By Laura Lane
Moniz¹s friend Giacomo "Jack" Alfieri of Bellmore, 17, also liked to please. He was an easy-going teenager who always seemed to be happy.
Now friends and family are struggling to accept the fact that they will never see Moniz's big smile again, or hear Alfieri passionately talk on and on about what he loved most -- cars. The two Kennedy High School seniors died on April 26 when Alfieri's 2007 BMW, which police say was traveling faster than 100 mph on the Northern State Parkway, veered out of control, hitting the median and then smashing into a tree. Alfieri, the driver, and Moniz, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, were both ejected from car on impact. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
Kennedy Principal Lorraine Poppe said the entire community is devastated by the loss of the two boys. "At present, students and staff are working together to support each other as we deal with this tragedy, and we fondly remember the impact they had on their peers and teachers," said Poppe. "Michael Moniz was an intelligent young man with great promise. He possessed tremendous pride in his Italian heritage and culture and excelled in the Italian language throughout his high school years. Jack was dependable, motivated and a considerate young man. Jack was a young man who left an impression on all those fortunate to have known him."
Alfieri was known for his sense of humor. "You'd just look at him and he'd make you crack up," said Tommy Rosati, 18, also a Kennedy senior. "He'd always end things with Œbro,¹ like, ŒGet ¹em, bro,¹ and ŒThe Yankees, bro.¹ He was the funniest kid."
Alfieri's friends worry about how he might appear to those who never knew him. They are saddened that he made the mistake of driving so fast, but they don't want him to be remembered only for a devastating error in judgment. "He was such a respectable young man," said Chris Karagiannis, 18, Alfieri's best friend since the first grade. "People think of him as a spoiled little kid, but he wasn't. He worked in his family's restaurant for so long, he deserved the car. He loved it so much and only had it a couple of months."
Moniz and Alfieri shared a love of cars. Moniz loved his father's Corvette and Harley motorcycle, and his own dirt bike. Like his friend, he would talk to anyone who would listen about his love affair with wheels. "He'd talk about cars all day long," said Dustin Klopfer, 17, Moniz's best friend for the past four years. "But Mike never went over 70 mph. This is so hard. I'll miss him a lot."
Life seemed to hold much promise for Moniz, who was planning to attend SUNY-Farmingdale in the fall. He just found out that he would be working full time this summer at a carting and demolition business where he had worked part-time. "He was so excited to get the company T-shirt," said Karagiannis, who worked with him. "It was amazing how enthusiastic he was to come to work every day."
Alfieri worked hard, too, at his father's Italian restaurant, Saviano's in Bohemia. He planned to attend Hofstra University in the fall. "The last time I saw Jack was Thursday in the student parking lot, and he was revving his engine," said Rosati. "I know I'm going to miss Jack just being Jack. He was so genuine."
Comments about this story? LLane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
