Original Source: northjersey.com
NORTH ARLINGTON — Neighbors and business owners near the home of Jersey City police Detective Joseph Seals, who was killed Tuesday in the shootings in Jersey City, said he was modest, quiet and low-key.
They also described him as a family man, rarely seen without his wife, five children and dog walking along the main shopping strip on Ridge Road in their quiet, working-class borough.
“They would come in on Wednesdays, after scout meetings,” said Mark DiScerni, an employee of Villa Pizza, which is around the corner from the Seals’ home. A day after the sudden torrent of bullets that began with Seals’ slaying in Bayview Cemetery in Jersey City’s Greenville section, his house remained cordoned off by Jersey City police SUVs.
Villa Pizza’s owner, Gino Romeo, recalled the large family dog that was always in tow.
“We called it the big blue dog,” Gino said. “We would always joke, offering them $5 for it, but the kids would put up a fit and say no.”
“He was a great family man,” said Joseph Vuocolo, who lives down the block from the family and said he was too upset to speak at length. “He had a wonderful wife and was a good father. Believe me, if he was a bum, I’d tell you he was a bum. But he was a really great guy.”
Vuocolo said he displayed expansive holiday decorations. Seals, his neighbor said, was prepping for his annual Christmas display before he was gunned down.
Despite the bright decorations that would normally adorn his home, Seals was a modest man, residents said.
“Honestly, I didn’t even know he was a Jersey City police officer until recently,” said Ryan Esposito, owner of Empire Barbershop on Ridge Road. “He wasn’t flashy about it, didn’t walk around with his badge and his gun. Never asked for a break on the price because he was a cop; he didn’t flaunt it. He walked around with his kids with his head up high.”
Neither did Seals get too chatty during his haircuts, his barber said. He was a quiet guy who liked a short fade on the sides and a little spike in front.
North Arlington Police Chief Scott Hedenberg said he was caught off-guard to discover that the shootings in Hudson County claimed a fellow policeman from his borough.
Union City police warned residents on Wednesday in a tweet that, according to Jersey City’s Street Crime Unit, several fraudulent online fundraising accounts had been started to give money to the Seals family. But by later that afternoon, the department tweeted a link to a GoFundMe account accepting donations to help Seals’ family with expenses.
North Arlington’s mayor, Daniel Pronti, a former sergeant with the Montclair Police Department, wrote on his official mayoral Facebook page: “Those who are friends, family, community and acquaintances of police officers, rarely think of the most severe, ultimate sacrifice, which may occur.”
“Today, we are all facing exactly that,” Pronti continued. “The Seals Family is and will always be a part of our Community. Joe was a friend to me and to many of you.”
Original Source: northjersey.com