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CNN Live Today

Polish Immigrant Has Left Life Savings to City of New York

Aired March 25, 2002 - 11:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We all responded in our own personal ways to the September 11 attacks, but to honor the victims in that attack, a Polish immigrant has left his life savings to the City of New York. Minnesota handyman, Joe Temeczko, well, he died a month after the terror attacks and three weeks after changing his will at that, he managed to squirrel away $1 million over his 86 years. And his attorney, William Wangensteen, joins us from Minneapolis, and in New York, Jonathan Greenspun, well, he works with the city's mayor's community assistance program -- good morning to both of you.

WILLIAM WANGENSTEEN, DONOR'S ATTORNEY: Good morning.

JONATHAN GREENSPUN, N.Y. MAYOR'S OFFICE: Good morning.

LIN: We love this story. We love this story. Bill, I'm going to start with you about your client.

WANGENSTEEN: Sure.

LIN: When he first told you, and I understand he had done some work for you as handyman, and you guys became friends. But when he first told you what he wanted to do after the September 11 attacks, what did you think? What did you say to your client?

WANGENSTEEN: Well, he had called a few days before he came over to my house, and he had been mulling over for several weeks what he was going to do. He wanted to change his will, but he wasn't sure who his devisees were going to be. He had done several wills with me naming various charities. But he gave a call about a week after the World Trade disaster. And without saying what he was going to do that point, he said, "I have decided what I am going to provide in my will, and I think you are going to be very pleased with it, and I'd like to come over and talk to you about it."

So he came over to my house and told me that he wanted to leave everything to the City of New York to honor those who had perished in the World Trade disaster. And I thought, gee, that's just the most wonderful thing. It is so timely. It's a very heart- warming gesture, and I knew he had a great fondness for New York. He had come through Ellis Island in the '50s. He had done work on the Statue of Liberty edifice and had been commemorated for that, and...

LIN: But my god, his life savings. It was really a scene in your office too the day you all signed the papers to make it official. WANGENSTEEN: Well, yes, he actually was in my home, but he came over and signed the will. And then he was just beaming, and he went around and hugged everybody. And he said, "Should we call Mayor Giuliani?" And I said, well, Joe, I think that might be a little premature. And he was pretty much...

LIN: He was still alive.

WANGENSTEEN: ... he was -- well, and he was pretty much the picture of health. He came over to my house a week later and took down all of our screens and put up the storm windows for the winter. So I mean, he was not ailing by any means...

LIN: Right.

WANGENSTEEN: ... even though he was 86 years old.

LIN: But a couple weeks later, he did pass away. And when the city of New York -- and this is where you come in, Jonathan, when the city of New York was notified, Bill -- OK, if I was the mayor of the city, I would be utterly overwhelmed. I would pick up the phone and I would call and say, my god, thank you very much. What happened?

GREENSPUN: Well, I think what happened was you had a city that obviously going through a very, very traumatic period. But with that trauma you also had the entire country and indeed most of the world opening up their pockets and their love and their charity. And I think what probably happened was that someone took a quick read of the letter and actually forwarded it on based on how they had been instructed, namely to send it to a law firm that was handling charitable contributions for the Twin Towers Fund, which was set up by former Mayor Giuliani. So...

LIN: Oh, so it sort of got lost in the shuffle in...

(CROSSTALK)

GREENSPUN: I think it got lost. Yes, I think it got lost in the shuffle, and I think the important thing to keep in mind is, is that we in New York are so eager to tell this incredible story. It may not have been told as early as all of us would have liked, but we are very, very grateful that we are able to tell this story, which is really incredible when you think about it. That a man, who of very meager means or at least perceived to be that way...

LIN: Right.

GREENSPUN: ... would, in fact, leave his entire estate to the city of New York. And words can't demonstrate just how truly grateful we are for that.

LIN: Bill, where does a handyman get $1 million in assets? Does anybody know where he got his money from?

WANGENSTEEN: Well, no, and I certainly didn't. When I first met him, I wouldn't have thought he had much of anything. I knew he owned his own home and he had a car, but to look at him, he always dressed in work clothes, and he didn't look like he had any money. And it wasn't until just a couple months -- few months before he passed away that I learned from a local bank that he had a substantial amount of money in savings. And where he earned it, I never questioned him, because he was very closed-mouthed about his personal affairs.

LIN: And apparently very good at what he did, because he made a lot of friends along the way. All right. So the city of New York gets $1 million. Jonathan, what are you going to do with the money?

GREENSPUN: Oh, well, in order to respect Mr. Temeczko's wishes, the will clearly states that this money will be used as deemed appropriate between the mayor's office and city council. And we have already begun some informal negotiations with the city council to sit down and to discuss how best to use this money. I think on behalf of the mayor's office, we probably want it make sure we spread this money out as best as possible, not necessarily giving it to one lump sum charity. But at the same time, working together with the city council to benefit New Yorkers and benefit those as Mr. Wangensteen had mentioned earlier in the interview, to benefit who have suffered so much from 9/11.

LIN: Yes. Well, Jonathan, you know, when the probate judge, according to "The New York Times," when the probate judge heard the instructions he said, "For the record, obviously Joe Temeczko has never seen New York City politics, now, has he?" He has given you a lot of trust of what you do with that money.

GREENSPUN: Well, we agree once in a while, and we will agree this time as well. I think that all of us want to make sure that we honor his memory and take what is just an...

LIN: Yes.

GREENSPUN: ... incredibly generous gift and make sure that it is put to good use.

LIN: You bet. All right. We will be keeping an eye on that story. Thank you both so much -- Bill Wangensteen, Jonathan Greenspun.

GREENSPUN: Thank you for having me.

WANGENSTEEN: Thank you.

LIN: It's really good to hear he had a big heart and a big wallet.

GREENSPUN: Thank you.

LIN: Hats off to Joe Temeczko.

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