Remembering Paul J. Muscarella

Last October, Garden City bid farewell to Paul Muscarella who tragically passed away 11 months after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.

Muscarella was a dynamic fixture in the village, often seen at St. Paul’s running from game to game. The fields are full of spectators but that wasn’t Muscarella’s style. He was a coach on the fields and off the fields he was entrenched in many civic organizations.

In conjunction with the Garden City Athletic Association (GCAA), he coached girls and boys soccer, baseball and football. Muscarella was president of Garden City Western Property Owners' Association (WPOA) and a member of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce. This was in addition to his career as an attorney.

As a coach he left a lasting impression. GCAA board member Pat Goulard recalls that in 2007 Muscarella took over head coaching responsibilities of a 9-year-old football team. In two previous seasons the team had won only three out of 16 games. Under Musarella’s guidance and positive coaching, the team had a winning record and landed in the playoffs.

“He was a calming influence around players and parents and he was one hundred percent committed to helping every single player,” said Goulard. “While the victories brought smiles, Paul’s satisfaction came from seeing the players improve, develop confidence and an understanding of the game.”  

Muscarella wore a lot of hats, yet his most important job was being a loving husband to his wife, Lori, and father to their four children, Jenna, Natalie, Matthew and Diana. For that, Paul had a lot of practice.

An Elmont native, Muscarella grew up in a large Italian family, the second youngest of seven children by former Hempstead Town councilman Joseph P. Muscarella and former Hempstead commissioner for senior enrichment Cecelia Nizza.

Theirs was a close-knit family where sitting down to dinner was a priority. 

“My parents were involved in the community and encouraged us to give back,” shared Paul’s brother, Mike Muscarella. “Paul was the busiest person I knew and yet he spent the most time with his family.”

Mike Muscarella recalls how at 16 Paul volunteered to coach little league. 

“He bribed me to help,” shared Mike Muscarella. “It was chaos and there was Paul taking control. As we were leaving someone asked him, ‘Which one is your son?’ and Paul responded, ‘They’re all mine.’ Looking back that’s what Paul was about.”

That began a 10-year stint as president of the Elmont North Little League. His service to Elmont also included trustee and president of both the Elmont Community Coalition Council and the Elmont East End Civic Association; president of the Elmont North Republican Club; sergeant-at-arms of the Elmont Chamber of Commerce; member of the Order Sons of Italy, America Lodge 2245 and commissioner of Sanitary District 6.

The Garden City WPOA installed a bench in Muscarella’s memory at St. Paul’s fields and the Elmont East End Civic Association dedicated a theatre seat at the Elmont Public Library in his honor this year.

Muscarella faced the biggest challenge of his life with the same dignity.

“He gathered the family to tell us of his diagnosis, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room except his,” recalled Mike Muscarella. “He wondered how others fared without the support he had.”

According to Muscarella’s wife, Lori, watching what he went through was torture but his ability to think of others never diminished. Once he knew there was no cure for his illness, he made it his mission to help find a cure for his children’s generation and he became the first person with an inoperable brain tumor to have an experimental treatment with the drug Avastin.

“He was fully involved in his children’s lives,” said Lori. “Maybe there was a reason, he never wasted a moment. He led a very full life in a short time.”

Being part of something bigger than himself was second nature. He had all the gifts of life except length of years. Garden City may have said goodbye but Muscarella, who touched the lives of many in such a positive way, will not be forgotten.

The Paul Muscarealla Memorial Fund has been established to help raise funds for his children’s college education. A golf tournament is being held July 18 at the Colonial Springs Country Club in Farmingdale. For further information contact Mike Muscarella at 917-628-8220, via email at musky19@verizon.net or visit www.paulmuscarella.org. Donations can be mailed to: Paul Muscarella Memorial Fund, c/o 5 Hawke Lane, Rockville Centre, NY 11570.

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