Over $70K Raised For LI Firefighter Who Lost Home In Blaze: ICYMI

Editor's note: This article was originally published on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.

GREAT NECK, NY — An online fundraiser has raised nearly $75,000 for a Great Neck firefighter who recently lost his home in a fire.

On the evening of Dec. 30, a large blaze ripped through a three-story apartment building at 15 Clent Rd., displacing multiple residents and leaving at least three injured.

Brian Levings — a member of the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department for over 50 years — and his wife, Jill, escaped without injury. But their belongings and two cats didn't make it, according to a fire department official.

In the wake of this tragedy, MLFD's Company 4 Capt. Anthony Dilluvio and 1st Lt. Christopher Kopel have launched a GoFundMe page to help the Levings in their time of need.

The donations quickly began to pour in. And in a span of six weeks, they've raised $73,629 of their $75,000 goal. Fire officials say the money will help cover the couple's living expenses and insurance costs.

"When it first happened, every member of the department was reaching out to me," Dilluvio said in an interview with Patch. "Everyone had the same idea at once at Company 4. It's a brotherhood there."

Sharing that sentiment, Kopel said being part of the fire department is like being part of a big family.

"When one of us falls on hard times, the rest of us are there to pick them back up," he explained.

Organized in 1926, MLFD's Company 4 is located at 97 Jayson Ave. in Great Neck. The Tudor-style firehouse is one of two ladder companies in the department and covers the communities of University Gardens, Russell Gardens, Lake Success, North New Hyde Park, and portions of the unincorporated areas of Great Neck, as well as Thomaston.

Levings, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who fought in Vietnam, has been a member of MLFD for more than 50 years — but only joined Company 4 about 12 years ago.

"Levings is a bull. The guy's a Marine. He's a tank," Dilluvio, who has worked with Levings since 2009, said. "If this (fire) happened to anybody it would be absolutely horrible. But some people could handle it better than others. And that's definitely Brian."

3rd Deputy Chief Joe Antonelli described Levings as "a lovable guy" who has "really commanded the respect of pretty much everybody at the department."

Since the fire destroyed the Levings' home, the couple has been living in a Great Neck hotel.

"We went to the store, like TJ Maxx, and got him some stuff," Dilluvio said. "We're just calling him constantly and — whatever he needs — I told him my phone is on 24/7 and that he can call me anytime."

Even knowing how much the community cares about the Levings family, Kopel said members of Company 4 were stunned to see how much support they've received from all over.

The largest donation they got was $6,200 from the Plandome Fire Department.

"We started the GoFundMe to help Brian and Jill offset some expenses and hardships of losing their home and personal belongings," Kopel said. "We never imagined the amount of support we've received from all over and we are forever grateful."