By Michael O’Brien
Staten Island Advance
NEW YORK — A former South Shore Little League player turned hero firefighter is the star of ESPN’s latest E60 documentary.
“Living On: The Michael Cammarata Story” will highlight the life and legacy of Cammarata, a Staten Islander who was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He was the youngest FDNY firefighter to die in the line of duty.
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The 30-minute documentary debuted Aug. 19, the opening day of the Little League World Series and just weeks before the 25th anniversary of 9/11. The doc aired at 9 p.m. on ESPN, and streamed afterward on the ESPN App.
Cammarata was the starting right fielder for the South Shore Little League team that advanced to the U.S. championship game at the 1991 Little League World Series.
A decade later, Cammarata, then just 22 years old and a New York City firefighter, was among the 343 firefighters and nearly 3,000 people killed in the Sept. 11 attacks.
The documentary, produced and directed by Gus Pfisterer, featured interviews with Cammarata’s family, friends, former teammates and fellow firefighters, including his brother Joe, father Joseph, sister Kim and best friend James Corson.
Former MLB pitcher Jason Marquis, who was a teammate and friend of Cammarata, was also featured, along with former Little League International CEO Steve Keener, current CEO Patrick Wilson and Cammarata’s firehouse teammate Frank Campagna.
Cammarata’s legacy also lives on at the Little League World Series, where his No. 11 is the only retired number in tournament history.
The local hero’s story was also turned into a tribute video produced by the Little League World Series in 2024 and went on to be awarded an Emmy by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
The documentary will re-air Aug. 22 at 12 p.m. on ESPN before LLWS pregame coverage, while a shorter version will air as a “SportsCenter SC Featured” segment Aug. 23.
How to watch
If you’re a cord-cutter or don’t have cable, you can watch the tournament online via the ESPN streaming platforms — including ESPN+ and video highlights can be viewed on Little League’s social channels, as well as LittleLeague.org. They are also available to view on Sling TV.
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