Fond memories

Christofi overcame difficult past to become 'success story'

Jayson Williams did not enter a plea to the reckless manslughter charge in the shooting of Costas Christofi. AP

FLEMINGTON, N.J. (AP) -- He's remembered in countless news stories for how he died: from a shotgun blast that prosecutors say came at the hands of former NBA star Jayson Williams.

But those who knew Costas Christofi prefer to remember how he lived, recalling a man who overcame drug addiction and burglary convictions to become a substance abuse counselor, dedicated employee and loyal friend.

"This is a true success story," said Sam Nenna, who owned the limousine company where Christofi worked. "It's incredible. And I think he had a lot more to offer."

Christofi's criminal record, which included convictions for burglary and receiving stolen property, ended abruptly more than a decade ago. He was last paroled in 1988, according to Corrections Department records.

"It was like he'd been reborn," said his nephew, Chris Adams.

After leaving prison, Christofi entered a residential drug-treatment center, where he met the man who would later became his housemate.

Christofi, 55, lived on the first floor of a house in Washington Borough, while Joseph Armstrong and his wife lived on the second floor. Both men became substance abuse counselors themselves.

"He had no problem sharing his past," Armstrong said. "He was spreading it around. It became an asset."

Christofi, known to friends as "Gus," never forgot that he had been given a second chance, Armstrong said.

For Christmas 1999, Christofi made an audiotape of the things he was grateful for -- including the friends he lived with and the family he had back in his life -- and played it for his housemates.

Friends say Christofi's new life centered around simple pleasures: his family, his friends and his home. He also took up cooking, although Armstrong said his success there was limited.

"He tried," Armstrong said, laughing. "Forced me to eat it too. Gus, he cooked experimentally."

Christofi combined two of his interests, driving and people, in July 2000, when he took a job with Seventy-Eight Limousine. He transported 1,700 people without a single complaint, and was one of the Pittstown company's most requested drivers, Nenna said.

During his runs, Christofi ran errands for regular customers, kept his trunk stocked with their favorite treats and helped stranded motorists he encounter along the way.

Customers called Christofi's employer for weeks after his Feb. 14 death, asking how such a thing could have happened.

"Nice guy doesn't cover it," Nenna said. "He had his difficulties in the past and he overcame them. In the year and a half I knew him, he went out of his way to help people."

Authorities say the limousine driver, described by many as a sports fan, was apparently invited inside Williams' 40-room mansion for a tour.

Acting Hunterdon County Prosecutor Steven C. Lember said the former NBA All-Star was recklessly handling a 12-gauge shotgun when it went off, shooting Christofi. Williams is charged with second-degree manslaughter.

A homemade white cross, trimmed with flowers and rosary beads, appeared on Christofi's front lawn in the days after his death. Armstrong decided to leave it there.

"What's really funny is that's what Gus would have done," he said.

Christofi is survived by a sister, a brother and a large extended family, Adams said.

He also left behind a large mixed-breed dog named Macy, who grows agitated whenever her master's possessions are carried away, and friends who find that even the most commonplace activities evoke memories of him.

Armstrong said his wife describes the house as "less settled, because a very important piece is missing."

Said Armstrong: "It'll never be the same."

 

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