Joseph, 1991
Acrylic on canvas,
Joe Caracciolo, a Transit Ironworker foreman, delivered a baby on the IND ‘C’ train. He was going out to check a job at the Beach 98th Street subway station in Rockaway, Queens when the train stalled on the Broad Channel Bridge. He walked through the train with the motorman to see what was wrong. When he reached the last car, a woman had gone into labor and way saying “Help me.” Two teenage girls helped deliver the child and when the baby was born, Joe took off his shirt to wrap the baby. But the baby wasn’t breathing. Joe got the baby breathing and the motorman got the car back to the Howard Beach subway station where they were met by EMS. Joe suggested the mother name the baby ‘Charles’ for the C train. She said, “What is your name?” He said, “Joe.” She said, “We’re going to name the baby ‘Joseph’ after you.” And they did.
Acrylic on canvas,
Joe Caracciolo, a Transit Ironworker foreman, delivered a baby on the IND ‘C’ train. He was going out to check a job at the Beach 98th Street subway station in Rockaway, Queens when the train stalled on the Broad Channel Bridge. He walked through the train with the motorman to see what was wrong. When he reached the last car, a woman had gone into labor and way saying “Help me.” Two teenage girls helped deliver the child and when the baby was born, Joe took off his shirt to wrap the baby. But the baby wasn’t breathing. Joe got the baby breathing and the motorman got the car back to the Howard Beach subway station where they were met by EMS. Joe suggested the mother name the baby ‘Charles’ for the C train. She said, “What is your name?” He said, “Joe.” She said, “We’re going to name the baby ‘Joseph’ after you.” And they did.