Englishtown Fire Chief Lou Sarti said the death of long-time firefighter Pasquale "Pete the Pepper" DiBenedetto on Thursday has left a big hole in the close-knit volunteer department in Monmouth County.
"It's a very big loss," Sarti said of the 47-year veteran of the department. "It's a hole I don't know if we'll be able to fill. We'll never have another Pepper." DiBenedetto, 68, died after suffering a medical emergency Tuesday morning, hours after responding to a carbon monoxide alarm along with others in the department. Sarti said the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety has declared it a line-of-duty death because the medical emergency occurred within 24 hours of a call response.