'Eddy Knew He Was Loved': Hundreds Attend Lindenhurst Vigil For CVS Worker Killed In Christmas Stabbing

LINDENHURST, NY — What was expected to be a small gathering grew into a crowd of hundreds Monday evening, as community members filled Lindenhurst Village Square to honor 23-year-old CVS employee Edeedson “Eddy” Cine Jr., who was killed in a stabbing while working on Christmas night.

Cine, a West Babylon resident and a 2020 graduate of North Babylon High School, was working behind the counter at the CVS store on East Montauk Highway when he was attacked, police said. Family members have said Cine had been called in at the last minute to cover a shift after another employee called out.

“The pain of losing our son… is beyond anything we could have ever imagined,” Cine’s father, Edeedson Cine Sr., said. “No parent expects to outlive their child, and the suddenness of this loss — the brutal and senseless way he was taken from us — has left a space in our hearts that cannot be filled.”

The vigil was organized by Gina Catania-Leto, a lifelong Lindenhurst resident, who said she felt compelled to act after learning of Cine’s death. Initially planned for the CVS parking lot, the gathering was relocated to Village Square due to the unexpectedly large turnout.

“I thought maybe 20 or 30 people would show up,” she told the crowd. “I wanted his family to feel like they had a community — people that care about them, people that love them.”

Attendees included Cine’s family, friends, students, clergy, elected officials, Suffolk County police representatives, and residents who said they did not know Cine personally but were drawn by stories of his kindness and the circumstances surrounding his death.

“The outpouring of love, support, prayers, and presence has meant more to us than you could ever know,” he said. “In a moment when words feel inadequate, your kindness has reminded us that we are surrounded by care.”

Throughout the vigil, speakers said that Cine should be remembered not for how he died, but for how he lived — a young man repeatedly described as polite, principled, hardworking, and quietly generous. Dylan, a 12-year-old seventh grader from Lindenhurst Middle School, stepped forward to share a memory that drew nods and tears from the crowd.

“I didn’t have enough money to pay for my drink,” Dylan said. “Eddie told me, ‘That’s okay — just give me three,’ and he paid the rest himself. I always remembered him because of that.”

His father idescribed his son as fiercely independent from a young age, with a strong moral compass and a deep capacity for compassion.

“He was an independent thinker with deep convictions,” Cine said. “He had a strong sense of right and wrong, and he wasn’t afraid to live according to what he believed.”

Cine said the pain of losing a child was compounded by the sudden and violent nature of his son’s death, noting that the family is grieving not only who Eddy was, but who he had yet to become. Still, he said, seeing the community response has affirmed that the values his family instilled in him were not lost.

“I did not know the extent to which he had touched this community,” he said. “It has warmed my heart to see that the values we taught him were not lost, and that he lived them.”

He also thanked Suffolk County police detectives, local officials, businesses, faith leaders, and community members who reached out to support the family in the days following Eddy’s death.

Among the elected and public officials in attendance were Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer, Lindenhurst Mayor Michael Lavorata, and Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina.

“To see a 23-year-old go to work on Christmas and not make it home is heartbreaking,” Catalina said. “The community should know that justice is being pursued.”

Police said John Pilaccio, 43, of Lindenhurst, was arrested and charged with murder in the second degree in connection with Cine’s death. The investigation remains ongoing.

As candles were lit across the square, prayers were offered and hymns sung, turning the vigil into a collective moment of reflection and mourning for a life taken too soon.

Visitation services for Cine will be held Jan. 8, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Mangano Family Funeral Home, located at 1701 Deer Park Ave. in Deer Park. A burial ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 9, at Pinelawn Memorial Park on Wellwood Avenue.

A GoFundMe fundraiser organized by Cine’s family has raised more than $92,000, reflecting an outpouring of support from across the community and beyond. In a recent update, organizer Vanessa Cine thanked donors, writing that the family was “in utter awe” at the willingness of strangers to help during their time of loss.

"We don't harbor any hate, because we believe in the faith that we believe in," Cine Sr. said. "Love conquers all. We are moving on and understanding, and forgiving so that we can find peace in our hearts. If you're a parent, make sure your children know that you love them. Eddy knew he was loved."