by FRANK LOMBARDI and OWEN MORITZ
Mayor Bloomberg said Monday that in his "heart of hearts" he doesn't believe officials purposely ignored violations that caused the deadly Deutsche Bank inferno.
"In my heart of hearts," the mayor declared, "I don't believe anybody deliberately did anything to make the building less safe."
Bloomberg was reacting to a Daily News report that inspectors knew about and repeatedly ignored blatant fire-safety violations in the building, a matter under criminal probe by Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau.
In a statement, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said New Yorkers were "appalled" by the revelations and that "whatever the results of that investigation, it is already clear that the system failed" the firefighters.
The families of Firefighter Robert Beddia, 53, and Lt. Joseph Graffagnino Jr., 33, who were killed in the Aug. 18, 2007, blaze, dedicated plaques in their memory yesterday.
Bagpipers played and hundreds of firefighters from Engine 24/Ladder 5 saluted as the memorials were unveiled.
Surrounded by many of the people the families blame for the deaths, Graffagnino's widow, Linda, wiped away tears as she was consoled by the mayor.
Bloomberg later bristled when reporters told him the firefighter's father, Joe Graffagnino Sr., said people who deliberately skirted safety procedures should be charged with murder.
"That's something that you have to talk to him [about]," the mayor snapped. "That's the sort of question I don't know what kind of answer you want from me, but you're not going to get it."
The News disclosed that basic fire-safety rules, as well as reported violations, had been ignored before the blaze.
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