Matthew T. Gulotta

Matthew T. Gulotta was born on April 24,1958 in Staten Island, NY. True to his competitive nature, he smushed his twin brother, Peter, out of the way so he could be older by a few minutes. He grew up with three other siblings who he picked on mercilessly but loved dearly; Chrissy, Terry, and Mary.

In 1981 he met his future wife, Maryann. She had style, she had class, she was there, and she looked like The Nanny. He would take her out on a date twice a week in his Corvette that was painted black with red roses. (Consequently, he felt red roses were too feminine and did not want them at his funeral.) Matthew and Maryann got married on June 26, 1987 and had a loving marriage for 34 years. They made a family together and he was always happy to brag about his kids. Christina was born first in 1990, Matthew Jr. in 1995, and welcomed Meghan in 2001 and loved her as his own.

Something he was always proud to tell his children about were the buildings he helped construct for work as an Operating Engineer with Local 15D. His job relied on accuracy and precision. Everything he did ensured the building structure was straight and level, creating the base needed for the final finishes to add a new view to the NYC skyline. He worked to build all the “black glass skyscrapers” that are in Battery Park, Stuyvesant High School, and many others.

He also absolutely loved Christmas, he would decorate the house with so many lights that people would drive by slowly to look, and his kids’ classmates would mention at school how they drove by to see them at night. He and his family also had a tradition; every year they went into the city to have dinner, see The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, and then go to FAO Schwarz.

Matthew loved a lot of things: horses, golf, cars, poker, baseball, food, Westerns, and classic movies (but once told Christina that Casablanca was overrated). One of his favorite places to be was his weekend house in Pennsylvania. Every weekend he and his family drove there and spent their time relaxing on the porch, roasting marshmallow’s over the fire, watching movies, riding quads, and spending time with friends and family. In his younger years he had horses that he loved riding and taking care of.

Matthew was also a very nostalgic person. Many of you Islanders will remember him as the man that gave out free hotdogs at the Great Kills Memorial Day Parade. When he was a child he would go to the Memorial Day Parade every year and a man would give out tickets for a free birch beer and hotdog to all the kids for after the parade. He wanted to bring those happy memories to other children. So every year, he and his family would spend days prepping supplies to make sure everything was perfect. The day of the parade was always chaotic but he managed to direct everything perfectly by screaming at the top of his lungs. The parade was one of his greatest joys and he looked forward to it every year.

Matthew was diagnosed with liver cancer in early 2019. Once again he had to win, so he stubbornly fought for three years. He won those three extra years, shocking his doctors who didn’t think it was possible. He passed away on October 30, 2021 surrounded by his family.

A visitation for Matthew will be held Monday, November 1, 2021 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM and Tuesday, November 2, 2021 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Casey McCallum Rice South Shore Funeral Home, 30 Nelson Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10308. A funeral service will occur Wednesday, November 3, 2021 from 9:45 AM to 10:45 AM at St. Clare Church, 110 Nelson Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10308. A committal service will occur Wednesday, November 3, 2021 from 11:15 AM to 11:30 AM at Resurrection Cemetery, 361 Sharrott Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10309.