitzgerald, +1-212-610-2314, lraymin at cantor.com