Updated: Northport Reacts to bin Laden's Death

The street signs renamed in honor of 9/11 victims in various places in the Town of Huntington seemed even more poignant Monday morning than usual as the news of the death of Osama bin Laden spread throughout the community.

Mayor George Doll was emphatic, as well.

"It's just a tragedy that a situation like 9/11 took place in the first place," he said. "Now bin Laden got exactly what he deserves."

Northport resident Kevin O'Brien, a member of FDNY Ladder 123 in Brooklyn, said that he is happy for any emotional relief bin Laden's death gives to the families and loved ones of those lost but he wants to know why one of our alleged allies was sheltering him.

"It's great that U.S. Special Forces have caught this guy and killed this guy," he said. "But because Pakistan was sheltering him, they have to be held accountable. Listening and watching the news and finding out where this guys was living —supposedly in a palace compound and Pakistan — Pakistan has to be held responsible. They found him in the city where the Pakistan military academy is, so he was obviously being protected. As a country, we give millions to the Pakistan in the form of military aid. Something has to be done. It's not over. He's just one piece of the puzzle."

Almost 3,000 people were killed in terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Northport and East Northport alone lost nine residents: Daniel Smith II, Daniel Trant, Phil Hayes, Kevin Murphy, Ron Comer, Michael Duffy, Thomas Farrelly and Lorenzo Ramzey.

Members of local fire departments had strong feelings about Bin Laden's death, as well.

Chief John McKenna said while he is incredibly proud of the U.S. military and congratulated the Special Forces who took Bin Laden down, he said that America should still be wary of his loyalists and sympathizers.

"It was important to find Bin Laden to hold him accountable for his 20 plus years of crime. As we watched last night's and this morning's news we saw young Americans celebrating in the streets of Washington, DC and New York City. While the young dance and cheer, more senior Americans will cautiously watch for a possible retaliatory action from Bin Laden-like extremists," McKenna said. "His death cannot and does not afford a complete "closure" for the 9/11 families. But it does provide us all an opportunity to remember the tragic event and the loved ones lost. Osama bin Laden was an evil man and will surely not be missed. Along with thousands of innocent victims, first responder heroes gave their life on the 11th of September; and from toxic exposure many heroes have given their life since that day. Heroes in our United States' Armed Forces have also lost life, limb and spirit because of this terrorist and his ignorant followers.”

Northport resident Keri Line, who worked in the city at the time and lost many friends in the attacks, agreed."I'm gad he is dead, but it doesn't solve what is still happening in the world. The threat of terrorism does not die with him," she said.

Lt. Frank Giovinco, who recently organized a successful effort to bring a steel beam from the World Trade Center to his firehouse to be used as part of the department's annual memorial service, said Bin Laden deserved to die and he's glad it finally happened.

"Now there are two days I will never forget: 9/11/01 and 5/1/11,"  Giovinco said. "We must never forget the families of the almost 3.000 Americans murdered on September 11,2001 and God bless our military for giving bin Laden what he deserved."

Northport resident Brian Brenear, a clammer out on the docks early Monday morning, said bin Laden should have been killed a long time ago and he is skeptical that he is definitely dead now.

"There were opportunities to get him in the past. We were 600 yards away from him at one point but we didn't take him out. Why? Because we to have a reason to be in the Middle East so we didn't do it then. So now they got him? And they buried him at sea? Really? Why?”

Some news reports have said its an Islamic custom and that the U.S. soldiers have evidence in the form of photographs that are rather gruesome.

Northport Village Trustee Tom Kehoe was on board a packed American Airlines flight overnight Sunday headed to Brussels. He arrived at 2 a.m. EST. He said that the capture and killing of bin Laden didn't seem to have the same meaning to Belgians as it does to many Americans.

"As I turned on my Blackberry and it cycled to the new time zone and network, it started to buzz and vibrate as calls, e-mails and texts came in," Kehoe said. "The most startling texts that arrived while I was in the air were from my two sons, Tom and Matthew. Tom served two tours in Iraq, and Matt is getting ready to open a seafood restaurant in Montauk this summer. The two of them in separate texts to me were so excited over the news of Bin Laden. But as I rode to my hotel, I discussed bin Laden's death with the taxi driver, a local from Brussels. He said without much emotion or concern, ‘Oh, yes I heard about that.’

"The war on terrorism is a personal one to Americans, especially to those who either served Iraq, like my son Tom as well as to those with a personal connection to 9-11, like my son Matt. Matt lived a block away from the Empire State building on 9-11 and NYPD thought that maybe the Empire State Building was also a target. He was evacuated and had to walk out of Manhattan, over the Brooklyn Bridge with thousands of other who were made to leave the city that day. “

Kehoe said he had seen some of Obama's speech, but that there is one national elected official from whom he is particularly keen on hearing.

“Through my political involvement locally, I have been blessed to become friends with U.S. Rep. Pete King who heads the Congressional Committee on Homeland Security. I am anxious to hear his comments on all of today's events surrounding Bin Laden,” Kehoe said.

On his official website, U.S. Rep. Peter King, D-Seaford, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, heralded Osama bin Laden's death as a "magnificent victory for the United States and a devastating defeat for al-Qaida and international terrorism.

"The leader of the United States' top enemy has gotten what he deserves for orchestrating the deaths of nearly 3,000 innocent Americans on Sept. 11, 2001," King said.

He said he was informed of bin Laden's death at 10 p.m. Sunday night by Michael Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, just over an hour before President Barack Obama announced the news to the nation. King called the news the "most exhilarating moment of my life."

U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, D-Huntington, said he felt the families of the victims have “some justice” upon bin Laden’s death.  "This is a tremendous blow to al-Qaida's terrorist network. I am grateful to our armed forces and intelligence personnel who relentlessly hunted bin Laden over the years,” he said in a statement.