By: Jerry Burke and Andrew Coen
James Gottlieb, 49, of Garden City South, the father of three children, who was shot on his way home from work the night of Jan. 5, was remembered as a committed and hard-working employee who rarely missed a day on the job and always put his family first.
Gottlieb was assistant bank manager at HSBC Bank, 125 Cedarhurst Ave. "He was just a good guy, and very responsible," said Tricia Attias, the bank's manager. "He was very family-oriented."
About 400 friends and family gathered at St. Catherine of Sienna Church in Franklin Square Monday for Gottlieb's funeral. During his wake, held at the Franklin Funeral Home last weekend, one mourner described Gottlieb as a "passionate" fan of the Mets, Jets and Rangers.
"The police have got to find the person who did this," said John Rothengast, a family friend of the Gottliebs who came out Saturday to support James's wife of more than 20 years, Elizabeth, and his three children, James, 18, Brian, 16, and Alicia, 8.
According to Detective Sgt. Dennis Barry of the Nassau County Homicide Squad, Gottlieb was driving to his Garden City South home at 7 p.m. last Wednesday when the suspect, driving a dark-colored SUV equipped with a blue-and-white flashing police-style light, drove up behind his 1998 Mercury.
Gottlieb pulled his car over to the side of Semton Boulevard, just north of Fenworth Boulevard. From witness accounts, police believe Gottlieb immediately became suspicious of the suspect, who was dressed in a paramilitary outfit over a hooded sweatshirt, and got out of his car. The suspect, meanwhile, told Gottlieb that he was under arrest, ordered him to get down on the ground and give him the keys to his car. Gottlieb refused and a verbal altercation ensued, with Gottlieb demanding identification.
After a short scuffle, Barry said, Gottlieb made his way to the home across the street from where he parked. The suspect then struck Gottlieb once or twice with his gun. As Gottlieb continued to charge up the driveway, seeking help, the suspect fired a shot at him, according to Barry, striking him in the left ankle. Gottlieb kept moving away, Barry said, and the suspect fired twice more. One shot missed, but the other struck Gottlieb in the right arm.
At a news conference last Thursday, Detective Lt. Dennis Farrell of the Homicide Squad told reporters that, based on the trail of blood, they believe Gottlieb made it to the front door of the home, banged on it for help, ran around the left side of the home and then back to his car, where police found him a few seconds later.
Farrell said that Gottlieb, whose cause of death was listed as a "devastating" loss of blood from the severing of the brachial artery in his right arm, was alive when officers arrived, and managed to tell them that his killer was posing as a police officer and that he demanded his car keys, before he slipped into unconsciousness. He was pronounced dead at Mercy Medical Center at 8:15 p.m.
According to Farrell, witnesses said the shooter quickly ran back to his SUV and fled north on Semton Boulevard. Barry later added that police believe the vehicle was similar to a Ford Expedition.
Officials are currently looking for a single suspect, described as an African-American male, standing between 5 feet 9 and 5 feet 11, between 30 and 40 years old, who left the scene wearing paramilitary fatigues.
Farrell said that police are delving into every aspect of the victim's life as they search for the killer. As of press time on Tuesday morning, police officials said they are still considering all possibilities, but they believe Gottlieb may have been targeted because of his job at HSBC Bank. According to Barry, witnesses said the suspect's demand for Gottlieb's keys may have been a reference to bank keys, since Gottlieb's car was still running and its keys were in the ignition. "We're more inclined to think he was targeted because of his job at the bank," Barry said.
"On the other side of the coin," Farrell said last week, "this could be some kind of random victim selection."
Farrell said that the police are very concerned that if the attack was random, the suspect might strike again. Officers at the scene reported that nothing appeared to be missing from Gottlieb's car, and that he was still in possession of his keys and wallet.
Police are also concerned that residents may be apprehensive about being pulled over by law enforcement in the wake of the incident. While motorists are expected to pull over when they see police lights, it is within the rights of a motorist to ask for identification before even opening his or her window.
Motorists also have the right to call police dispatch to confirm that an unmarked car is, in fact, a police vehicle. Drivers unsure of the status of such a vehicle are also urged to turn on their four-way flashers to let the officer know they are aware of being pulled over, and then drive to either a nearby police station or a well-lit and populated area, such as the parking lot of a store.
Anyone with information on the incident or who has had a suspicious experience with someone claiming to be a police officer is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 244-TIPS.
Emotional aftermath
As the murder investigation continues, friends, family and co-workers are having difficulty trying to make sense of the killing.
Attias said the bank has offered counseling services to employees who worked with Gottlieb. The branch, which was closed on Jan. 6, the day after his murder, requested and was granted a security guard when it re-opened the following day, as a precaution. Gottlieb had worked at Republic/HSBC Bank for more than 15 years and served as bank manager at several branches in Brooklyn before moving to its Cedarhurst location several months ago, said HSBC spokeswoman Kathleen Rizzo.
The murder also affected employees of neighboring businesses along Cedarhurst Avenue, many of whom are HSBC customers. "He was lovely and always had a smile," said Cedarhurst Avenue Pharmacy manager Annie Cohen, a customer of the bank.
John Sholom, the manager of Fruit Paradise, across the street from the bank, is also a customer there and became friends with Gottlieb. "He was very quiet and reserved, but at the same time could still crack a joke or two," said Sholom. "He was always very helpful."
"People are just very shocked, and could not believe it happened to someone in their neighborhood," said Sue Pepper, the owner of Cedarhurst Avenue Pharmacy. "It's very hard to comprehend."
"He was a valued member of the HSBC team, and we will miss him," said Rizzo. "Our thoughts are with his family."
"He was a great guy and so dedicated to his family," said Rob Brusca, who coached in the Garden City South Little League with Gottlieb and worked with his wife on the league's board.
Brusca has announced that the Garden City South Little League is spearheading fund-raising efforts for the family. "At our registration last Saturday, we began collecting money for Elizabeth and the kids," said Brusca, who said the response has been strong.
Brusca said the league, which will dedicate this season to Gottlieb's memory, will host its first fund-raiser for him at a special cocktail hour from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Jan. 30 at J.P. McGeevers, 273 Nassau Blvd., Garden City South. The donation will be $35 per person, and all proceeds will go to the Gottlieb family.
Gottlieb was buried in Pinelawn Memorial Park on Monday.
Comments about this story? JBurke@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 234.
