Roll of Honor
Incident
Investigator Ryan Fortini died as the result of cancer that he developed following his assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.
Investigator Fortini was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the New York State Police for 16 years and medically retired in 2015.
September 11, 2001 - The Years After
Investigator Ryan D. Fortini was assigned to the search and recovery at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001. He was 24 years old that fall.
He died on January 1, 2020 - 18 years and 3 months later - of an illness contracted there. He was 42.
He is one of 599 officers honored here, and one of 38 at New York State Police.
The most recent of these deaths was October 24, 2025.
Officers who worked the search, rescue, and recovery at the World Trade Center site breathed contaminated air for weeks and months afterward. Many developed cancers and respiratory disease, and they have gone on dying of it ever since.
Seventy-two officers were killed on the morning itself. Hundreds more have died in the years that followed. They are honored here together, because the same attack killed them all. With some it simply took longer.
Survivors
He is survived by his fiancee, parents, brother, and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-34CDA50F- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Ryan. Claim this record.
Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Ryan is one person.
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Tributes
You walked into it and it took years to finish the job.
Investigator Fortini gave the New York State Police 16 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of New York. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Investigator Fortini.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Ryan D. Fortini served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Investigator Ryan D. Fortini is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.
In NY, 655 of 2,147 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 30.5% of this state's fallen. That is 30.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At New York State Police, 41 of 171 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 24% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ryan D. Fortini's cause is highlighted.
How Ryan D. Fortini Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Ryan D. Fortini is highlighted in Jan.
Incident Location
Military Service
Ryan D. Fortini served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Visit Ryan D. Fortini’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
170 officers from New York State Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
