c. 2005 Religion News Service

WEST CALDWELL, N.J. _ His neighbors have always known Samuel A. Alito Jr. was an important guy. After all, his work as a federal prosecutor and judge often made the newspapers.

But in the western suburbs of Essex County, he is also known for his life away from work.

Thrilled by his nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday (Oct. 31), Alito’s friends and acquaintances spoke about his calm on the baseball diamond coaching his son’s youth league, his dedication to high school mock trial competitions, his attendance at Sunday Mass, and his friendly manner in the yard or across the backyard fence.

“He’s just a very kind, considerate and giving person,” said Hillary Brunel, who coached countywide mock trials with Alito at Caldwell High School from 2001 through 2003. “He’s obviously brilliant, and he’s head-and-shoulders above the rest of us, but he’s very approachable and very easy to talk to.”

Alito rarely spoke with his neighbors about the controversial issues he faces in his work life _ abortion, religion, civil rights, corruption.

“We never talked politics, never talked court, never talked lawyer,” said John Serra, who had lived near Alito on Seymour Street in Caldwell. “We’d talk about the lawn, garden, that kind of stuff _ all nonessential conversations.”

Stan Bestys, another neighbor on Seymour, echoed many others in town who knew the family when he said they knew Alito’s wife and children better than Alito himself.

“We saw her more than we did him. He was kind of busy,” Bestys said. “We used to say hello. We used to talk every once in a while.”

Bestys said Martha Alito was among a group of concerned people on Seymour Street who went to town council meetings 15 years ago when they feared a new senior citizens’ home in the area would disturb area traffic patterns and their dead-end street.

About six years ago, Alito moved to another middle-class neighborhood, in West Caldwell, where he bought a vacant lot for $160,000 in 1998. He cleared some trees and built a center-hall colonial, boosting the value of his property to $825,000, making it the most expensive house on the block, according to local tax records.

Tom Eidel, who was walking his dog past the house Monday, said he hardly ever saw Alito, presumably because Alito was at work.

“That’s why he’s in the position he’s in,” Eidel said.

The Alito house has two decorative flags in the front yard _ one with the Warner Bros. cartoon character Tweety Bird and one with a large V, the logo for the University of Virginia, where his son is a student.

Many people in the Caldwells know Alito as much for his children’s athletic exploits as for his legal career. His son, Phil, played tennis at James Caldwell High School in West Caldwell, while his daughter, Laura, is a star swimmer.

Brunel and her husband, Larry Monaco, came to know Alito because their sons are the same age.

“I had volunteered (to coach mock trial). Then his son got involved and he also volunteered. He’s an absolutely brilliant man, and I think he pretty much wowed the kids with his insights and his abilities to mentor.”

“He would do things like arrange on a Saturday or a Sunday for a scrimmage where he’d get another team from out of the county and we would meet at a federal courthouse and (do) a dry run,” she said.

“My experiences with him have been wonderful,” said Monaco, a retired Essex County prosecutor who lived near the Alitos in Caldwell. “Even when he had a dispute with the umpire, he always remained calm, collected and set forth his position precisely.”

The Alito family has belonged to Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church in Roseland for nearly 20 years. His children received sacraments there and his wife teaches religious education there, an archdiocese spokesman said. He has also frequently attended services at St. Aloysius Church in Caldwell.

“He was faithful,” said the Rev. John Laferrera, formerly of St. Aloysius.

MO/JL END RNS

(Jeff Diamant and Joe Malinconico write for The Star Ledger, in Newark, N.J. Robert Gebeloff contributed to this story.)

Editors: To obtain a photo of Alito’s New Jersey home and neighborhood, go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject or slug. If searching by subject, designate “exact phrase” for best results.

West Caldwell and Caldwell are both cq. They are different municipalities.

Also see RNS-SCOTUS-CATHOLIC about a Catholic-majority Supreme Court.