Her Firefighter Dad Died on 9/11. At Her Wedding, the FDNY Showed They Never Forgot

“I know he was there with me.”

Sept. 5, 2025, 4:54 PM EDT / Source: TODAY

By Rachel Paula Abrahamson

"Kristin Schnacky was 3 years old when her father, Ken Marino, a New York City firefighter, was killed while responding to the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

"Her mother, Katrina, never remarried.

“I always thought I would just elope because I didn’t have a dad to walk me down the aisle,” Schnacky, 27, tells TODAY.com. "The thought of not having him there made me too sad."

"Then the Florida-based content creator became engaged to her boyfriend, singer Noah Schnacky, 28, and they visited Manhattan together.

“His body was never recovered, so when I’m in New York I feel his presence,” she says. "I remember looking at Noah and going, 'What if we do it here?"'

"It was an immediate yes.

"Choosing Manhattan for their wedding felt natural, a tribute to Marino and the Rescue 1 firefighters who carried his memory forward. Though Schnacky moved to Massachusetts with her mother, Katrina, and brother, Tyler, shortly after the 9/11 attacks, more than two decades later, the FDNY remains a steadfast presence in their lives, showing up for milestones.

"That bond came vividly to life in a now-viral TikTok video.

"In the video, Schnacky emerges from the Plaza Hotel, and the FDNY Rescue 1 firefighters, active and retired, stand lined up outside in uniform. The pride and emotion on their faces are unmistakable. Overwhelmed, Schnacky is moved to tears. The camera then shifts to her mom and Tyler, equally touched, reaching for one other as they take in the quiet tribute.

"I know my dad was smiling down, knowing I was taken care of,” Schnacky wrote.

"I did a school project on 9/11 back in history class grade 9. I did my presentation on your dad Kenneth Marino," one person shared in the comments.

"Added another, "The line of uncles that your daddy sent you and their big, proud grins… He was there, just in a different way."

"After Schnacky gathered herself, she was escorted to the venue in a firetruck, sirens blaring, as Marino’s FDNY jacket lay draped over an empty seat in his memory.

“I know he was there with me,” she says. “I could feel him the entire time.

"Schnacky’s husband, Noah read vows not only to her but also to Marino, promising among them to love “K-Cup,” as he affectionately calls her, the way her father would have.

"She is convinced her father had a hand in bringing Noah into her life. In 2020, an acquaintance urged her to visit a local church, offering few details. When she walked in, Noah was on stage, leading worship.

"Later, she learned that friend had dreamed that she and Noah would meet and fall in love, she says. “And we did.”