| Name | Mariano Leoni |
| Agency | Evanston Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 26 to 30 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 7/22/1985 |
| Cause of Death | Contact/Exposure |
| Nature of Death | Burns |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Search and rescue operations |
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Evanston |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 7/22/1985 |
| Incident Location | Residential |
| Incident Attribute | Backdrafts , Fires |
On July 22, 1985, Firefighter Mariano “Marty” Leoni, Jr., of the Evanston Fire Department died in the line of duty while searching for a month-old baby during a residential fire.
Leoni was searching for the baby on the second floor of the house when he opened the door to a burning room. Leoni was fatally burned when the influx of oxygen to the flames created a backdraft explosion. Firefighters successfully rescued the baby from another room.
Funeral services for Leoni were held at St. Athanasius Catholic Church in Evanston on July 26, and he was interred at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines. Hundreds of firefighters attended his funeral service, and fire apparatus from seventy departments joined the funeral procession.
Citations:
Robert Enstad, “Firefighters pay final tribute to Marty Leoni Jr.,” Chicago Tribune, July 27, 1985.