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Chief

James A. Romito

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department — Jersey City, NJ

September 11, 2001 → Felonious

End of Watch September 11, 2001

Age 51

Tour of Duty 30 yrs

The Vigil Panel 331 · Column 3 · Line 6 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 2 Also Remembered Department 59

Incident

Chief James Romito was killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks while attempting to rescue the victims trapped in the World Trade Center.

He had been employed with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, NY for 30 years.

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, seventy-two officers from a total of eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed when terrorist hijackers working for the al Qaeda terrorist network, headed by Osama bin Laden, crashed four hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

After the impact of the first plane into the World Trade Center's North Tower, putting the safety of others before their own, law enforcement officers along with fire and EMS personnel, rushed to the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to aid the victims and lead them to safety. Due to their quick actions, it is estimated that over 25,000 people were saved.

As the evacuation continued, the South Tower unexpectedly collapsed as a result of the intense fire caused by the impact. The North Tower collapsed a short time later. Seventy-two law enforcement officers, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department, and over 2,800 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center site on 9/11.

A third hijacked plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania when the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane. One law enforcement officer, who was a passenger on the plane, was killed in that crash.

The fourth hijacked plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing almost 200 military and civilian personnel. No law enforcement officers were killed at the Pentagon on 9/11.

The terrorist attacks resulted in the declaration of war against the Taliban regime, the illegal rulers of Afghanistan, and the al Qaeda terrorist network which also was based in Afghanistan.

On September 9th, 2005, all of the public safety officers killed on September 11th, 2001, were posthumously awarded the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor by President George W. Bush.

The contamination in the air at the World Trade Center site caused many rescue personnel to become extremely ill and eventually led to the death of several rescue workers.

On May 1st, 2011, members of the United States military conducted a raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden.

Please click here to visit the memorials of all of the law enforcement officers who have died as a result of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.

September 11, 2001

Chief James A. Romito was killed at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. He was 51 years old.

He is one of 71 officers honored here, and one of 37 at Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department.

Seventy-two law enforcement officers from eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001, alongside 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and more than 2,800 civilians. A fourth aircraft went down in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a law enforcement officer aboard was among the dead.

Officers went into the towers while everyone else was coming out. More than 25,000 people reached safety because they did.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: September 21, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at requiem.nw. One record, 2 gates. James is one person.

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Tributes

You went in while everyone else was coming out.
Chief Romito gave the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department 30 years.
Thank you for your service to the Jersey City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief Romito.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Jersey City, NJ

Platform Identity panynjpd.hudson.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 11, 2001

Tour of Duty 30 yrs

Age 51

Gender Male

Born The Bronx, New York

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Terrorist attack

Weapon Aircraft; Passenger jet

The Sacrifice · Felonious

James is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 2001, 158 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 23rd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

James was 51. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. James had served 30 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was aircraft; passenger jet, in 0.5% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded