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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Maria Rashford shared memories of her brother, Steven Ercolino, 41, during a Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in White Plains on Wednesday.
Ercolino, who grew up in Nanuet, was shot and killed Friday by a disgruntled former co-worker, Jeffrey Johnson, in front of the Empire State Building in New York City. Johnson then opened fire on New York City police, who shot and killed him.
On Wednesday, Ercolino’s family honored his memory.
“We are not broken,” said Rashford, the one family member who spoke during the services. “We will live each day honoring his spirit and will live each day like he did - with laughter, with passion and with love. Please do the same.”
Ercolino’s parents; brothers Paul and Peter; and Ercolino's girlfriend, Ivette Rivera; couldn’t help but laugh as his sister shared stories and remembrances.
When Rashford learned to write in the first grade, she said she signed every page of Ercolino’s yearbook as “Maria the Grate,” noting the misspelling. Years later, she said her brother would end every text with “Steven the Grate”.
“Steven was full of life,” Rashford said. “He was beautiful on the outside, but even more on the inside.”
Rashford described him as a sensitive man who loved his family, as well as his New York sports teams, the Mets and Jets. A wreath adorned in orange, blue and green - the colors of his beloved teams - adorned the back of the hearse that led the procession to Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, where his body will be cremated.
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