Slain Long Island Dad's Family Pleas For Suspect To Turn Himself In

LONG ISLAND, NY — Alex Smith's mother, Marie, would like to remember him as a kind, loving person.

Many mourners recalled memories of him at his funeral service Thursday.

It was a service led by his childhood pastor from the church he grew up attending in Ridge, and it was marked with the distribution of red t-shirts featuring the silhouette of a man with angel wings climbing a ladder up to a tree.

Many people spoke, Marie said.

"He was hard on the outside, but if he let you in, he loved you and cherished you, and would do anything for you," she said. "Alex was a big teddy bear."

He was the family's protector, and they meant everything to him. It was that feeling which prompted him to have the word, "family," with "a nice saying" emblazoned on his arm in a tattoo, his mother said.

Since his shooting death last Saturday, well-wishers have shared anecdotes and photos of him while grieving his loss with "kind words" that have touched Marie.

"I think that itself tells who Alex was," she said.

His family gathered Friday with friends in a backyard adorned with flower arrangements from his funeral for an informal get-together to share more memories.

Displays featured photographs from his life and a homemade poster was decorated with photos and the words, "Alex RIP."

Adults talked in small groups in between taking sips of soda and bites of a hero laid out on a picnic table with the American flag painted on it. A group of young boys played on the grass, and the family's dog ambled around from person to person.

There was something holding the grief-stricken mom and the rest of Smith's family back from moving on, though.

It was the family's quest for justice to be served upon the 30-year-old Mastic man's killer.

Smith was shot to death in the parking lot of the neighborhood bar, Linsa Torr's Place, in Mastic Beach at around 2 a.m. on Saturday. Suffolk police on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Joseph Scalafani, who they say is the suspected shooter.

Scalafani, 32, of Mastic Beach, has been known to frequent the tri-hamlet area, police say.

He is reportedly considered armed and dangerous by the police.

"I would like justice for my son," said Marie, who did not want her last name or place of residence printed due to safety concerns.

She is asking for Scalafani to turn himself in.

"And if he doesn't, whoever may know where he is, or may have a lead to where he is, please come forward and reach out to the detectives and let them know," she said. "This way we can grieve and bring justice for Alex and move on as a family for his children."

Smith is from a large family of seven siblings, including former WBO champ Joseph Smith.

He worked for the family's tree service company and leaves behind four children ranging in age from 9 months to 9 years.

Alex would have wanted justice also "for the babies," his father, Joseph Sr., said.

Smith's parents do not know the full details of what transpired the night he was killed, and they are slowly getting pieces of the puzzle, with a lot of different versions as to what happened, they said.

"So we have to wait to the cops go through everything and figure out exactly what happened," Joseph Smith Sr., said.

Smith and Scalafani grew up together, and even trained at the same boxing gym, Atlantic Boxing Gym in Shirley as kids, the parents said. As an adult, Scalafani was in Smith's older brother's wedding party, according to the parents.

The family regarded Scalafani as a member of the family, with the two parents still referring him to as "Joey" in the interview. The two lamented how the children of both men will be affected by the allegations in the long term.

"That's why I feel the most for his kids," Joseph Sr. said. "Alex's kids — it's going to be super-hard forever for them."

Patch has reached out to the attorney who represented Scalafani on a previous arrest.

But in the parents' pursuit of justice, they do not want Smith remembered for the way he died.

"Not at all," Marie said. "I would want him remembered as a kind and loving person."

A lot of people cared about him, Joseph Sr. said.

"He would do anything for them," he said. "That's how he should be remembered."

"That's not why we're here today," Marie said. "Today we're here celebrating his life. He would be all about this right now."

Homicide detectives are asking that anyone with information about Smith's shooting to submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers, a confidential police hotline, by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, or using a mobile app, which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips.

Tips can also be submitted online at www.P3Tips.com.

All calls, text messages, and emails will be kept confidential.