The actor, who plays Juice Ortiz on the hit U.S. TV drama, was at home visiting his family when the post-tropical cyclone struck the Big Apple on Monday (29Oct12), leaving millions of people without power.
And Rossi reveals he is dumbfounded by the devastation left in the wake of the superstorm.
He tells Entertainment Weekly, “It’s so bad here, a lot worse than how it’s being portrayed by the media. They are finding bodies left and right, elderly people who don’t even watch the news or who knew the storm was coming. I was just with one of my best friends from high school and college, and his house is completely gone…
“The one weird thing is how there is no power. The other weird thing is how there’s no gas. To get gas requires a three-and-a-half hour wait. It’s like this odd, post-apocalyptic kind of thing. Most trees are down. Power lines are down. It’s like a movie, or like (TV series) The Walking Dead. You can’t believe it. Especially when you grow up here. I moved to Los Angeles in 1999, but this has always been my home… I know this island in and out. To see it completely destroyed is bizarre.
“I’ve been trying to hit every shelter on Staten Island to do what I can, just to make people smile. A lot of people know me and know I’m from here… I’m really glad I’m here to help and do anything, but I’ve never seen anything like this.
“I’m just glad I’m here with my family. A shout out and thank you to all the amazing city workers who have been working around the clock. Police, fire, sanitation. You all are the true fabric of this city.”
