By: Jerry Burke
Gottlieb, 49, was remembered as a dedicated family man, a respected co-worker and, as one mourner put it during his wake at the Franklin Funeral Home last weekend, 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.
"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.
While the family declined to comment over the weekend, the general feeling at both the wake and in the community was one of anxiety. "I'm not going to rest until this jerk is behind bars," said one Franklin Square mourner who did not want to be identified.
At the Franklin Square Chamber of Commerce meeting last Thursday, the murder was the main topic of discussion. "He was a good guy, just your average Joe," said chamber Vice President Anthony Errera, who had worked with Gottlieb years earlier at Crossland Bank. "No one, especially not him, deserved this."
Gottlieb was buried in Pinelawn Memorial Park on Monday.
According to Detective Sgt. Dennis Barry of the Nassau County Homicide Squad, Gottlieb, the assistant bank manager of the HSBC Bank branch in Cedarhurst, was driving to his Garden City South home at 7 p.m. when the suspect, driving a dark colored SUV equipped with a blue and white flashing police-style light, drove up behind Gottlieb's 1998 Mercury.
Gottlieb pulled his car over on Semton Boulevard, just north of Fenworth Boulevard. From witness accounts, police believe Gottlieb immediately became suspicious of the suspect and got out of his car. The suspect, meanwhile, told Gottlieb that he was under arrest and 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 for help, the suspect fired a shot at the victim, according to Barry, striking him in the left ankle. Gottlieb kept moving, 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 cop 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.
Police 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 and wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt.
As yet, no motive
Farrell said that police are delving into every aspect of the victim's life as they search for the killer. "The fact that he is associated with the bank might make him a target in some way," said Farrell. "On the other side of the coin, 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 may strike again. Officers at the scene reported that nothing appeared to be missing from the car, and that Gottlieb 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 officers 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 officer. Drivers unsure of the status of such a car 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 Crimestoppers at (800) 244-TIPS.
Communities remember
Gottlieb worked for HSBC Bank, on Cedarhurst Avenue in Cedarhurst, for the past 15 years, and was promoted to assistant bank manager about six months ago. Bank Manager Tricia Attias described Gottlieb as a hard worker who never missed a day on the job, but always kept his family first. "He was just a good guy and very responsible," said Attias. "He was very family-oriented."
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 Gottlieb's murder, requested and was granted a security guard when it reopened the following day, as a precaution.
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 HSBC spokeswoman Kathleen Rizzo. "Our thoughts are with his family."
Fellow Garden City South Little League coach Rob Brusca has announced that the 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.
Those would like to donate money to the Gottlieb family can do so with a check made out to the Garden City South Little League, writing "For the Gottliebs" on the memo line, and send it to The Garden City South Little League, P.O. Box 7973, Garden City, NY 11530.
Brusca said that 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.
Andrew Cohen contributed to this story.
Comments about it? JBurke@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 234.
