"When my daughter, Danielle, was born, I easily could have been the happiest man in the world. At that time, I never could have imagined that she would one day be ripped out of my life and legally kept away from me...this book is a testament of my love for my beautiful little girl, Danielle, with whom I often daydream of meeting again."--Anthony Gallo, Liberty Medal for Courage winner and author of A Father's Right

Liberty Medal for Courage winner Anthony Gallo (pictured above with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani) has written a book about his struggle to see his daughter--A Father's Right. Gallo says:

In the summer of 2003 I was riding the subway home [when]...I witnessed a woman being slashed. This guy...slashed her across her face as she sat there, and ran off the train...I chased him and...held him until the police arrived, getting cut on my wrist, he had a knife in each hand...I was awarded by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and was awarded the NY Post Liberty Medal for Courage [and] was...on the John Walsh Show. But all this really meant nothing to me, it was my daughter that I held most important...

To learn more about the book, go to www.amazon.com here. Below, Anthony tells part of his story. He can be reached at fathersright@yahoo.com.

From Anthony Gallo, author of A Father's Right

"What you will not read in the newspapers is that for the last six years I have been fighting through the family court system to be part of my daughter's life. The discrimination, incompetence, and ignorance is just unacceptable. I have done everything asked of me. Child Protective Services did six investigations of the accusations against me, yet still my daughter has been kept from me.

"I am on my sixth Judge. I have attended Parenting Classes, Single Fathers Classes, Drug Tests, Therapists, Forensic investigations, and so much more. I waited in a room downtown Manhattan every week, for months, hoping to see my daughter, and did not, even with a court order.

"In the summer of 2003 I was riding the subway home from installing an alarm system (I do this for a living in Manhattan) riding the Q train at Atlantic Ave I witnessed a woman being slashed. This guy walked up to this woman that was dressed as a nurse and just slashed her across her face as she sat there, and ran off the train. I immediately reacted just making it off the train myself before the doors closed. I chased him and was able to restrain him, and held him until the police arrived, getting cut on my wrist, he had a knife in each hand.

"I was awarded by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and was awarded the NY Post Liberty Medal for Courage 2003, and was even a guest on the John Walsh Show. But all this really meant nothing to me, it was my daughter that I held most important. I have tried to contact many people about my case and all its faults. I like to call them 'Red Flags' that make people aware of abuse, against the system. The courts have been doing this for a long time yet, they still can't get it right, because most of them are 'Pay Check Workers' and are not there for the 'Best Interests Of The Children.'

"So with all this attention I received for my 'heroism,' I just thought someone would look into the false allegations that were keeping my daughter and I apart. But no one seemed to care for me once my story broke out. Not the Mayor, who once shook my hand and said 'Good Job Mr. Gallo,' not even my own city councilman.

"One morning I decided to return the awards, back to the city that I love so much. I guess the discrimination was just too much for me to look at the awards--I do not need an award to know the kind of person that I am.

"I went to One Police Plaza and told the officers in the front that I found this bag filled with awards and medals on the subway and thought I should bring them here. When the officers looked into the bag they were shocked that someone could forget this. They asked me for I. D. and of course I could not show them because the awards had my name on them, I just did not want to explain to them why I was returning my awards. I have not heard from anyone about this action that I took.

"I see my daughter weekly now for one hour, if I am lucky, and I must pay for this, or I cannot see her. I also pay child support. I do not know where she lives or how she is doing in school. We play monopoly in hope of building a relationship again, but dealing with 'Pay Check Workers' can be very frustrating.

"I had asked to show my daughter a tape of myself getting awarded on the John Walsh Show, I even allowed them to view the tape beforehand so they could see that it would be rewarding for my daughter, and she could see how people stood and cheered for me. I thought it would build some trust, after her not seeing me for years. I was told 'no!'

"I feel the media is so quick to do that story on the 'Dead Beat Dad' or to 'Amber Alert' a dad just ran off with his child, but you never hear about the father who has been struggling just to see his child, paying with his blood, sweat and tears just so that his daughter would know her father.

"I miss her so much and I cry everyday. She will know that her Dad was a fighter, and I hope that it will help her cope with life."

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 12th, 2008 at 2:52 pm and is filed under Fathers' Rights/Noncustodial parents' rights, Heroism/Chivalry/Noble Acts. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.