The death of Osama bin Laden brought a huge sense of relief to Dominic Puopolo.
The Miami Beach man's mother, Sonia, was aboard American Airlines Flight 11 on Sept. 11, 2001, on her way from Boston to the Latin Grammy Awards in L.A.
But Flight 11 didn't make it to L.A., after it was taken over by hijackers who crashed it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
Over nine and a half years later, Dominic Puopolo can finally be somewhat at peace after U.S. military forces killed 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden.
"I was overcome with emotion," Puopolo said Monday about hearing the news. "It was a joyous day, I started to cry as soon as I found out."
Puopolo said he never though the day would come that bin Laden would be brought to justice. He also thought he'd never be able to deliver the happy news to his father.
"The toughest thing I've had to do is call my dad," Puopolo said. "Dad burst into tears on the phone."
Puopolo said while it was welcome news to his family, he hopes the killing makes the rest of the country and the world safer.
"I think it's message to all the terrorists that no matter how long it took, the sources of the U.S. government would bring him to justice," he said.
He added that with Mother's Day coming up the news is bittersweet.
"Nothing's gonna bring my mother back, she's gone because of him," he said. "It's Mother's Day and the reality is she's not going to be here and that will never change."
