Mike Colón Media

It’s 1995 and Joe Bonanno is 16 years into his FDNY. By this point a firefighter in Ladder 152, he’d been a chef for sometime and with some prodding from friends, finally put the finishing touches on a project he’d been sitting on: a healthy cookbook for firefighters.

Launching him into his 15-minutes of fame, the well tenured truckie’s book became a best selling sensation. Many New York City firefighters and police officers have other talents outside the job, but not many can say their talents became an overnight literary hit.

This was one of my favorite episodes and a fitting Volume 60 of The Best of The Bravest: Interviews With The FDNY’s Elite!

Outro Song: Huey Lewis & The News – Hip To Be Square (1986)