Vincent Gallucci

He Banished Formality

Vincent Gallucci was not one to be bound by the formality of the upper echelon of a big financial firm, his wife, Barbara, said. "A friend said that even though he was a senior vice president in a very corporate environment" — the information technology department of Marsh & McLennan — "he would pass by the desks of colleagues, people above and below him, and he would pinch them on the side or give them a big hug."

Mr. Gallucci's easygoing style apparently served him well. After his death, his wife was informed that he was to have been promoted to managing director in November. "That was something he was really looking forward to," she said. "You don't go much higher than that."

Mr. Gallucci, 36, never lost sight of what motivated him — his wife and son and daughter and their house in Monroe Township, N.J. "He was working so hard because he wanted to achieve, but really he wanted to be with the kids," Mrs. Gallucci said. "His weekends were not spent golfing with friends."

Mrs. Gallucci did not feel much like celebrating Christmas this year, but the kids insisted on it: Daddy's Last Christmas, the 7-year-old, Joseph, called it. Now that the holidays are over, the Galluccis have plans for their Christmas tree.

"We're going to plant it in the backyard for Dad," Mrs. Gallucci said.

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on January 6, 2002.


Vincent Gallucci, 36, devoted dad and Mets fan

During last year's World Series, Barbara and Vincent Gallucci were on opposite sides of the fence. Barbara loves the Yankees. Vincent was an ardent Mets fan.

"When the Yankees won the series, I couldn't even joke about it with Vince for months," Barbara Gallucci laughed. "He was a die-hard fan."

When Gallucci heard New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine's family describe Valentine's volunteer work after the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack, she thought the same words described her husband aptly.

"They called him passionate, committed, devoted," Gallucci said. "I thought, 'That was my husband in a nutshell.' If the two ever met, they would have instantly hit it off."

Mr. Gallucci, 36, of Monroe, died Sept. 11 when the Twin Towers were destroyed. He was a senior vice president with Marsh & McLennan. His office was on the North Tower's 97th floor.

"He was very dedicated to his job," said his sister, Grace Santorelli of Old Bridge. "It was the only firm he ever worked for since he graduated from college."

Santorelli said their family learned after the attack that Mr. Gallucci had been promoted to managing director, a position he was to start Oct. 1.

But family and friends say it was his family that meant the most to him -- so much that he made every play and event in his children's lives, even his daughter Alyssa's graduation from nursery school.

"He coached our son Joey on weekends in soccer, basketball and baseball," Gallucci said. "He went to every one of Joey's games."

Gallucci said her husband's "hands-on" approach began before they were married when he came with her to plan every step of their wedding 15 years ago. "He helped me pick out furniture and plan our new home."

When the Galluccis went looking for their new home, they made sure it was close to the Santorellis who had recently moved into a new home in Old Bridge. Then the two siblings persuaded their parents to sell their home in Boonton and move closer to them.

"We got our parents down here less than a year ago," Santorelli said. "We were going to start enjoying our lives all together."

Mr. Gallucci graduated from Boonton High School in 1982 and from William Paterson College in Paterson in 1986 with a degree in computer science.

Paul O'Leary, one of Mr. Gallucci's closest friends, knew him since high school. "He had the unique ability to make everyone around him feel great," O'Leary said.

O'Leary said all of the members of their high school lacrosse team and their coach attended their former teammate's memorial service on Sept. 26. He said it showed how popular Mr. Gallucci was.

Besides his wife and sister, Mr. Gallucci is survived by his children Joseph, 7, and Alyssa, 5, and his parents Angela and Joseph Gallucci of Old Bridge.

The family has established college funds for Mr. Gallucci's children, the College Bound Trust Fund SBO for Joseph Gallucci and the College Bound Trust Fund SBO for Alyssa Gallucci in care of Grace Santorelli, 27 Fela Drive, Old Bridge, N.J. 08857.