A Life Full of Spark: Honoring Frank Thomas "F.T." Aquilino ’97
To know Frank Thomas Aquilino, known simply as "F.T." to everyone who loved him, was to know a force of nature.
Vivacious, brilliant, loyal, and endlessly fun, F.T. had a rare gift for bringing people together, whether on York College of Pennsylvania’s campus or on the high-stakes trading floors of New York City.
When F.T. lost his life in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, he was serving as Vice President of the TradeSpark division and had just become the youngest partner at Cantor Fitzgerald at the age of 26. Yet, 25 years later, it is not just his extraordinary career trajectory that his family and Spartan alumni recall. It is his warmth, his visionary mind, his ingenuity, and the unforgettable mark he left on everyone who knew him.
Finding His “Best Self” at York College
Growing up on Staten Island, F.T. originally wanted to attend college close to home, but his father, Frank Aquilino, urged him to look a little further south and expand his horizons.
“I told him to spend six months there and see if he liked it. If you don’t, come back and go to college closer to home,” Frank remembers. “When he first moved to York, he’d call us every week, for about a month.”
But then, F.T. found his stride, building a vast, close-knit group of friends at York College. Frank chuckles, adding, “After that, we never heard from him again. He really found his footing.”
For his older sister, Tara Chiari, the decision to leave New York was transformative. “I think what stood out to him about York College was the location. The fact that it wasn't in a big city. It was a completely different experience from what he was used to, and I think he loved that,” Tara says.
“York College really helped him find his best self in terms of how he thinks, how he can get professional, and pursue a career. The school laid the foundation for him clearly.”
Starting out in Beard Hall, F.T.’s thick Staten Island accent, outgoing charm, and red Chevrolet Beretta with tinted windows quickly made him a fixture on campus. His fraternity brother and friend, Michael Libercci ’97, fondly recalls their late-night conversations over diner food.
“I remember he was one of the only guys who had a car, and he would drive everywhere,” Libercci remembers. “A number of times, we would stay up talking or go out to Penrose Diner and have late-night conversations. His maturity level and his character were above and beyond everybody there. He was mature beyond his years, really giving to his friends, loyal, and such a visionary in every element. He was a one-of-a-kind guy, really a gem.”
A Born Leader and Campus Innovator
F.T. was a brother of Lambda Chi Alpha (Kappa Psi Epsilon), living at the fraternity house and remembered as an "entrepreneur" within the chapter. But he didn't stop there. Wanting to bridge the gap between campus administration and the general student body, F.T. decided to run for Student Senate President, a role traditionally held by students who had worked their way up through the ranks for years.
Jennifer Harney Fimiani ’97, a nursing graduate who served alongside F.T. on the Senate, recalls his arrival as a refreshing disruption from the usual voices. “It was just a different group of people from a majority of the population, and so I think he wanted a voice to make it more applicable to people. He was very much a politician. When he was here, he certainly made an impression on people because he was not shy; he was not quiet. But he was focused and driven and fun.”
F.T.’s campaign was as inventive and energetic as he was. “Having ingenuity, F.T. borrowed a friend’s dog—a German shepherd—and he’d stand in front of the Student Union handing out lollipops to everybody saying, ‘Vote for me!’ and he won!” his father, Frank, recalls with a smile.
Libercci helped paint sheets and hand out campaign buttons for F.T.’s run.
“He said he wanted to make a change. He was a practical guy, always an innovator. There was something about student life and the connections of the school... he said, ‘Listen, I bet I can become the student president, and I bet I can make a difference.’ And I believe he actually did.”
As President, F.T. advocated passionately for his peers. “F.T. really loved his time as president,” Frank Aquilino reflects. “He got to speak with the Board of Trustees and voice his support or non-support for certain things that affected the students. He had a really fun side, but also a very serious side when he had to.”
Libercci agrees: “He took it very seriously. He was always going to meetings and meeting with [Student Affairs leadership] at the time. He was not a mail-in guy. On anything he did, he never mailed it in. He was always present.”
The Ripple Effect of a Single Spark
F.T. possessed a unique magnetic quality that impacted people, even those who only crossed paths with him from time to time. Scott Sawicki ’94 lived in the dorm room directly below F.T. during their college years.
“I would hear things bouncing on the floor. I got annoyed and knocked on their door to keep it down, and ended up playing games with them,” Sawicki remembers. During that impromptu meeting, F.T. introduced Scott to an ice-breaker guessing game called Snaps is the Name of the Game.
“I had never heard of this game before, but it stuck with me,” Sawicki says. Decades later, Sawicki still teaches the game to friends and colleagues. “We didn’t keep in touch after college, but it’s kind of like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. How one person captures and changes someone’s life, how his memory touches so many different people in so many ways. Every single year when they read the names on TV, I wait to hear his name. Or when I go to the 9/11 Memorial in New York, I look for his name and say a prayer.”
A Visionary Ahead of His Time
After graduating from York College with an accounting degree in 1997, F.T. brought his signature drive to Lower Manhattan, where he landed at Cantor Fitzgerald. Passing his series of rigorous financial and accounting exams was a breeze, something F.T. credited directly to his preparation at York College, according to his father. His rise was meteoric, becoming the youngest partner at the firm.
Yet F.T.’s creative spirit extended far beyond finance. He was always building, inventing, and looking toward the future.
“He was so creative, so far ahead of his time,” says his sister, Tara. “From when he was little, thinking of ways to construct things, like tree houses, and taking it to another level, other than playing with blankets and pillows. When he passed, he was working to start a business called UBetWhat.com, which is only now starting to show up in the marketplace. He wasn’t able to launch it, but the concept of what he had envisioned is now starting to come through in other sites.”
Above all, F.T.'s drive was balanced by an overflowing heart. “He was always confident, kind, caring, and compassionate,” Tara shares. “He never hesitated to go out of his way to help his friends, his sister, his parents. So as much as he was a go-getter and focused on success, he was always there for the people around him.”
Keeping the Spirit Alive
For the Aquilino family, including F.T.'s parents, his sister Tara, his younger sister Jill, and his extensive network of friends, F.T.’s presence remains vibrant and enduring.
His legacy lives on directly through the Frank Thomas Aquilino Memorial Scholarship, established by his loved ones at York College. The scholarship ensures that future generations of Spartans receive support in pursuing their dreams, carrying forward F.T.'s visionary drive, ambition, and spirit of leadership.
“We keep his legacy alive,” Tara says. “We make sure [our kids] know who he is and that we say his name and we recognize and see his spirit around us. He is just always front of mind. When we have happy days and wonderful family experiences, when we do big family trips together— we always talk about F.T. We feel him around us. It’s kind of amazing.”
F.T. Aquilino lived life at full volume, leaving a legacy of leadership, loyalty, laughter, and vision. For the York College community, he remains a shining example of what it means to lead with heart, dream without limits, and touch the lives of everyone along the way.
