Former teachers and friends paint a picture of Joe Micalizzi, the 23-year-old NJIT student who was fatally shot Monday during a burglary attempt to his fraternity house.
NEWARK -- When describing Joe Micalizzi, the NJIT student who was fatally shot Monday during a burglary attempt at his frat house, his former teacher offers the highest praise: "He was the kind of kid you would want your own kids to be friends with," says Joe Cantaffa.
It didn't surprise Cantaffa, a teacher at Howell High School, when he heard that Micalizzi, 23, died while trying to thwart the burglars.
"That makes perfect sense with who he was," Cantaffa said Monday night. "He would have stood up. He was disciplined, polite, focused, easy to work with and this amazing combination of humble and respectful. Quick to celebrate everyone else but not himself. He'd always seek to increase his responsibilities on any project. And I hate to use the word nice because it's so cliche, but he was just a nice guy."
According to multiple police sources, Micalizzi was inside the Tau Kappa Epsilon house on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard when two intruders entered through a rear door just after 3 a.m. After a struggle, they fired multiple shots, striking Micalizzi in the hand and head. Police sources confirmed the home had been broken into in recent weeks, with burglars leaving with a number of personal items. So far, no arrests have been made in the shooting.
Micalizzi, a Freehold native, graduated in 2011 from the Freehold regional district's Performing Arts magnet program at Howell High School, where he majored in entertainment technology and was one of only about 25 students admitted from thousands in the district. The rigorous program requires eighth-graders to audition.
"I remember him coming in and all his confidence," Cantaffa says of Micalizzi's audition. "He had a smile on his face and was wearing a shirt and tie. He even stopped and shook hands with all the adjudicators, which I'd tease him about if he were ever having a bad day - 'Hey, remember that kid who always knew how to smile and shook all the judges' hands?'"
Because of the program's structure - the small group spends all four years in class together studying music, production, video and editing and orchestrating school events and performances - the students have a particularly strong bond, Cantaffa says.
"They see each other at the height of stress together and have the most laughs together," he says. "They are doing live event support, solving problems all year long, and in that process, they bond really well. It's a family."
After he graduated, Micalizzi attended Brookdale Community College and worked at Brio Tuscan Grille in Freehold, where he happened to be the waiter at Cantaffa's family Christmas dinner in 2014.
"I hadn't seen him in a few years and here he was just unbelievable," Cantaffa said. "His interpersonal skills, his communication skills and being so polished at a professional waiter's level ... Cool, calm, collected. He'd grown up since the last time I'd seen him."
Cantaffa said he was proud to hear Micalizzi had gone into mechanical engineering, where he could use all the professional skills he learned in the high school program and also be creative like an artist. He had just finished up his credits at Brookdale and was transferring to NJIT.
"It was such a happy moment, and I was so glad to see that everything had come together for him," Cantaffa said. "That makes today sting worse. You see lots of kids who get lost or turned around but here's Joe, doing the right thing, totally on track and this ridiculous tragedy happens."
Cantaffa said he refused to believe the news at first when he heard the name, thinking it could be another Joe Micalizzi, but then he learned the victim was 23 and finally that he was from Freehold, the last bit of information making it clear it was the Joe he knew.
"Suddenly, the math all added up," he said. "There was no denying it.
Though the entertainment technology program was demanding, Micalizzi found time to squeeze in sports, too, wrestling all four years. Wrestling is a big deal in Howell, says John Gagliano, who has coached the team for almost 20 years.
"Joe wasn't a starter but he still stuck with the team and wouldn't quit," Gagliano said. "That's not the easiest thing to do. He worked hard every day and was humble and didn't need recognition. He set a great example. It is no surprise to find out he tried to fight back and defend himself - he was a Howell wrestler."
Gagliano said he couldn't imagine how Micalizzi's parents were dealing with the loss. Family members declined to comment on Monday.
"I pray for his family," he said. "All of the Howell program coaches are mourning the loss of a great man."
Micalizzi's fraternity brothers declined to comment, with one saying the group needed to mourn together before they could speak publicly, but friends were quick to speak about Micalizzi's character.
"I didn't know him as well as others may have but that is what was so special about a person like Joe," said high school classmate Joe Raccuglia, who sat at Micalizzi's lunch table. "You could have known him for 10 years or 10 minutes, and you would have known how genuine and pure his heart was. I was just lucky enough to have talked sports, movies and hobbies, and had the daily exchange of high-fives with him in the hallway. He was the kind of guy you always wanted on your team and in your class."
"He was a great guy with a heart of gold," adds Michael Migliore, who worked with Micalizzi at Brio. "He had an extremely bright future, and I'm heartbroken that it was taken from him."
Former Howell teacher Rachel Burkhardt with Joe Micalizzi at his high school graduation. (Courtesy Rachel Burkhardt)It's Micalizzi's hugs that teacher Rachel Burkhardt says she'll miss. She remembers especially the big one he gave her on graduation day.
"He had such a kind heart, and he did have drive and passion," Burkhardt said Monday. "He was a little shy at times, but there was a lot more to him than you caught at first glance. And there's no doubt in my mind that if a person came in and was trying to steal things, that Joe would've stood up to him. I'm sure there is more to the story than we'll ever know."
Burkhardt said students in the entertainment technology program were distraught as the news spread.
"My phone and Facebook have been blowing up all day. They are all in shock. It's been a really rough day," she said. "It's just not fair that we aren't going to get to see all that he could have accomplished."
Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.