By: Jerry Burke
At a press conference on Tuesday, Detective Lt. Kevin Smith reported that a pedestrian walking near the Alva T. Stanford Middle School at 5:55 p.m. Monday caught sight of what he believed to be a man sleeping in a sitting position along a fence. "The passerby went over to the slumped figure and tried to wake him with a nudge," said Smith. "He got no response, but saw blood on his face."
The pedestrian, who lives in the area, ran from the Cross Street entrance of the school's parking to St. Vincent De Paul Church, a distance of a few blocks, where he called police.
Smith said that Gulotta was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:10 p.m. The exact time of death has not been established, but the apparent cause was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the right temple. A 9-mm Glock pistol was found at Gulotta's feet.
"We're still checking on the gun," said Smith. "But we do know it was not registered by the victim."
Smith said that identification was made when the medical examiner found the victim's wallet, which contained his driver's license, in his pocket.
Smith would not comment on motive, but did say that Gulotta had reportedly been working in a P.C. Richard store in Manhattan and that he was staying with a friend in a basement apartment on Robert Avenue in Elmont, only a few blocks from where the body was found.
"On behalf of the Nassau County Police Department and Commissioner [James] Lawrence, we give our heartfelt condolences to the Gulotta family," Smith told reporters.
The Gulotta family is grief-stricken over "T.J.'s" death. During a news conference at his North Merrick home, Thomas S. Gulotta said the family now has "a hole in our hearts."
Surrounded by immediate family, Gulotta described his son as "wonderful," "loving" and "caring," and said the family would always keep with them their memories of the good times with T.J.
Gulotta, who thanked the Nassau County Police Department for its "compassion and understanding," also said the family was feeling "great pain as we grieve over the loss of our beloved son."
The Gulotta family asks that donations in T.J.'s name go to the Association for the Help of Retarded Children, 189 Wheatley Road, Brookville, N.Y.
Scott Brinton contributed to this story.
