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These are the victims who have been identified in the Florida condo collapse

These are the victims who have been identified in the Florida condo collapse
ARE STILL MISSING. ONE OF THE PEOPLE KILLED IN THE COLLAPSE WAS AN 80-YEAR-OLD WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND IN THE RUBBLE. SHE HAD BEEN THERE FOR 10 YEA.RS HER GRANDSON SAT DOWN WITH JOIESS CARBONARE TO TALK ABOUT THE TRAGIC LOSS. JOSSIE: THE RAMSEY FAMILY CONTINUES TO MOURN THEIR BELOVED 80-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER, WHO WAS ON THE NTHIN FLOOR AT THE CHAMPLAIN TOWERS SOUTH WHEN IT COLLAPSED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. >> BUT NOW IT’S DEFINITELY A LOT MORE PEACE KNOWING TTHA, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HOPING IT WAS QUICK, PAINLESS, AND NOW SHE’S IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE. JOSS:IE WEEKEND HALF LATER, SEARCH-ANDES-RCUE TEAMSRO FM ACROSS THE COUNTRY WORK TOGETHER AND GO THROUGH THE RUBBLE LAYER BY LAYER AND RAMSEY SAY THE TREMENDOUS AMOTUN OF PROGRESS MADE IS -- >> I THINK IT IS REALLY HELPING KIND OF SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF FINDING PEOPLE. JOSSIE: DO YOU FEEL THA’'S WHAT HELP FIND YOUR GRANDMOTHER? >> 100% WE ARE THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND HER BODY INTACT. BECAUSE THAT ALREADY IS A WHOLE LOT. JOSS:IE CHRISTOPHER RAMSEY SAYS WHILE EMOTIONS ARE HIGH WHILE THEYLA PN HER FUNERAL, HE IS CLINGING TO THE POSITIVE MEMORIES OF HIS GRANDMOTHER. >> SHE WAS DEFINITELY A STRONG WOMAN, SHE ALWAYS DID WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS RIGHT. SO I ONLY PEHO THAT I CAN CARRY THOSE SAME VALUES THRGH MYOU LIFE AND WITH MY FAMILY. JO
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These are the victims who have been identified in the Florida condo collapse
The mayor of Miami-Dade County says 97 people are confirmed dead from the building collapse in Surfside, Florida.The identified victims, in alphabetical order, include: Ingrid Ainsworth, 66; Tzvi Ainsworth, 68; Michael David Altman, 50; Luis F. Barth Tobar, 51; Valeria Barth, 14; Deborah Berezdivin, 21; Luis Bermudez, 26; Claudio Bonnefoy, 85; Maria Obias-Bonnefoy, 69; Moises Rodan Brief, 28; Andrea Cattarossi, 56; Gino Cattatarossi, 89; Graciela Cattarossi, 86; Graciela Cattarossi, 48; Gary Cohen, 58; Magaly Elena Delgado, 80; Christina Beatriz Elvira, 74; Bonnie Epstein, 56; David Epstein, 58; Stacie Dawn Fang, 54; Francis Fernandez, 67; Andreas Giannitsopoulos, 21; Emma Guara, 4; Lucia Guara, 10; Marcus Joseph Guara, 52; Miguel Leonardo Kaufman, 65; Frank Kleiman, 55; Jay Kleiman, 52; Nancy Kress Levin, 76; Andres Levine, 26; Antonio Lozano, 83; Gladys Lozano, 79; Manuel LaFont, 54; Gloria Machado, 71; Ruslan Manashirov, 36; Juan Alberto Mora, 80; Juan Alberto Mora Jr., 32; Luis Lopez Moreira III, 3; Sophia Lopez Moreira, 36; Ilan Naibryf, 21; Hilda Noriega, 92; Maria Notkin, 81; Leon Oliwkowicz, 80; Anna Ortiz, 46; Aishani Gia Patel, 1; Bhavna Patel, 36; Vishai Patel, 42; Michelle Anna Pazos, 23; Luis Pettengill, 36; Mihai Radulescu, 82; Anaely Rodriguez, 42; Harold Rosenberg, 52; Maria Teresa Rovirosa, 58; Rosa Saez, 70; Simon Segal, 80; Gonzalo Torre, 81; Mercedes Fuentes Urgelles, 61; Raymond Urgelles, 61; Angela Velasquez, 60; Leidy Vanessa Luna Villalba, 23 and Benny Weisz, 31.Three victims — a 7-year-old girl, a 5-year-old and a 44-year-old — are not being publicly identified per the family's requests.Anna Ortiz, 46; Luis Bermudez Jr., 26; Frank Kleiman, 55Luis Bermúdez and his mother, Anna Ortiz, were confirmed as victims of the collapse on Sunday. Nicole Ortiz described her big sister, Anna, as her "protector" and "a great mom" who gave her son — who had muscular dystrophy — "the best days of his life.""They were all happy," she said of Anna Ortiz, Bermúdez and Kleiman.Bermúdez studied graphic design and created a t-shirt line called Saucy Boyz Clothing.A tag on one of his shirts reads: "Despite the poor mobility of my hands and fingers because of my muscular dystrophy — I have achieved my dream because of my attitude.""There are no limits," the tag says. "The perspective with which you look at things, at life and at the world, can be the key to you success."His father and Anna Ortiz's former partner, Luis Bermúdez, remembered his son on a Facebook post."Luiyo of my life, I miss you with every beat of my heart. I know you are with your mom in heaven, resting in peace and without any obstacles, you are free," Luis Bermúdez wrote of his son.Frank Kleiman, who Luis Bermúdez identified as Ortiz's current partner, was also identified by authorities as a victim of the collapse. His brother, Jay Kleiman, and their mother are unaccounted for.Stacie Dawn Fang, 54Stacie Dawn Fang died of blunt force trauma following the building collapse Thursday, according to her death certificate. She was pronounced dead at 3:38 a.m. Thursday at Aventura Hospital & Medical Center.Fang was the mother of the teen pulled from the rubble Thursday, according to officials.Her family released the following statement:"There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Stacie. The members of the Fang and Handler family would like to express our deepest appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy, compassion and support we have received. The many heartfelt words of encouragement and love have served as a much needed source of strength during this devastating time. On behalf of Stacie’s son, Jonah, we ask you now to please respect our privacy to grieve and to try to help each other heal."Manuel LaFont, 54Manuel LaFont, 54, was a proud father, a baseball fan and a business consultant who lived on the building's eighth floor. He had a 10-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter with his ex-wife Adriana LaFont, the Miami Herald reported.Adriana asked her friends on Facebook to pray the rosary for Manny before his body was found. "So many memories inside the walls that are no more today, forever engraved experiences in the heart," she wrote.LaFont, a Houston native, coached his son’s baseball team, the Astros, at North Shore Park, just a mile away from the Champlain. He was a parishioner at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Miami Beach. The parish’s school parents gathered Saturday afternoon to pray for LaFont and his neighbors who were still missing.An alumnus of Sharpstown High School in Houston, LaFont had worked across Latin America and the Caribbean for a manufacturing firm, leading a division focusing on roadway safety that built crash cushions and moveable barriers, the Herald reported."I got into this industry specifically because I don’t want to sell widgets. I want to help people. I want to do something good in this world," he said at an industry conference in 2016. "When I die, I want to say that my life meant something."Antonio Lozano, 83, and Gladys Lozano, 79Antonio and Gladys Lozano lived on the ninth floor. The two had known each other over 60 years and would have celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary on July 21.Their sons told WPLG-TV that the couple had joked neither wanted to die before the other, because neither wanted to live without the other. Their one solace, the brothers said, was that they were together when they died.Authorities confirmed on Saturday that Antonio, 83, and Gladys, 79, were among the dead.Sergio Lozano said he had dinner with his parents hours before the collapse. He lived in one of the towers of the complex and could see his parents’ apartment across the way from his. That night, he said they heard a loud noise they thought could be a storm."The building is not there," he said he told his wife. "My parents’ apartment is not there. It’s gone."Hilda Noriega, 92The Noriega family released a statement on the North Bay Village Facebook page."It is with great sadness that we announce the tragic passing of Hilda Noriega, the mother of Police Chief Carlos Noriega. The Noriega family was notified last evening of the recovery and positive identification of his mother from the Champlain Towers South catastrophic scene. The family would like to thank all the hundreds of first responders, who bravely and selflessly risked their lives to locate his mother and other innocent victims found to date. The family would also like to thank Governor DeSantis, Mayor Levine-Cava, Senator Rubio, Senator Pizzo, Senator Book, and all the other elected officials and administrators, who showed unprecedented leadership, courage and compassion during this extremely difficult time. The Noriegas have lost the "heart and soul" and "matriarch" of their family, but will get through this time by embracing the unconditional love Hilda was known for. The family has asked for privacy as they deal with this horrific and painful loss."Magaly Elena DelgadoDelgado's daughter, Magaly Ramsey, spoke with CNN on Saturday about her 80-year-old mother."My mom was a very independent woman. She came from Cuba, worked hard to make her way and was trying to live her best life at this moment, by the beach, by the water, which she loves," Ramsey said. Delgado had been living in Champlain Towers for the last 10 years on the ninth floor, Ramsey said. She loved living in the building and had a close-knit group of friends.Ramsey was at a conference in Orlando when she heard about the collapse."She actually called me Wednesday night when I was at the conference. I wasn't able to talk to her because I was at a meeting at the time. I was like 'I'll call her tomorrow morning' and that never happened," Ramsey said.The next morning she saw the news about collapse."Never in a thousand years did I think that was her building or that her building was just not there anymore."Andreas GiannitsopoulosGiannitsopoulos' was one of four bodies recovered from the site on Wednesday, police said.The 21-year-old was a student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, according to the university.The university said it has reached out to the family of Giannitsopoulos to offer its support."We extend our deepest condolences to Andreas' family, friends, classmates and faculty as they deal with this unimaginable tragedy," a statement read. "Our thoughts continue to be with all affected by the disaster as they await news of their loved ones and mourn those lost."Joe Malouf, Giannitsopoulos' high school track coach in Houston, told CNN he hopped on a plane to Florida with Giannitsopoulos' mother when news broke about the collapse.Malouf said Giannitsopoulos arrived in Surfside a couple weeks ago to stay with a "dear family friend" in the Champlain Towers."He was expected to come home a day before the collapse, but his friend wanted him to stay a bit longer so they could spend a bit more time together," Malouf said.The family and Malouf headed to the site of the collapse hoping to be nearer to Giannitsopoulos, Malouf said."We had gone to the site to get as close to him as we could," Malouf said. "The kids that I coach know how loud my voice is. I was screaming for him to come out, that we're here and just to be patient. Because of how loud my voice is, I know he would have heard it."Malouf coaches track at St. Thomas High School in Houston and met Giannitsopoulos when he tried out for the team as a freshman.Malouf said Giannitsopoulos was "very good-natured, conscientious, hardworking, first on and last off the field, wanted to know more to get better — that's just his athletics.""As a student, Andreas was a high-A student and taking not just your basic courses, but taking AP courses. He was very intelligent," the coach said.Beyond his academics and athletics, Giannitsopoulos was an avid horticulturist, Malouf said. The college student would carry seeds wherever he traveled, ready to plant them.Malouf said his relationship with Giannitsopoulos developed from coach-athlete to a close friendship.They became workout partners at the gym and their friendship stayed close even when Giannitsopoulos went away to college. The pair would work out together at the gym when he was back home for the summer."When he came home from college, I felt like I was the first person he would call," Malouf said. "Our relationship was very close. From my perspective, he was like my little brother."Marcus Guara, 52; Lucia Guara, 10; Emma Guara, 4; Anaely Rodriguez, 42The youngest victims identified so far are 10-year-old Lucia Guara and 4-year-old Emma Guara; they are the daughters of 52-year-old Marcus Guara, whose body was recovered on June 26. His wife, 42-year-old Anaely Rodriguez, also died in the collapse.Guara and his family's identity were confirmed by his employer, Kassatex New York.CEO and founder of Kassatex, Ernesto Khoudari, sent the following statement to CNN in an email:"The Kassatex family is deeply saddened over the loss of Marcus Guara and his beautiful family. From the moment he started working with us, his creativity, vivacity for the business, charming smile, and never give up attitude fueled his passion for our company, and his relationships he made along the way. He was an amazing asset to the team and will be missed immensely."Michael Altman, 50Nick Altman describes his dad Michael, 50, as a selfless man who had a love for life, racquetball, and his family."He wasn't just my dad, he was my best friend, and I would tell him about everything," Nick said. "Every success I had I would grab my phone or drive by to see him, every troubling situation, I spoke to him right away."Michael would text his son twice a day to check in, once in the morning and once at night. The morning after the collapse, the chilling silence of his phone told Altman something was wrong.Altman told CNN his dad was a dual citizen and came to the US from Costa Rica when he was 4, and the condo on the 11th floor of the building had been in their family since the 1980s when it was built.Michael was a champion racquetball player in his younger days, according to Altman, and shared that gift with his two sons, who frequently let him use his skills against them."Playing racquetball with my dad is one of my favorite memories," Altman said. "He taught me and my brother Jeffery how to play racquetball and playing games of 21 trying to beat him ... we never beat him once."Michael was also a great friend to his neighbors in the complex; Nick said several survivors have asked for him. "He's just a one-of-a-kind guy, no one can ever replace him or be like him in my life, I've never met someone as lovable as him," Altman said.Michael is survived by his sons, his parents Anita and Allen, and his sister Debbie. CNN contributed to this report.

The mayor of Miami-Dade County says 97 people are confirmed dead from the building collapse in Surfside, Florida.

The identified victims, in alphabetical order, include:

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Ingrid Ainsworth, 66; Tzvi Ainsworth, 68; Michael David Altman, 50; Luis F. Barth Tobar, 51; Valeria Barth, 14; Deborah Berezdivin, 21; Luis Bermudez, 26; Claudio Bonnefoy, 85; Maria Obias-Bonnefoy, 69; Moises Rodan Brief, 28; Andrea Cattarossi, 56; Gino Cattatarossi, 89; Graciela Cattarossi, 86; Graciela Cattarossi, 48; Gary Cohen, 58; Magaly Elena Delgado, 80; Christina Beatriz Elvira, 74; Bonnie Epstein, 56; David Epstein, 58; Stacie Dawn Fang, 54; Francis Fernandez, 67; Andreas Giannitsopoulos, 21; Emma Guara, 4; Lucia Guara, 10; Marcus Joseph Guara, 52; Miguel Leonardo Kaufman, 65; Frank Kleiman, 55; Jay Kleiman, 52; Nancy Kress Levin, 76; Andres Levine, 26; Antonio Lozano, 83; Gladys Lozano, 79; Manuel LaFont, 54; Gloria Machado, 71; Ruslan Manashirov, 36; Juan Alberto Mora, 80; Juan Alberto Mora Jr., 32; Luis Lopez Moreira III, 3; Sophia Lopez Moreira, 36; Ilan Naibryf, 21; Hilda Noriega, 92; Maria Notkin, 81; Leon Oliwkowicz, 80; Anna Ortiz, 46; Aishani Gia Patel, 1; Bhavna Patel, 36; Vishai Patel, 42; Michelle Anna Pazos, 23; Luis Pettengill, 36; Mihai Radulescu, 82; Anaely Rodriguez, 42; Harold Rosenberg, 52; Maria Teresa Rovirosa, 58; Rosa Saez, 70; Simon Segal, 80; Gonzalo Torre, 81; Mercedes Fuentes Urgelles, 61; Raymond Urgelles, 61; Angela Velasquez, 60; Leidy Vanessa Luna Villalba, 23 and Benny Weisz, 31.

Three victims — a 7-year-old girl, a 5-year-old and a 44-year-old — are not being publicly identified per the family's requests.

Anna Ortiz, 46; Luis Bermudez Jr., 26; Frank Kleiman, 55

Luis Bermúdez and his mother, Anna Ortiz, were confirmed as victims of the collapse on Sunday.

Nicole Ortiz described her big sister, Anna, as her "protector" and "a great mom" who gave her son — who had muscular dystrophy — "the best days of his life."

"They were all happy," she said of Anna Ortiz, Bermúdez and Kleiman.

Bermúdez studied graphic design and created a t-shirt line called Saucy Boyz Clothing.

A tag on one of his shirts reads: "Despite the poor mobility of my hands and fingers because of my muscular dystrophy — I have achieved my dream because of my attitude."

"There are no limits," the tag says. "The perspective with which you look at things, at life and at the world, can be the key to you success."

His father and Anna Ortiz's former partner, Luis Bermúdez, remembered his son on a Facebook post.

"Luiyo of my life, I miss you with every beat of my heart. I know you are with your mom in heaven, resting in peace and without any obstacles, you are free," Luis Bermúdez wrote of his son.

Frank Kleiman, who Luis Bermúdez identified as Ortiz's current partner, was also identified by authorities as a victim of the collapse. His brother, Jay Kleiman, and their mother are unaccounted for.

Stacie Dawn Fang, 54

Stacie Dawn Fang died of blunt force trauma following the building collapse Thursday, according to her death certificate. She was pronounced dead at 3:38 a.m. Thursday at Aventura Hospital & Medical Center.

Fang was the mother of the teen pulled from the rubble Thursday, according to officials.

Her family released the following statement:

"There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Stacie. The members of the Fang and Handler family would like to express our deepest appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy, compassion and support we have received. The many heartfelt words of encouragement and love have served as a much needed source of strength during this devastating time. On behalf of Stacie’s son, Jonah, we ask you now to please respect our privacy to grieve and to try to help each other heal."

Manuel LaFont, 54

Manuel LaFont, 54, was a proud father, a baseball fan and a business consultant who lived on the building's eighth floor. He had a 10-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter with his ex-wife Adriana LaFont, the Miami Herald reported.

Adriana asked her friends on Facebook to pray the rosary for Manny before his body was found. "So many memories inside the walls that are no more today, forever engraved experiences in the heart," she wrote.

LaFont, a Houston native, coached his son’s baseball team, the Astros, at North Shore Park, just a mile away from the Champlain. He was a parishioner at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Miami Beach. The parish’s school parents gathered Saturday afternoon to pray for LaFont and his neighbors who were still missing.

An alumnus of Sharpstown High School in Houston, LaFont had worked across Latin America and the Caribbean for a manufacturing firm, leading a division focusing on roadway safety that built crash cushions and moveable barriers, the Herald reported.

"I got into this industry specifically because I don’t want to sell widgets. I want to help people. I want to do something good in this world," he said at an industry conference in 2016. "When I die, I want to say that my life meant something."

Antonio Lozano, 83, and Gladys Lozano, 79

Antonio and Gladys Lozano lived on the ninth floor. The two had known each other over 60 years and would have celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary on July 21.

Their sons told WPLG-TV that the couple had joked neither wanted to die before the other, because neither wanted to live without the other. Their one solace, the brothers said, was that they were together when they died.

Authorities confirmed on Saturday that Antonio, 83, and Gladys, 79, were among the dead.

Sergio Lozano said he had dinner with his parents hours before the collapse. He lived in one of the towers of the complex and could see his parents’ apartment across the way from his. That night, he said they heard a loud noise they thought could be a storm.

"The building is not there," he said he told his wife. "My parents’ apartment is not there. It’s gone."

Hilda Noriega, 92

The Noriega family released a statement on the North Bay Village Facebook page.

"It is with great sadness that we announce the tragic passing of Hilda Noriega, the mother of Police Chief Carlos Noriega. The Noriega family was notified last evening of the recovery and positive identification of his mother from the Champlain Towers South catastrophic scene. The family would like to thank all the hundreds of first responders, who bravely and selflessly risked their lives to locate his mother and other innocent victims found to date. The family would also like to thank Governor DeSantis, Mayor Levine-Cava, Senator Rubio, Senator Pizzo, Senator Book, and all the other elected officials and administrators, who showed unprecedented leadership, courage and compassion during this extremely difficult time. The Noriegas have lost the "heart and soul" and "matriarch" of their family, but will get through this time by embracing the unconditional love Hilda was known for. The family has asked for privacy as they deal with this horrific and painful loss."

Magaly Elena Delgado

Delgado's daughter, Magaly Ramsey, spoke with CNN on Saturday about her 80-year-old mother.

"My mom was a very independent woman. She came from Cuba, worked hard to make her way and was trying to live her best life at this moment, by the beach, by the water, which she loves," Ramsey said.

Delgado had been living in Champlain Towers for the last 10 years on the ninth floor, Ramsey said. She loved living in the building and had a close-knit group of friends.

Ramsey was at a conference in Orlando when she heard about the collapse.

"She actually called me Wednesday night when I was at the conference. I wasn't able to talk to her because I was at a meeting at the time. I was like 'I'll call her tomorrow morning' and that never happened," Ramsey said.

The next morning she saw the news about collapse.

"Never in a thousand years did I think that was her building or that her building was just not there anymore."

Andreas Giannitsopoulos

Giannitsopoulos' was one of four bodies recovered from the site on Wednesday, police said.

The 21-year-old was a student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, according to the university.

The university said it has reached out to the family of Giannitsopoulos to offer its support.

"We extend our deepest condolences to Andreas' family, friends, classmates and faculty as they deal with this unimaginable tragedy," a statement read. "Our thoughts continue to be with all affected by the disaster as they await news of their loved ones and mourn those lost."

Joe Malouf, Giannitsopoulos' high school track coach in Houston, told CNN he hopped on a plane to Florida with Giannitsopoulos' mother when news broke about the collapse.

Malouf said Giannitsopoulos arrived in Surfside a couple weeks ago to stay with a "dear family friend" in the Champlain Towers.

"He was expected to come home a day before the collapse, but his friend wanted him to stay a bit longer so they could spend a bit more time together," Malouf said.

The family and Malouf headed to the site of the collapse hoping to be nearer to Giannitsopoulos, Malouf said.

"We had gone to the site to get as close to him as we could," Malouf said. "The kids that I coach know how loud my voice is. I was screaming for him to come out, that we're here and just to be patient. Because of how loud my voice is, I know he would have heard it."

Malouf coaches track at St. Thomas High School in Houston and met Giannitsopoulos when he tried out for the team as a freshman.

Malouf said Giannitsopoulos was "very good-natured, conscientious, hardworking, first on and last off the field, wanted to know more to get better — that's just his athletics."

"As a student, Andreas was a high-A student and taking not just your basic courses, but taking AP courses. He was very intelligent," the coach said.

Beyond his academics and athletics, Giannitsopoulos was an avid horticulturist, Malouf said. The college student would carry seeds wherever he traveled, ready to plant them.

Malouf said his relationship with Giannitsopoulos developed from coach-athlete to a close friendship.

They became workout partners at the gym and their friendship stayed close even when Giannitsopoulos went away to college. The pair would work out together at the gym when he was back home for the summer.

"When he came home from college, I felt like I was the first person he would call," Malouf said. "Our relationship was very close. From my perspective, he was like my little brother."

Marcus Guara, 52; Lucia Guara, 10; Emma Guara, 4; Anaely Rodriguez, 42

The youngest victims identified so far are 10-year-old Lucia Guara and 4-year-old Emma Guara; they are the daughters of 52-year-old Marcus Guara, whose body was recovered on June 26. His wife, 42-year-old Anaely Rodriguez, also died in the collapse.

Guara and his family's identity were confirmed by his employer, Kassatex New York.

CEO and founder of Kassatex, Ernesto Khoudari, sent the following statement to CNN in an email:

"The Kassatex family is deeply saddened over the loss of Marcus Guara and his beautiful family. From the moment he started working with us, his creativity, vivacity for the business, charming smile, and never give up attitude fueled his passion for our company, and his relationships he made along the way. He was an amazing asset to the team and will be missed immensely."

Michael Altman, 50

Nick Altman describes his dad Michael, 50, as a selfless man who had a love for life, racquetball, and his family.

"He wasn't just my dad, he was my best friend, and I would tell him about everything," Nick said. "Every success I had I would grab my phone or drive by to see him, every troubling situation, I spoke to him right away."

Michael would text his son twice a day to check in, once in the morning and once at night. The morning after the collapse, the chilling silence of his phone told Altman something was wrong.

Altman told CNN his dad was a dual citizen and came to the US from Costa Rica when he was 4, and the condo on the 11th floor of the building had been in their family since the 1980s when it was built.

Michael was a champion racquetball player in his younger days, according to Altman, and shared that gift with his two sons, who frequently let him use his skills against them.

"Playing racquetball with my dad is one of my favorite memories," Altman said. "He taught me and my brother Jeffery how to play racquetball and playing games of 21 trying to beat him ... we never beat him once."

Michael was also a great friend to his neighbors in the complex; Nick said several survivors have asked for him. "He's just a one-of-a-kind guy, no one can ever replace him or be like him in my life, I've never met someone as lovable as him," Altman said.

Michael is survived by his sons, his parents Anita and Allen, and his sister Debbie.

CNN contributed to this report.